Butternut squash in containers... can I?

[serylis]

So, this is my first year attempting to plant anything other than sugar snap peas and lettuce, so some advise would be much appreciated!

I have very little area to plant a lot of veggies, so I am trying grow pots (my potatoes are doing wonderfully so far) and regular pots (surprisingly the tomatoes are doing well for it being so cold here for so long) and I would love to try butternut squash in a pot.

I know they are a vine plant, and will spread everywhere, but is it possible to train them up a sturdy trellis and keep them in pots? I've been reading mixed reviews on it when just searching the internet, so I thought I would give a forum a chance!

I ordered some more of the grow pots from gardeners.com because they are on sale, and I was hoping to use one of those. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[Bobberman]

I would use a gallon pot with some nice dirt and a little sand in the mix! I think a round wire tomato cage would work for the squash They have a shallow root base but are heavy feedes so maybe add a little liquid fertilizer once week like sea weed liquic very delute! A good garden soil should workYou will probably get 4 to 6 squash per plant. try not to disturb the roots once the plant starts!.

[applestar]

There are "bush" variety butternut squash that are more suited to container culture. It's still a good idea to use as large a container as you can though -- ones that you would more likely call "tubs" than "pots". Squash are heavy feeders and need plenty of good soil and water. Tomatoes should be planted in "tubs" as well.

If you want to grow full sized vines, I have read that half-barrel planters are good size for squash. One plant to a container.

I'm a bit concerned about the timing however. When is your first average fall frost? You may not have enough growing days left in the season.

[aimeesh]

thanks for asking! im wondering the same thing myself, i have squash in a small pot that i wondered was worth transplanting. i heard they needed 30 feet but i guess thats only if you want to take full advantage of the plant and get as many squash as possible? i just want a few, as a first timer