Last year we had a bit of a rough time with out butter nut squash. It was OK but there were not that many of them and we lost loads to disease. Without really realising it we've had a cracking season this year. I think that is just the way things happen sometimes.
The plants went out in late June after any fear of late frosts had passed and the squash have trailed along happily doing little butter nut squashes as they go.
We've helped a little. A bag of bark chippings to keep the fruit off the dirt has helped. Bark chippings also help air circulate under the fruit, giving you fewer flat spots and less disease. Bark chips keeps weeds to a minimum and keep in moisture in our free draining soil.
Finally we planted a bit of Borrage near the plants for the bees to pollinate the flowers. Borrage is very easy to grow. It's a hairy and largely unlovely plant that grows about two foot six high and about the same wide. it has beautiful blue star shaped flowers and most importantly Borrage is like crack for bees. Bees go mad for the flowers and will happily pollinate any other plants around while they are at it.
The plants went out in late June after any fear of late frosts had passed and the squash have trailed along happily doing little butter nut squashes as they go.
We've helped a little. A bag of bark chippings to keep the fruit off the dirt has helped. Bark chippings also help air circulate under the fruit, giving you fewer flat spots and less disease. Bark chips keeps weeds to a minimum and keep in moisture in our free draining soil.
Finally we planted a bit of Borrage near the plants for the bees to pollinate the flowers. Borrage is very easy to grow. It's a hairy and largely unlovely plant that grows about two foot six high and about the same wide. it has beautiful blue star shaped flowers and most importantly Borrage is like crack for bees. Bees go mad for the flowers and will happily pollinate any other plants around while they are at it.
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