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  • #1

    Winter Squash sowing

    Hi,

    I'm just starting out with my first allotment and I want to grow some winter squash. I've searched for advice on sowing and there seems to be a couple of different approaches.

    I've seen it recommend to sow 5-6 seeds on hills and then thin down to 2-3 plants and I've also seen advice saying plant seeds in individual pots indoors and then plant out one plant per hill.

    Is it a case that either of these methods is fine? If I go for the three plants per hill option do i need to increase the spacing between the hills?

    Does anyone have a method that works for them that I could try?

    thanks
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  • #2
    Either is fine. The benefit of sowing indoors is you minimise seed waste/you know you are planting out something that has germinated. The benefit of doing outdoors is you can thin to the strongest seedling, though if it's too cold/wet they might not germinate..
    http://mudandgluts.com - growing fruit and veg in suburbia

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    • #3
      If I sow them outside then the slugs will have them, it also means I have to sow later when frosts have passed whereas inside I have more control.

      Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

      Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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      • #4
        Squashes are hungry plants. Most advice that I have read in American gardening books say to allow only one plant per hill. After all, if you put 2 plants together they will compete with each other for food and moisture, so unless you are going to feed and water twice as much, then 2 plants will still probably only produce as much as one plant on its own.
        Location - Leicestershire - Chisit-land
        Endless wonder.

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        • #5
          Why would you plant them on a hill?

          They are thirsty plants, if anything plant them in a shallow bowl which you can flood with water


          (There's a house round the corner which has 2 plants in a lawn. The plants are always put on top of a mound of soil, and are always dead)
          All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post
            Why would you plant them on a hill?

            They are thirsty plants, if anything plant them in a shallow bowl which you can flood with water


            (There's a house round the corner which has 2 plants in a lawn. The plants are always put on top of a mound of soil, and are always dead)
            The theory is that you don't rot the stem, I don't go for that either and don't form any sort of hill


            Sent from my iPad using Grow Your Own Forum

            Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

            Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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            • #7
              I grow them in pots first then when I plant out I plant level with the surrounding soil then scoop out a moat around them for watering and stick a tall cane in the soil to mark where they are as when they go mad it is hard to find the original planting hole.

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              • #8
                I start in pots then plant out when big enough not to get eaten. I don't do hills either. I sink a plant pot in for watering. I like your cane idea greenishfing, I struggled to find the watering holes last year so might try this.

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                • #9
                  Thanks a lot for the help I'll go for one plant per "hill". I'll also experiment with hills and ground level planting and see what happens. Sounds like it'd be a good idea for me to cover the seedlings when they're small to avoid them being eaten.

                  I'm excited to try this now....i've got plenty of space as I managed to kill my broccoli seedlings!

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                  • #10
                    I plant in pots in the polytunnel, harden off then plant in a bowl containing freshly rotted pig muck. We certainly get more than a few off of each plant.

                    I must admit, I've never thought of the hill idea. Might give that a try and see if it makes any difference.
                    Proud renter of 4.6 acres of field in Norfolk. Living the dream.

                    Please check out our story in the March 2014 issue of GYO magazine.

                    Follow us on Twitter @FourAcreFarming

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                    • #11
                      They hate any cold / chill, so I don't plant mine out until June to avoid any chilly nights (let alone chilly nights, a late frost will kill them ) having potted on to fairly large pots - 2L or more. The Winter (Butternut) Squash I grow are a long-season crop, so I like to start the seeds around end of April / 1st week of May (they grow quickly so I don't start them too early)
                      K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

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