IN vertical methods, zucchini and yellow summer squash should be staked (as in, literally tied to a t-post or the like occasionally to aim them up, leaving only one squash per 1', with astake in teh middle of each 1'.

The other will climb a *sturdy* trellis without too much coaxing.

Thanks for your post. If I understand you correctly, you're saying that the butternut squash, the cantaloupe, and the watermelon can be taught to twist around a vertical rope or trellis without being tied to it. But, for the zucchini and summer squash, I have to actually tie them to a stake of sorts.

As for how much to plant, when you indicate one squash per 1', are you saying one squash plant or one hill of three or four plants?

Since your in the SFG section, he is talking about 1 plant per actual square foot. 12"x12" area.
I grow my cuccumbers and melons up a netted trellis I made.
Its a 7'x4' rectangle with nylon netting in the center. The netting has about 4" squares that I simply put the shoots and vines through and giude new shoots through every few days

I wouldn't try the melons or winter squash (e.g. butternut) on a rope; more a sturdy net, concrete reinforcing mesh (a.k.a. remesh, my trellis material of chioce), or livestock panels.

I dont' do vertical summer squash because of teh effort required to tie them up, but plant 4 seeds in the middle of a bed with at least 3' available in all directions from teh planting site (usually hanging off the bed in three directions)