Butternut squash

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Butternut squash

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liz

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 66
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 11 11:53 am Post subject: Butternut squash

I'm having a go at growing a butternut squash in the greenhouse and it is nearly 2 ft long with some sideshoots coming off of it.

There are lots of flower buds on it but they appear to be all male ones. Should I remove these (like I do on the courgette plants to encourage female flowers) or could they possibly be female flowers but the bulge isn't visible yet. They are still quite tightly shut buds.

Any advice please.

thanks

Went

Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 6968

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 11 12:16 pm Post subject:
We just leave our to get on with it and always manage a good crop but that may not be the text book method...

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 11 1:21 pm Post subject:
Am I right in thinking the male flowers start appearing before the female ? In which case, you should eventually get both at once and can help them along with a small paintbrush if needs be.

liz

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 66
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 11 3:44 pm Post subject:
Am I right in thinking the male flowers start appearing before the female ? In which case, you should eventually get both at once and can help them along with a small paintbrush if needs be. I hope you're right Gill, I think I will play the waiting game a little bit longer.

Millymollymandy

Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 187
Location: Brittany, France

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 11 4:10 pm Post subject:
Strangely the first flower on mine was female, and not a male one in sight....

Mr O

Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Posts: 5512
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 11 11:15 pm Post subject:
The females will show up eventually, leave the males alone, the females will most likely show up on the main vine first rather than on a sidevine. Be patient, good luck and enjoy the eventual fruit.

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 11 11:30 pm Post subject:
My experience is blokes first, lasses later, then you can introduce them to each other.

liz

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 66
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 11 8:05 pm Post subject:
Thanks everyone for your replies. This is my first time growing them and I so want to get some fruits on the plants. Must learn to be more patient.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15587

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 11 7:52 am Post subject:
Mine didn't do anything last year in the garden so I am trying them in the greenhouse this year. Am hoping the peppers grow enough before the squashes from one side and the courgette from the other get to them. Think there are some flower buds on my squash now, but no flowers yet.

Roontolos

Joined: 29 Jul 2011
Posts: 6

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 11 7:04 pm Post subject:
I've never had any problem growing any kind of squash that required removing the male flowers. In fact, I've always found that squashes are the easiest thing to grow. There's a saying that no gardener ever has a shortage of the things. Unless you find yourself with a crop shortage, I'd say don't mess with it.

Millymollymandy

Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 187
Location: Brittany, France

Posted: Sun Jul 31, 11 6:07 am Post subject:

Millymollymandy wrote:

Strangely the first flower on mine was female, and not a male one in sight....

.....and since then not a female in sight, so still don't have any fruit setting. Ditto the Jack be Littles. Not having a good year for pumpkins at all - so far only one single potimarron has formed and normaly by the end of July my plants are all loaded with fruit!

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