Lesson Learned About Squash

[Tom]

This is my 4x4' planter box. I planted all of this around two weeks ago. To the left is African Hibiscus, Gazania and pansies. To the right is Southern collard greens and Italian Parsley. And that big heaping pile of tortoise food in the middle is summer squash. It grew huge really fast. I have been trimming leaves off daily because it is shading all the other emerging plants that I planted too close to it.

So the lessons are: 1. Don't plant anything within about three feet of a squash plant.
2. This stuff will make excellent food, shade and cover in a baby pen. They can get under this canopy and feel totally safe and shaded from the sun, and then have a snack at will.

 

[Tortoise Hub]

Wow that grew very fast I will definitely be planting that for my babies. How big will it eventually get?

 

[ascott]

Tom that is great! So I know you battle gophers there as well...does the bottom of the planter have chicken wire so no sneak attack from below?

 

[Jacob]

Wow that looks excellent for shade, food, cover, everything very nice Tom...

 

[Niki]

My squash grew fast also... I agree it's great for shade. I just hope our Az heat doesn't kill it.

 

[pugsandkids]

This is a great idea!

 

[jackrat]

We raise a lot of squash,for both leaves and fruit. It's incredible how much of both a half dozen hills of squash produce.

 

[Tom]

Tom that is great! So I know you battle gophers there as well...does the bottom of the planter have chicken wire so no sneak attack from below?

The whole thing is on a table two feet off of the ground. I had a shade table in this enclosure for the tortoises, their food and their water bowl. I just stuck the planter box right on top of their shade table.

 

[wellington]

OOPS when I used to garden years ago, that is always what took the most space. Even took space outside the area of the garden. Never got as much squash as would expect for how crazy the plant grew though

 

[dmarcus]

Those leaves do get pretty big, and that should apply to zucchini plants as well...

 

[Tom]

OOPS when I used to garden years ago, that is always what took the most space. Even took space outside the area of the garden. Never got as much squash as would expect for how crazy the plant grew though

Well that's what is kinda of cool about having a herd of mixed sizes. I really don't need the "fruit" portion. I'm growing it mainly to feed the plant and the blooms to my smaller torts are part of a varied diet. I guess if I do actually leave behind enough leaves to get some squash, I can just toss it in with the biggun's. I think a squash might give them two bites...

 

[Katherine]

I train my squash up a trellis, a very simple palette style trellis will help prevent it from taking over your garden because it can grow up as well as out. Same for cucumbers, zucchini, etc. Nice job with the 4x4 planter

 

[Tom]

Nice job with the 4x4 planter

Thanks. That was the prototype/test model. Wait 'til you see the two 4x8' tables in the big pen...

 

[DixieParadise]

wow learned something new today thanks. I did not know that the leaves were edible as well. You are so right about the built in shade effect. My YF loves squash, my RFs tolerate it, but it is not their favorite. Now I know what I am planting in the YF pen today.... Thanks

 

[N2TORTS]

Tom ....I find the same thing with cucumber, as well as many other " vine" plants. Here is an idea I use... I trellis the cucumbers so it grows upward...not outward. I still get tons of fruit and nice thing they dont rot while laying on the ground.

JD~​

 

[Tom]

Very cool JD. As I am watching my squash grow and thinking about all this I'm thinking about the pumpkin patch over yonder and what excellent ground cover that would make for hatchlings and small tortoises. I'm going to experiment with this concept a bit, just for fun. This stuff seems to grow so fast that I bet with a little head start, it could even keep up with a small sulcata or three...

 

[tortadise]

Ha. I've got the same problem with my squash. It's growing like mad.

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This plant started to grow about 1 month ago. Well we have had quite a bit of rain this spring. So i feel your pain on the squash lesson.