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Homeowner Forum / Lawn and Garden / June 2005Squash decapitation
It's my first attempt at growing butternut squashes. I've been growing them in the house from seed (from a fruit) and planted them outside a few weeks ago. They're flowering, but what seems to happen is the flower opens for a few days then shrivels up and drops off, leaving just the stalk sticking up. My limited knowledge of school biology suggests that they're going to have a hard job of producing fruit if all the <technical terms I can't remember> at the bottom of the flower that turn into fruit have fallen off. The leaves towards the base of the plants are shrivelling from the edges too but I assumed that the plant allows the base to shrivel so it can grow leaves at the tip instead - it's whats has been happening when they were inside. They're getting watered every few days. Is this normal? Is there any way to ensure my squashes go easy on the guillotine in future? Thanks Theo > It's my first attempt at growing butternut squashes. I've been growing > them in the house from seed (from a fruit) and planted them outside a few > weeks ago. They're flowering, but what seems to happen is the flower > opens for a few days then shrivels up and drops off, leaving just the > stalk sticking up. Gratuitous I'm-just-playing-with-my-camera picture here: http://www.harbinge.mine.nu:8088/photos/IMG_1365.JPG A flower stem can be seen at the top of the picture. Theo >> It's my first attempt at growing butternut squashes. I've been growing >> them in the house from seed (from a fruit) and planted them outside a few [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >A flower stem can be seen at the top of the picture. First thought - are you getting any female flowers yet? They tend to produce male flowers first, and later female flowers which have a visible embryonic squash at the base. Your soil looks a bit dry and lacking in humus - I sympathise with you having to cope with that!  SignatureKay "Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river" > First thought - are you getting any female flowers yet? They tend to > produce male flowers first, and later female flowers which have a > visible embryonic squash at the base. That's probably it. I didn't know the difference. They look like male flowers (according to Google) > Your soil looks a bit dry and lacking in humus - I sympathise with you > having to cope with that! It's heavy clay. I dug in some manure to most of the veg plot over the winter, but left that bit because there was some dried foliage that looked like it might sprout (it's my first year here). It only sprouted weeds, so I dug it up and planted the squashes there, but had no more manure left. I've sunk a pot in to help watering as it was just running off the surface, which should help. Some of the undug ground is like cement in this weather though :( Thanks Theo The message <yHh*d-lRq@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk> from Theo Markettos <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> contains these words: > It's my first attempt at growing butternut squashes. I've been growing them > in the house from seed (from a fruit) and planted them outside a few weeks [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > the tip instead - it's whats has been happening when they were inside. > They're getting watered every few days. Yes... > Is this normal? Is there any way to ensure my squashes go easy on the > guillotine in future? Yes. The first flush of flowers are often male only - your plants are probably practising. Begin to worry if you don't get ant female flowers (with tiny squashes behind them) in a fortnight or so. It's early yet. SignatureRusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
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