Guv's Gardens
Photo: Agnes Monkelbaan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil
- Rich, moisture-retentive
- Soil pH
- About pH 6.0-6.8; tolerates a wider range
- Water
- Water generously
- Hardiness
- Tender
- Height and spread
- Trailing 2-3m
Guv's tipSquash and pumpkins want rich, moisture-retentive soil and generous watering. Plant out in May or June, after the frosts.
Through the year
Timings are for the UK as a whole. Northern and exposed gardens often run a couple of weeks later.
When to plant
Sow under cover Apr-May (Mar-Jun in some advice). Plant out May-Jun after frosts
Harvest or flowering
Harvest Jul-Oct
Pruning
None
Making more plants
Seed
Watch out for
Slugs and snails
Look for: Irregular holes in leaves, slime trails, seedlings eaten
What to do: Hand-pick at night, barriers, beer traps, encourage predators; ferric phosphate pellets sparingly
Grey mould
Botrytis cinereaLook for: Fuzzy grey mould on flowers, fruit or stems, rotting
What to do: Remove affected parts, improve ventilation, avoid overcrowding
Powdery mildew
Various (Erysiphales)Look for: White powdery coating on leaves
What to do: Water in dry spells, mulch, improve air flow, resistant cultivars
Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.
Safety and spread
Pets and people: Cucurbita species are non-toxic to dogs and cats, according to the ASPCA
Weed risk: None known
Growing somewhere else? See this plant for the USA and Australia.
The Plant Doctor and the Guv's book
Printable pest and disease charts with real photographs, and all 50 UK plants in one book.
