Butternut Squash woes

MrsBartolozzi

I transplanted two butternut squashes this year, my first with this veg, into big pots and have been keeping them in the greenhouse (yes I know they take it over, but with the weather we've had I doubt they would have survived outside). It's the variety that came from BBC Digin.
A few weeks ago I noticed, to my surprise a small (bigger than a golf ball) squash appearing. I oohed and aahed but didn't touch it. A day or two later I noticed than it had started to shrivel up at the flower end and later started to rot, so I removed it. Now every time I see any tiny squashes, then look again a few days later they are soft and wrinkly and on the way to rotting.

What am I doing wrong?
The greenhouse is not too hot - I open the door on hot days, and it is missing 2 panes of glass from a football mishap too. I also have tomatoes in the greenhouse and they are growing fine. I water every day and feed around once a week, but I believe squash are greedy so it's probably every 5 or 6 days for them.

Can any of you please give me an idea of where I am going wrong?

Thanks.

TonyMMM

The may not be getting pollinated ....try helping things along using a soft brush to transfer the pollen from the male to female flowers.

funkymonkey849

TonyMMM wrote: »

The may not be getting pollinated ....try helping things along using a soft brush to transfer the pollen from the male to female flowers.

Agree with this, I had lots of little courgettes that shrivelled up and fell off before the plant got in sync with itself and started producing male and female flowers at the same time.

I have 3 pumpkin plants which have produced loads of flowers and seem to be growing lots of mini pumpkins :T Honestly though it's like having 3 teenagers, they require constant attention, their room is a total mess (leaves EVERYWHERE!) and I keep having to stop them picking fights with other plants in the garden! They are my babies though, raised them from seed

Hope your squashes aren't quite as demanding!

MrsBartolozzi

Thanks
So would a fruit start to grow even if it's not been pollinated then? I didn't expect this, just assumed a fruit =pollination, ok I'll go do that when the rain lets up for a bit. Have I left it a bit late do you think?

alleycat`

The golf ball indicates it is a female flower.
the male flowers tend to have just a straight "stem" below the flower.
Think of it as an unfertilised egg (best analogy i can come up with without my coffee).

Edit:-

I would personally have thought it was a bit late now (my pumpkins are now all between the sizes of a beaker and the size of a football) and i'm no longer getting any new female flowers.
I suppose in a greenhouse you might get away with it (never grown them inside before).

sassyblue

MrsBartolozzi wrote: »

A day or two later I noticed than it had started to shrivel up at the flower end and later started to rot, so I removed it.

My cucumbers are doing this, l have one whopper but the others wilt off is it the same problem - lack of pollination?

Kay_Peel

The important bit to look at is the stem leading to the golf ball sized mini squash. It should be firm and green. If it's yellow and turning brown then something's wrong with the plant itself - and it's nothing to do with pollination.

I suspect that the plant is too wet and that it doesn't like being in a greenhouse. It needs to be kept evenly moist but not wet.

It only requires a lot of water when grown in open ground because (a) we can't rely on the rain to give it a good soaking regularly and (b) the water drains away quickly from around the roots. It also requires a lot of water when it's baking hot. But when you grow it in greenhouse you have more control and you don't need to water every day.

So have a look at the stem leading to the squash to see how healthy your plant is.

I think it's too late in the year to expect robust squashes. Ideally, they need at least 50 days of sunshine and they will react badly to any drop in temperature. They will even turn up their toes if left cold and wet.

Hope that's given you a few ideas!

Lotus-eater

I wouldn't grow squash in a greenhouse myself, I grow them outside in a huge space, or at least a big space that I can train them into.
I don't water unless they are small, or it's very dry, then alot of water every few days, maybe feed once when they start producing fruit and that's it. If you grow them on a pile of manure they will do better.
I find too much water and feed isn't good for them.

Certainly you need to hand pollinate if your immature fruit are dropping off

frazzbo

Kay_Peel wrote: »

I think it's too late in the year to expect robust squashes. Ideally, they need at least 50 days of sunshine and they will react badly to any drop in temperature. They will even turn up their toes if left cold and wet.

My butternut squash plant is only just starting to look as though it's doing something - does this mean it's too late? I have one female flower that's going to open any day now, but none of the male ones have opened yet (maybe the males are saving themselves for the females ). I have lots of courgette and pumpkin flowers though so am hoping they might be able to pollinate if necessary.

Kay_Peel

frazzbo wrote: »

My butternut squash plant is only just starting to look as though it's doing something - does this mean it's too late?

Unless we get a heat-wave in late summer and early autumn the outlook is not good. If we have a damp August/September with coldish nights then the squash is doomed. You could try making a tent of clear plastic to keep the heat and insects in when it's gloomy.

My plants did very well in July and produced some magnificent flowers and fruit. As soon as the (endless) rain and cloudy days arrived, the flowers were less impressive and the fruit never got beyond the golf ball stage. We really need some hot sun to perk them up.

funkymonkey849

Arghh my pumpkins are tennis ball sized, I hope they aren't too late to grow bigger