Squash musings over the years

A group email from our Asheville community garden network had me going back to look at past posts, using the search "tromboncino squash."

The search pulled up a remarkable number of posts, all quite interesting to re-read, reflecting many seasons of growing squash (largely attempting to avoid squash vine borers, which make C. pepo varieties almost impossible to grow in the Southeast without chemical intervention, at least in my experience.  Maybe under row covers and hand-pollination?  But that wasn't ever going to happen.

In my new summer gardening climate in Quebec, the cold winter temperatures mean no squash vine borers.  I have two healthy container zucchini plants, planted VERY late in about the third week of June.  I've harvested two lovely fruits so far, so I'm heartened about next summer's prospects in a sunnier area.

Ditto with my favorite vining baby butternuts!

exuberant baby butternut squash

I'm going to have to plant them EARLY in Quebec next summer to get any fruits, I think.

Those nifty Botanical Interests cardboard seed planters would be perfect to use, for early starting, but... I'd need to be up here early!

I loved using them in early summer for nasturtiums and other summer annuals.

Botanical Interests compostable containers