Are squashes safe outside yet?

[Garlic_Guy]

As per my tomatoes, I started my Butternut squashes maybe a bit early.

They are now straining at the leash in roottrainers, but I'm worried about planting them out yet. Would you advise leaving a bit longer, till danger of frosts has reduced?

I am able to put a fleece tunnel over them when they do go out. I'm just worried about their growth getting checked in their current pots and not sure whether, if they can't go out yet, if I should move them to bigger pots.

Also would the same advice apply to courgettes?

[Johnboy]

Hi Colin,
IMHO it is still too early to plant squashes out and if you think that they are going to suffer in root trainers pot them on to a larger pot and plant out from there when there is no fear of night temperatures dropping down too far.
I feel that because of the weather this year an awful lot of people will be in the same boat. I would follow that with all Cucubits and certainly Tomatoes. Outside temperature here at present is 8C which is 2C below the minimum requirement to plant out. Fleece will only protect something from direct frost not ambient temperature.
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[Compo]

Would you recommend the same for courgettes and pumpkins JB?

[Johnboy]

Hi Compo,
You were quick off the mark 'cos it was only there for about a second when I realised that I hadn't fully answered Colins question and pushed the edit button!! I think the additional comment covers your question.

[Chantal]

I've taken a chance with one each of my pumpkins as I'm so short of space. I planted them out on Thursday but tucked them up with lots of straw and will fleece them tonight too. I figured it was worth the risk with them as I have many replacements should I lose them and if they are OK they'll be off to a flying start. It also gave me room to pot up some other things that were suffering.

[spinningfishwife]

I always put a cloche over my squashes etc when I plant out....either a cheap plastc bell one or one made from a big water dispenser bottle with the base cut off.

[Chez]

Hello Colin - I agree with previous contributors re it being a bit early (read, riskier) to plant them out now. I often think there is little gain in getting them out early as we find when they are planted out at the right time of year they quickly match and usually overtake plants that went out earlier and when it was a bit cold for them. It really does seem to check their growth. Ours will be planted out in about two weeks time.

I am with Johnboy re getting them into pots too. Something we do and you may wish to consider next year, is sowing just one seed per 3 1/2" pot. We do this with squashes, courgettes, cucumbers and melons. We use rootrainers for a lot of things, but find they are just not big enough for long enough for the above. It all depends on your quantities, space, etc., of course.

[Geoff]

Still far two cold up here - less than 5C last night. I grow courgettes and smaller squashes in 5" pots but pumpkins and vigorous squashes in 6" or even 8" before I put them out end of second week of June. Mostly just seed leaves plus 1 or 2 proper leaves at the moment.
I find when I put them out wind does as much damage as cold so the 25' x 10' pumpkin patch gets surrounded by a 2½' high windbreak fence.

[Chrissey]

I grew both my cucimber & squashes inside on the windowsill - transfereed to bigger pots and into the greenhouse.

Thought the cucumber wouldn't survive so planted some more and we have 3inch long cucs now- but still in a big pot just in case and the stronger later one in the ground.

The summer squash in 5" pots in the greenhouse have started fruiting- hopeing to plant out but to cold- again thought all a bit early so small ones ready just in case.

The courgettes have been in pots with all the bedding plants under hooped mesh for 2 weeks now and desperately need to go into the ground - again worried about biting the bullet and actually planting them out- it will be interesting to compare the early with the later planting as I will use both to see how it goes.

Wish it would warm up a little as it is cold in the evening to be in the garden

[Chez]

Hello Chrissey - it will be interesting to see if your results match ours (or not). Pleae do come back and tell us.