Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
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wellington womble
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SquashGot lots of lovely little squashes, but a couple have rotted off in already all this rain. What can I do to protect the others. I've heard for and against tiles, which I have plenty of. Would something porus be better - straw or something?
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cab
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Re: SquashSometimes if the little 'uns rot off its 'cos they haven't been fertilised.
You can certainly raise squashes up off the ground; an old tile will work but I think that a bit of wood works better, seems more breathable.
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Slim
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is the rot starting from the blossom end? And I assume we're talking about summer squash? (you lot all call winter squash, pumpkins yes?)
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wellington womble
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No, winter squash, but not pumpkins - chiefly Red Kuri. I wondered about wood, but thought it might get damp and encourage slugs?
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Slim
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well if it started from the blossom end on a fruit that really looked like it had set and was going to make it, then it could be a calcium deficiency, but that doesn't seem terribly likely to me.
I would wonder if they're getting properly pollinated? How big do they get before they drop off? I've often had the first couple squash on each plant rot off, and I usually attribute that to poor pollination. Maybe a combo of rain keeping the bees away and letting rot take hold? Could try hand pollinating a few and see if it makes a difference.
Anyhoo, I'd be tempted to put them up on straw, but you have a critter problem? Maybe a tile would be best. (Maybe an experiment would be even better...  )
I usually leave mine to grow right on the ground, but there is the occasional centipede hole where it's been touching, maybe I should put them on something this year...
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Sarah D
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Tiles are better than straw and wood, as less attractive to slugs and snails. I think it's a polliantion problem - lots about this year with squashes.
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wellington womble
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It is the first few, some of the later ones are much bigger, and show no sign of rot, so perhpas it is polination - odd, they were planted really late. I'll have a go with tiles, as I've got tons of them hanging about. Will they be better shiny side down? I haven't any straw, if I can get some, I'll do some of each.
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Sarah D
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Shiny side down, I would say; don't do the straw - all sorts of thigns can lurk in there and you might miss them. Once it's wet, it takes ages to dry out again, whilst a matt sided tile will dry more quickly. At least with the tiles, you can easily see and pick off slugs/snails if you do that sort of thing.
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cab
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| wellington womble wrote: | | It is the first few, some of the later ones are much bigger, and show no sign of rot, so perhpas it is polination - odd, they were planted really late. I'll have a go with tiles, as I've got tons of them hanging about. Will they be better shiny side down? I haven't any straw, if I can get some, I'll do some of each. |
Tiles trump straw, but I think that bits of wood trump tiles; even the shiny side of tiles can hold a little bubble of wet on the underside, and that can go wrong. But really, I've used tile, bits of old wood, broken up bits of plastic bin lid... Anything really. Although to be honest I always miss some and they do fine on the ground.
And if its the later, smaller ones then I'll wager that its pollination. When you wander about, pick off a male flower and go tickling the females with it, doesn't hurt.
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Gavin Bl
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I've got about 4 small butternut squash/blossoms on a couple of plants
Assuming they all start to take off, is it best to try and let them all grow as they are, or to take off a couple and focus all the energy into one or two?
cheers
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cab
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Four per plant? Leave 'em be, keep them well fed and mulched and four per plant ain't excessive.
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Gavin Bl
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nice one, cheers cab!
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Gavin Bl
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Y'know what, there's more like 6 or 7 now...
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cab
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| Gavin Bl wrote: | | Y'know what, there's more like 6 or 7 now... |
There would be 
About three years ago, I got 18 good sized squashes from two butternut plants. Last year and the year before I didn't do as well. But generally speaking I rekon that six or seven per plant is okay... Rather than stopping the vines, I tend to pick off the squashes when they're ripening and ripen them off on a window ledge, the plant then keeps producing. Some of the later squashes are smaller then, but I think that this method gets a heck of a lot out of the plants.
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Gavin Bl
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thanks cab, you're a gent....
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