Butternut squash with lots of boy bits

[horticultural_hobbit]

The whole dealing with educatables sorta bleeds into the horticulture. The need to nurture and foster et cetra. But you are right, Flo, and I will be sitting on my hands. Bruno and Gladys can carry on doing it for themselves

[Florence Fennel]

Loving this but me thinks you've all been sniffing the foliage or smoking it! Bizarre!

Nah, if I wanted to grow dope I'd plant a man!

[horticultural_hobbit]

There is nothing wacky about my gladys! Couldn't imagine putting her into a pipe and smoking it...flip, she's not a kipper either

[buzzingtalk]

I found a few diddy squashes on my plants today I was beginning to wonder if it was too late in the season for them - any opinions on this? They are tiny, but there are 5 that I can see, on a total of 10 plants. They are all in flower now though, with a mixture of boy/girl bits, so fingers crossed

[bethduckie]

Mine have ony just started producing babies but there's a fair few on them, and they do seem to eb growing quite quickly! All the poor plants wanted was a bit of sunshine I suspect!

Lets hope we have a nice long bout of sunshine now to get them all going nicely

[horticultural_hobbit]

watch this space



...Bruno the ghost rider has obliged. It's horrible and miserable outside, and I can't see any flying insects. The heavens are meant to open today, so I don't blame them for hiding. So once again, I'm doing a funny dance of anticipation on the touchline. Yes, I know, don't get your hopes up....I don't do half empty glasses. Even then, pints are bigger than tumblers....

[horticultural_hobbit]

Have I poisoned my darling triffid?

All her lower leaves have gone yellow, and it's creeping up! Have I given her too much plant food?

And there is nothing going on with the babies, so is this the end of Gladys?

[bethduckie]

I think it's natural that there's some yellowing as the season starts to draw to a close? Mine has a few yellowy leaves too. So do my courgettes, and so do next door's pumpkins. Last year my courgettes were over by now, but they were in pots, this years are better.

I just take the yellowy ones off?

How big are the babies? One of my plants just hasn't produced any squashes despite me attempting to fertilise it... healthy enough plant, it just hasn't managed to produce anything.

[horticultural_hobbit]

::locates pop's ruler:: six centimetres. All five of them.

The yellowing is recent, looks as though the plant is aflame. There are loads of them, easily a third of the plant. Gladys is growing up a cane, and is about five six foot tall.

Courgettes are still okay, may be slowing down. The pumpkin leaves are okay, just covered in powdery mildew stuff.

[bethduckie]

Ah... really small then! Poor old Gladys!

My courgettes are defo slowing now. I found myself wishing they would produce a few more the other day, rather than willing them to slow down a bit hehe. We have 8 plants for a family of 2, mind. I love courgettes!

[horticultural_hobbit]

Good night, Vienna

The weather, is atrocious. I don't think Gladys has got so much as a fighting flea, never mind a chance. The fruits, have been there a while. Whilst they are pollinated, they've not swollen past the five six centimetres.

So with a heavy heart, I am going to declare Gladys a non finisher this year. And then debate whether or not I even want to bother next year.

See, VirginVegGrower and I were having a bit of a tweet-chat about this. There is a farmer, in Worcestershire, who has managed to get a load of butternuts going, and on his outdoor-yes-outdoor field. Worcestershire is half an hour forty minutes :oints south west:: that way. Hardly the tropics!

Gladys, was in all fairness, an 'ooh' moment. The one were I thought 'I'll play with that, see what happens, Squash and in brummieland'.

All the naysayers, have said don't bother, done the sharp inhalation of breath thing. My inner scientist is, naturally, blowing raspberries and channelling Citizen Wolfie Smith. On the other hand, I got two packets of seeds that could be a complete bust...again.

Don't think I'll grow a gladys 2.0 up, out is probably better. Seeing BNS in sainsbury's makes me wanna bawl.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Gladys has now ceased to exist. I have never felt so bad about pulling up a plant.

[Thelma Sanders]

Fear not - there is always next year!

If at first you don't succeed n all that

[horticultural_hobbit]

I feel a little more buoyant, having managed to get a real life pumpkin from Bruno the Ghostrider. All I have to do, is have a Baldrick like cunning plan for next year, me thinks.