Winter squash is a big hit with us. Harvest time is approaching and there is the usual mayhem in the cucurbit patch. A forest of leaves but what lies beneath? While every plant has been labelled at the planting point the vines have travelled the width of the patch and well beyond laying down fruit at random intervals.
Every plant is labelled at the planting point but has developed fruit after scrambling across its neighbours. The conditions this year mean that fruit has not set reliably and the slugs have had a field day on a lot of immature fruits resting on the soil. My strategy of planting parts from a bunk bed at either end of the patch for the vines to scramble up has proved a crop saver as the fruit in the best condition is raised off the ground.
This year I have grown:
Crown Prince
Buttercup
Uchiki Kuri
Marina Di Chioggia
No sign of the last one yet - although it was grown later than the other three. I have started harvesting at risk fruit to season at home in the dry. The Crown Prince is 4.5k so harvesting and transportation from the allotment has to be done a bit at a time.
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| Crown Prince and Uchiki Kuri |
I do like to see climbing, scrambling squash!
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