Plantsayer
I grow a squash, called Adapazari Squash,from seeds a GWer sent me from Turkey several Years ago. You can read about it on the GardenWeb/Heirloom Forum. I have sent seeds all over the USA and Canada. This is a very large Plant(20-30 ft in length) with beautiful 24'+ leaves. We have a standard size lot here in University Place and we pick an out of the way place to plant them. When we grow them we weave them in and around otherplants like Trees,Roses,Rhodies etc.for land scapingeffect Last year we planted 6 seed and got 6 squash weighing 5-20-22-22-46 & 54 lbs each. They make the best Pies and are tasty by Microwaving the meat and grabbing a fork. Very sweet. If you find them interesting I have plenty of seed.
Jim

Plant slayer
I'm sorry,I didnt answer any of your questions.Let me begin by saying that Squash Loves Compost and lots of it.I begin my squash season inmid March by covering the area I'm going to plant them in with a dark piece of plastic,such as a trash bag. This will permit the ground to heat up somewhat. In Mid-April I will plant 3-4 seedsclose together, per location and recover with the plastic. Once they begin to sprout I will remove the plastic and cover with a clear container,especially at night. Squash seedlings are tough and I've never lost one. We harvest our Squash in November before a freeze and place them in an upstairs room until we cut them open in January.Finally,I've never had Mildew.
Jim

Sounds like you've been pretty successful with these. I think your plan of planting them under dark plastic and then capping with a container sounds a lot like what I have done with other plants (runner beans). Do you use old water cooler bottles, or is a 2-liter coke bottle good enough?

I'll let you know how it turns out!

plantslayer
No I just purchase Large throw away plastic Bowls that you can find in a walmart as you wont need it long.You mentioned Runner Beans. I'm going to toot my Horn a Little. We have been growing a Runner Bean that has since been named after my wife,Insuk. It's called Insuk's Wang Kong (runner bean). There is a thread with 148 Posts called Insuks Wang Kong on the GW Beans,Peas & other Legumes Forum.Check it out. I have seeds and I never charge for seeds or postage

I saw that thread over there, I had no idea it was named for your wife, and that you probably live a few blocks away from me (also in NE Seattle). This year we're going to grow plain old pole beans (we decided that we like the taste better as snaps). But I did grow some scarlet emperor plants last year and they went so crazy they tore down the rickety trellis we put up once they got too tall for the posts we had. I think the Insuk Wang Kong is pretty similar to SE, at least the beans look the same, but a little bit bigger perhaps.

jwr6404: I would love a couple of your Insuk's Wang kong runner beans if you are still willing to share. My address at work is 2800 N Vancouver #118 Portland OR 97227. I got some lovely daylilies from Buyorsell and some dianthus from Lilydude both of which are thriving. When I am a more experienced gardener I will begin to share my seeds and propagated plants, too. I think it is a wonderful service and a joy.

How many seeds would you like? If I send the seeds to pdxlights at work will the other employees know who the're for? I will get the seeds in the mail tomorrow.
Jim

You can send to Julie O'Toole. Thanks so much, it is very exciting (at least for me)!

Mildew likes dry roots and damp leaves. That's why dry summer weather in a coastal climate with foggy or dewy late summer nights suits it. The spores of some kinds actually blow around with their own little packet of moisture, so they can germinate even when the leaf is not all that damp.

That's also why roses planted against concrete foundations mildew more. It's not the supposed lack of air circulation caused by the wall, it's the chronic dryness of the soil caused by the concrete.

Frequent, forceful washing of plants actually gives mildew a headache. You don't want to leave the plants damp overnight, of course.

bboy is absolutely right. Mildew comes with dry soil. Squash are James Dean plants - they like to live fast and die young - you just don't want them to die too young. If the soil is too dry or too nutrient-poor the plants will struggle and get mildewy. It can happen in dry summer weather also. Keep them growing vigorously and you shouldn't have that problem.

I usually set plants started in peat pots out around June 1. That is pretty marginal for some of the longer maturing squash in Puyallup. I should probably set them out just a bit earlier and cover them at night, but I'm not always around to uncover the plants if it gets too warm. Cooking the plants under a cover will kill them even faster than the cold nights.

We are still eating last year's Acorn Squash and they are delicious. I start them in pots in early May and transplant them into manure filled hills in early June. They get milldewy in September/October but only on the leaves, the squash seem to be fine. I know that I haven't watered them enough but if you use manure it seems to hold the moisture well over the growing season. It runs out in the autumn.