I'm interested in this question too Trudi. I haven't grown any squash because it would take too much of my space! How much space do these bush types need? I've done bush pumpkins and melons but didn't know their was a squash too! I did already order me some bush/container type Cucumbers from Value Seeds tho :D

Vera

Trudi, I had some success with Pinetree seeds Early Butternut in a large pot. The one plant only produced a couple of small squashes, but they were good! Another you might try is Balmoral (from Park Seed, I think) - it looked like it might have been good, but my usual squash vine borers, which seem to get everything but butternut around here, killed it before the squash had a chance to mature.

SVB are the bane of my existence. Well, right up there with Japanese beetles. Seems like everything else I can control by hand, but I don't have it in me to open up squash vines looking for icky caterpillars inside. Ew. And JB's I can't keep up with, various deterrents and traps haven't worked, and I refuse to use fish-killing chemicals.

But I digress - isn't there a bush delicata out there? I'd try that, too.

I just got my new Pinetree catalogue, I'll have to look and see what's there.

Hi Vera,

The bush butternuts I grew didn't make large plants, more like short runners. They grew to be about 2' x 3' but their vines overlapped each other. I had five plants growing in a two foot wide row and maybe about 12 feet long. It wasn't a lot of space at all. The fruits weren't big either, all were between four and seven inches long. A small one, after nuking, would give a little more than a cup of mashed pulp, the bigger ones give closer to two cups of pulp.

I just had one for lunch, I split it--saved its seeds--and then nuked it in a large plastic bowl. The halves were upside down with a 1/4" of water in the bowl. I put on some saran and nuked for five minutes. I took the halves out and they only needed some margarine, I added a dab of jam but they're also good with salt and pepper.

That sounds nice Trudi! I like your suggestion too Drippy....nice! We're just a two person household so we wouldn't need a whole lot :D

Thanks,

Vera

I just ordered seeds for sweet dumpling and delicata. I am planning to make cages for them to grow in. I've never tried this before. Does this sound like it would work?

Becky
ramazz

Neither one of those make the huge leaves like larger squash do. They're sorta demure for a squash vine--however they do get long; usually about a dozen feet. I've grown them along a fence and over arbors with success. Sweet Dumpling is a fave of mine, there's a variety called Carnival which is very pretty and makes nice holiday decorations if you don't eat them first, lol. Both the Sweet Dumpling and Delicata have the same growth habits and cultural needs, and both are small enough that you can nuke two halves in less than five minutes.

A few years back I was growing Sweet Dumpling in a raised bed, they were trailing along under some tomatoes and I was anxiously waiting to eat a few. The vines make a good amount of fruits, about one every two feet. One morning I discovered that two of the squash were missing! I made an exclamation and looked right a Lizzy who was looking very guilty. A few days later another squash was missing but this time Lizzy was caught red handed (red pawed?) eating it raw. Oh well...she's a good dog. In my living room we have a framed photo of her munching on a small pumpkin that she also stole from the garden, I've also got a photo of her when she was barely a year old, she was trying to drag away a huge pink banana squash. LOLROF, it still makes me smile to think of that.

Lizzy eats squash? Drippy won't touch vegetables! If DH gives her leftover stir fry, or anything with a meat/vegetable mix, she gingerly picks out the vegetables and scarfs down all the meat. I've had the pleasure of finding mushrooms with sauce in corners of my dining room...:/

Bush squash growth requirements are same as zucchini, same family after all. I usually grow every year several different varieties of squashes, this year had few bush type- from Pinetree seeds and always do several vine types-specially winter ones, they keep so well. Anyway my DH makes very easy trellisess for them from PVC with connectors, easy to cut and inexpensive. Trellis also is very space saving- can get early varieity with late variety together go up to the sky and have plenty of squash for my sq. foot...

Trudi,
I grew Table King acorn squash one year. It did really well for me. I remember being quite impressed with the amount of squash I got for being a bush type. It was a AAS winner a while ago.
Remy

We had delicata for dinner today. From the grocery, though. That is why I want to grow them next year. I have no fence, and no large open area, so perhaps the trellis from PVC pipe is the best idea. You don't have a picture of it, do you? I have a teenage son who might be convinced to build one.

Becky