Chicken bald back

[Lesley]

This is our haul this year....we're very pleased with them....

 

 

The 'marrows' weren't intended as such - and the round yellow ones are also courgettes - I'll make those into lanterns for Bonfire Night. The pumpkin is the only ne we grew from the Atlantic Giant plant......not much of a giant

[Daphne]

wow - very impressive; you'll have loads of scrummy meals from that lot!

[chickencam]

We have a couple of large pumpkins, and some small orange ones Sweet Dumpling I think. We have had quite a few marrows or overgrown courgettes.

 

Our butternut squash plants were a dissapointment though and they have only really got going in the last month. I don't think the fruits are going to have time to ripen and even if they do they will be pretty small. They were planted at the same time as all the others but just sat there for quite a while.

 

Your haul is really impressive, we have had good years but not this year.

[redhotchick]

Very impressive Lesley!

 

My Butternut Squash are only just starting to set and swell now. I doubt I'll get any but this is the most progress I've had with them in 3 years!

 

Someone made an interesting comment about the sex of the flowers being related to temperature. i.e Females flowers are formed in a hot spell. That fits with what I can see, so maybe next year I will try and trick them into setting fruit earlier in the season!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Wow, that's quite a haul . My plant has a few flowers on it at the moment - wonder if I'll be posting a photo like yours soon ( ).

[Lesley]

You never know! - we still have haf a dozen small ones on the plants......little green bottles! I think we'll end up using those as courgettes.

[ubereglu]

Wow! This year I only have 2...

[Lesley]

I did start with 8 plants Liz

[Cinnamon]

Stoopid question, but how do you know when a Squash is ripe & ready to pick?

[Lesley]

I waited until mine had changed to a custard colour and the leaves started dying off - I don't know if that meant they were ripe - I hope so!.

[Cinnamon]

OK, that sounds sensible.

I only have the one plant with one fruit,so I want to make sure it is at its absolute best!

 

TBH I am getting a bit fed up of having to water it now - we could really do with some rain here

[Lesley]

I haven't watered mine over the recent dry spell as I was worried that the squash might become too watery and be tasteless.....I've done that with strawberries in the past and only give them water when they first flower and then sparingly after that.

[Cinnamon]

I must admit to not doing it as often as every day,& half the time its just the hens water chucked over them

 

I am making my fantastic 'Halloween Beanpot' this weekend,but I think I will try to hold off picking my one little Squash for that & buy one instead

[theherd123]

WOW Lesley!

 

I must say your Atlantic Giant is huge compared with my Atlantic Tennis Ball!

[Alis girls]

Gosh Lesley - can I ask what you are going to do with them all. My prize 12lb pumpkin is in garage the other smaller ones on the allotment. My last marrow went a tad mouldy so cut mould off and will use this week. Courgette has produced a late 3 courgettes.

[Lesley]

I'm taking a couple of the 'marrows' to my Mum's next week as they didn't grow much this year (by choice)

 

The round yellow courgettes and the pumpkin will make lanterns for Bonfire Night - I'll use the pumpkin flesh for soup.

 

The Butternuts should keep through winter so I'll be roasting at least one a week for soup or as a vegetable with other root veggies.

 

They are all on the table inside the polytunnel now.

[Rhapsody]

I've got a steady stream of minature pumpkins (cant remember the variety) growning in a raised bed against a garden wall. First time I've grown them and they're fantastic, they grow to the size of a small football and are a beautiful amber colour. Best of all they are zero WW points- hurrah!