Kitchen Garden Forum

Can anyone tell me, how much space a single waltham butternut squash needs?

The seed package says 1x1m, but looking around the web, that figure seems kind of iffy..

Anyone?

Hello A9I
Don't like to see a post go unanswered on forum for too long so here's my pitch on this one.
The 1m x 1m seems a bit on the small side. I grow about 5 or 6 different winter squash most years. They are in a row with the plants at approx 1m spacing but I allow 1m either side of the row and this works quite well. Once established the plants are very vigorous and will ramble out of control just everywhere. Overlong vines need to be pruned.
Once the young plants have become established I pinch out the main vines after about 4/5 leaf joints to encourage a more bushy growth. Once a mature plant has set a significant number of fruits towards the end of August you can restrict further growth so that the existing fruits get to a good size and mature properly. In this way the plant is kept to a manageable size and gives a good crop. I always put straw under the fruits to keep them off the soil and help ripening.
Varieties with 'Table' in the name are excellent compact growers - eg 'Table Gold' and so on.
To finally answer then for a single plant I would say allow 2m x 2m or grow it up a sturdy frame if you can't spare the room.
Hope this helps
John

Hi Anders

As John says we don't like to see question unanswered for very long.

But I have to say I am intrigued by this post, purely because I have been looking on site regularly, numerous times, since Friday and this is first time I have seen it.

As far as your question goes, I do not know the Waltham variety, given the spacing they suggest it sounds almost dwarf or non trailing

New users initial n posts are subject to an approval process.
Cuts down on the spammers, but impacts the genuine newbies.
In this case a post made at 1:55am didn't get approved by me (busy preparing a fireworks event) until 9:05pm.

So it could be a matter of timing of your visit.

Hi,

I'm sure my butternut squash this year were Waltham. They went in very late as I was away and an allotment neighbour looked after the seedlings for me in a cold frame. I didn't get masses of fruits but they weren't given the best start. But, after they did go in they took up a lot of space - a lot more than 1 m x 1 m. I keep quite a big area for squash 2 m by 4m ish and scatter the plants in the area in no particular pattern. I got them in early this year and ripened in the window as I lost them all to a hungry mouse/rat last year.

What I haven't done ( but will now) is pinch the main vine out as I assumed the fruit grew along this. I knew you pinch out to get large pumpkins, but hadn't thought to do it for my winter squash before as I've always gone for numerous small ones. So, if you pinch out do you get large numbers still or smaller quantity with larger fruit?

Thanks

Pawty

peter wrote:New users initial n posts are subject to an approval process.
Cuts down on the spammers, but impacts the genuine newbies.
In this case a post made at 1:55am didn't get approved by me (busy preparing a fireworks event) until 9:05pm.

So it could be a matter of timing of your visit.

Thanks for the explanation Peter.
As if your workload wasn't great enough and it will get worse as the promised enhancements and team activity increase.

Arising question (sorry Anders, its not related to your question, although you may be able to answer this)
Do the initial new posters get told that first time posts may not appear straight away.

Interesting? Good idea as we've seen the spammers posts, need more than you Peter alone to cover this - you'd have to be 'Billy No Mates' to monitor this all the time. Nominate a deputy (or 2) to the 'Big Boys' for permission to cover this (& educate them), & make the genuine newbies the opportunity to get a quick answer. That will be a helpful way to make them stay on the forum without taking your life away. Perfect for our insomniacs if the post comes from far away.

Westi

Westi wrote: - you'd have to be 'Billy No Mates' to monitor this all the time.

Cheers Westi, actually it's an Android phone that let's me do it and I like to scan read all the posts anyway.

Haven't a clue Peter what you are talking about? But if you're happy that's cool!

Just had a vision of your watching this all the time when you could be out & about but that obviously is not the case. So new posters will get a post on as your Android will scan & alert if it is spam or not & then let it display if clear? Obviously dumbed down for the blonde I am, but have I kind of got it?

Another thing to put on my to do list - get IT literate, but not before I can grow sweet potatoes though!

Westi

Westi wrote:Haven't a clue Peter what you are talking about? But if you're happy that's cool!

Just had a vision of your watching this all the time when you could be out & about but that obviously is not the case. So new posters will get a post on as your Android will scan & alert if it is spam or not & then let it display if clear? Obviously dumbed down for the blonde I am, but have I kind of got it?

Another thing to put on my to do list - get IT literate, but not before I can grow sweet potatoes though! :)

Westi

I think you'll find it easier to become IT literate than grow sweet potatoes in the UK.
I know you're in Devon which should help, but if I'm correct in thinking you're from Australia (ignore me if I've confused you with someone else) we just don't get enough days with the required sunshine.

Westi wrote:Haven't a clue Peter what you are talking about?

My Android phone is effectively a tiny portable pc.
KG forum emails me a notification of every new thread.
My phone pings when it receives an email.
I choose whether to read them now or later.
When I read them I can see how much is waiting in KG.
I open my phones web browser and read KG posts.

Those awaiting approval get approved or the new account gets binned if they're a spammer.

Unless our daily posting rate jumps up to many times the current it is not a problem.
Anyone fancy volunteering as a second moderator then?

I'm too immoderate.

I went on line asking for growing dimensions for the Waltham Butternut and the suggestion was to plant seed anything from 48 t0 60 inches apart and annoyingly there was no mention of the spread. My guess and it is a guess that at least 60 x 60 would be more near the mark and this would give you room to maipulate the runners. I must confess that when I grew squashes I used to let them intermingle and the plants form their own pattern and when they ventured out onto a path redirect the vine back again and if too long cut them shorter. Depending is there was any fruit on the vine. I used to have a 30ft x 6ft bed especially for them.

I use roughly the same method. I have a triffid bed that is surrounded by windbreak netting (to stop them attacking us as we walk past) and I plant squashes and pumpkins about four feet apart then let them get on with it. When the foliage collapses in the Autumn we find out what we have got.

Awe come on Ron! I'm in sunny Dorset & am the eternal optimist - we do get some super summers, OK not for a few years but odds are for one shortly. Bit of foil to reflect the light, (a few Nasa landings & some mobile phone interference could be a hazard), but I could have a chance! Yep the Australian weather could be helpful but don't believe for a minute it is all cosy there, had my entire back yard veg patch sucked up in a cyclone one year!

Peter - there is someone (not blonde), who will volunteer for sure. OH in the clock tower, John Boy among the potato harvest, PP & Primrose might be able to spare a few minutes & team up, Pa needs to get away from his compost so I can nick a bit, Ron, Robo? I'd nominate Pawty but she may have issues getting reception in Greenland or outer Mongolia? Hmm - harder than I thought? You'll be fine mate - obviously got it covered - we'll all let you know if anything sneaks in anyway!

Westi