Growing squash/courgettes up canes

[Chantal]

Can someone please clarify which squash I can grow up canes? I'm hoping the answer will include Butternut, but what about pumpkins?

I saw on TV yesterday that someone was growing courgettes up canes too; is this really viable? My plants have always seemed to be more compact than trailing.

I'm looking to save some space on the plot and already plan to grow squash under the sweetcorn.

[John]

It'll be interesting to see what replies this turns up, Chantal. I don't think that I would try this method though because of the support needed by the plants - several squashes on a plant can soon add up to quite a bit of weight. I grow my squashes on a bed of straw, like a giant strawberry bed. I do pinch out the first trailing growths to encourage a sort of bushiness and this does restrict the spread a bit but they still take up an awful lot of room.

John

[jopsy]

I saw courgettes with little hammocks/nets in a book once.
We grew squash up canes last year; but due to giving birth etc.. DH didn't sort them out and they grew MASSIVE and slid down

DH didn't give birth I did; But he didn't sort it out!

[Chantal]

Which squash did you grow before they got too big?

[jopsy]

oh Pah
I can't remember I have the packet round at the garden. I will have to let you know tomorrow as DH is out and Lily is in bed!

[Carole B.]

You'd never keep the pumpkins up the sticks they'd get too heavy.Try other space saving methods like letting the squashes like Butternut ramble underneath runner beans,sweetcorn or I've even seen it grown through a raspberry bed with great success.If you want to keep them in their own space then peg the main stem in an expanding spiral,pinching out the side shoots when each one has set a fruit.
Most courgettes are compact varieties so I wouldn't imagine there's anything to train.

[Speedy]

I grew butternuts up a piece of trellis last year with some success & am repeating it again this year due to pressure of space.....The only way is up! I used trellis as I thought that canes would not be strong enough to support the weight. I tied them to the trellis every 6" or so to stop them sagging and managed to get a reasonable crop from just 2 plants.

Regards Speedy

[vivie veg]

Some small pumpkins can be grown up a trellis (NOT slippering bamboo canes!) as a rough guide if the fruit is heavier than 1 Kilo (2.2 lb) don't try.

You can certainly grow butternuts up a trellis, but many courgettes and summer squashes are bush type rather than vines.

I have a table of 60+ pumpkins and squashes, giving fruit sizes and habit. However I don't want to type out the whole list, so if there are any specific varieties you want to know about just ask and I'll try to post ASAP.

[Chantal]

Thanks guys, I think butternut is the one I'm most interested in for squash, but pumpkin wise I have

Spooktacular
Turk's Turban
Becky
Crown Prince
Marina di Choggia

and would appreciate any help with these please Vivie.

Thanks

[vivie veg]

Hi Chantal,

Spooktacular -not on my list

Turk's Turban Edible, mostly used for decoration, orange, red and cream in colour with flat round cap with grey bobble, no size given vine

Becky - very uniform deep orange fruits 1.5 to 2 Kg, Vine

Crown Prince - One of the best eating squashes, steel grey exterior, deep orange sweet flesh, stores well, no size given vine

Marina di Choggia -not on my list

If you are looking for vines to grow up a trellis, I would suggest

Baby bear - Mini pumpkins, naked seeds can be eaten, very high yielding, should not be direct seeded. 750g to 1Kg,

Rolet - High yielding gem squash, producing tennis ball size fruits, dark green.

Gem store F1 - similar to rolet, but stays green in storage

Table Ace F1 - Acorn type producing black/green fruits of 500g to 1Kg

Table Gold - as table ace but gold/orange.

Delicata - A sweet potato squash producing small fruits with green and white strips

Hope these help.

[Chantal]

Thanks Vivie, I'll keep your list for next year's squash and see what I can get. For this year, I'm having to stick them in all over the place!

[George Gray]

Last year I had some excess cucumber plants (greenhouse varieties!). I grew the up canes on my allotment and they grew fine!