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  • #1

    Squash: question about encouraging adventitious (secondary) roots

    I'm growing squashes for first time: kabocha, a smallish winter squash. Only two plants. The first couple of vines on each plant are now about 3 - 4m long and we have a good few squashes set and swelling.

    The main root is now putting out side shoots about every 30cm or so. I want to maximize the crop and we have plenty of space to spread out, but I am concerned about the ability to the original roots to supply the resulting big plant.

    I understand that squashes will form adventitious roots - how do I encourage this? Which part of the side shoots do I cover?
    I live in a part of the UK with very mild winters. Please take this into account before thinking "if he is sowing those now...."
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  • #2
    Squash can form adventitious roots from the base of the any stem, at the point where the leaf joins it.
    Their propensity for doing so seems to vary heavily from variety to variety, though. When I grew Turk's Turban I almost never saw it, but now that I'm growing Marina di Chioggia, they do it all the time.
    If yours is a variety that roots from the stems easily then they will need little encouragement. Roots will form on their own from any leaf joint which touches the ground. Maybe just bury it slightly or peg it down when you see roots forming, to encourage them to actually penetrate the ground properly.
    If, on the other hand, your variety doesn't tend to root then there's not really much you can do to persuade it.

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    • #3
      Thanks, ameno. That is helpful.
      I live in a part of the UK with very mild winters. Please take this into account before thinking "if he is sowing those now...."
      ∃

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