butternut squash

[teddy ears]

I have planted a butternut plant a couple of months ago and so far no fruit, however the plant is growing far beyond its designated area and is now making pals with my courgettes some 3 feet away. Will the butternut plant stop spreading and start producing fruit as it is even starting to climb my fence, should i support it with netting. Thanx .

[WendyS]

Every first time grower of winter squashes (including butternut) is usually faced with this embarrassing shock. These plants need an enormous amount of space. They can spread out to over six feet. The first time I grew one (naively thinking it would be roughly the same size as a courgette plant, one tendril stretched over six feet along a flower border swamping everything else which was planted there, and the other stem climbed six feet up a trellis, smothering a clematis and over into my neighbour's garden. So be prepared ! The flowers and fruits come later than courgettes and may not start appearing until early August. The fruits are very heavy, so if unless you can support it with netting or something similar whilst it is climbing your frence you'd be better off letting it trail on the ground. The skins of the fruit are fairly tough and not easily eaten by slugs, but you can try resting them on a flat stone to keep them off the damp earth Next year, you may need to get an allotment if you plan to grow them again ! (I usually grow one near my little pond to provide some ground cover and shelter for the baby frogs when they start leaving the pond in early July).

[teddy ears]

thankyou very much for your help