question on spaghetti squash growing vertical

[pointer80]

Hello all, I am growing spaghetti squash vertical on a trellis this year and there are numerous beautiful squash that are getting pretty big and I had one fall off today so I was wondering if that was a fluke or should I support the rest of them like with a sling or something? Thanks in advanced.

[rainbowgardener]

Not a fluke, they get big and heavy and will fall off. Used panty hose make nice slings for them.

[applestar]

You need to support them enough that their weight doesn’t strain or kink the vines. I like using onion and citrus nylon net bags — use as bags or cut open and make hammocks. When placed inside a bag, the fruits can sometimes grow too big so inspect often and cut open the bag as necessary before they are so tightly wedged it becomes impossible to cut the bag. This is why nylon stockings and tights are popular since they would stretch, but the stretchiness sometimes can make them sag too much as well.

[SQWIB]

I would say it's a fluke, I'm growing vertical, no support and so far no problem.
Hopefully that won't change.

[applestar]

If it wasn’t inability of the squash tendrils providing sufficient support, check the stem break to make sure it wasn’t chewed off by some vermin. (one of my still immature melons got chewed off the trellis by a raccoon though it didn’t eat it — I found it on the ground)

Extreme windy conditions could tear them off the trellis as well if the fruit had been hanging and whipped around.

[kayjay]

Here's a pumpkin wearing its sexy nylons.

Applestar is right about possible sagging, and I made sure I checked it just about every day to make sure it wasn't moving much. It would have been easy enough to make another support tie. Final product:

[pointer80]

Thanks all, It looks like it just fell off to me. Here is a picture of the squash, do you think this will ripen enough to eat?

[SQWIB]

Scratch it with your fingernail, if it's hard it will hopefully ripen off the vine.

[kayjay]

Ideally, it could have waited a little longer and you'd have cut it with some stem attached... but let it cure in the sun for a few weeks and see what happens.