Zucchini/squash in a low pot with MM?

kimberlee 5/9/2012, 9:42 am

I'm regretting that I didn't have room in my garden plan for any summer squash. I was thinking this morning: could I get low, wide planter, fill it with MM, plant a zucchini, and let the vines spill over and grow along the lawn? They have low bowl type planters at the big box stores, or even a whiskey barrel. ANSFG says they need 2 square feet for the vining type, so I assume as long as the pot dimensions equal 2 SF I'd be ok. I have a good sunny spot on the other side of my house where I could put it.

Thoughts?

GWN 5/9/2012, 9:48 am

I would think that would work with lots of holes in the bottom of the pots.
I think that the space allowed has more to do with the trailing leaves VS the roots,
Would be interested in others take on this as well.
I am currently making some 4x4 and hoped to put squash at the corners as well as in pots in the ground
One thing I did a few years ago with summer squash is to buy the bags of soil and put holes in the bottom. That way it would kill the grass below and be an easy start for squash.
Actually it was 2 bags.

littlesapphire 5/9/2012, 9:48 am

Actually, ANSFG recommends 9 square feet for summer squash and 2 square feet for winter squash (because winter squash climbs and summer squash generally doesn't). However, I usually plant my summer squash in 4 squares at a corner and let it trail over the edge. I do however put something under it when it finally reaches the edge, so slugs have a harder time eating them.

However, I have seen a really cool video where a guy prunes his summer squash and grows it up a stake. It's so cool! Does anyone have that video? I need to bookmark it.

kimberlee 5/9/2012, 9:55 am

I must be getting confused - I thought all summer squash was vining. I just re-read and he says 1 VINE per 2 SF, 1 BUSH per 9 SF. Guess I need to see what my local garden center has.

Interesting idea to put the pots underground! How much of the pot do you leave above ground? I guess I'd also need to rethink "letting the vines spill over and grow along the lawn" - then hubby wouldn't be able to mow the grass. Plus the slugs. Oh, I need to rethink how to do this!

GWN 5/9/2012, 10:00 am

pots in the ground

This what I am currently doing with my artichoke plants, essentially 1x1 square feet.
I am digging down, filling the pot with MELS mix and then planting the artichokes there.
They need a lot of room for their leaves and the roots can grown down into the mels mix and further into the other soil if need be.

Tbites 5/9/2012, 10:03 am

Last year was my first year using SFG and growing any kind of veggie actually. I was running out of materials and quite frugal so I grew my summer squash in a milk crate... wasn't even filled to the top but it still produced quite well until powdery mildew go to it later in the season. Ignore the wannabe trellis to the left of it... found out pretty quick this plant couldn't be trained up the trellis Rolling Eyes

Zucchini/squash in a low pot with MM? Aug20113

GWN 5/9/2012, 10:14 am

I have tried to train zucchini and yellow crook neck squash up a trellis, but they do not seem to vine, they just send everything out from a main stem.??
Would be interesting to know if this can be changed

Tbites 5/9/2012, 10:21 am

I'll be trying this staking method for my summer squash this year (starts at 5:30seconds in video)... hopefully it'll work.

Sorry for the hijack OP

kimberlee 5/9/2012, 10:27 am

Tbites wrote:I'll be trying this staking method for my summer squash this year (starts at 5:30seconds in video)... hopefully it'll work.

That's pretty cool! (And that rubber snake freaked me out for a second!)

littlesapphire 5/9/2012, 10:43 am

Yay, thanks for the video, Tbites! That's the one I was looking for Smile

**rowena___.** 5/9/2012, 12:02 pm

i always trellis my squash, it keeps the fruits cleaner and the plant healthier.

Hoggar 5/9/2012, 12:20 pm

I don't know if punkins count for this conversation but I trellised mine last year and they came along great. When the hanging gourd got to about the size of a softball I made Hammocks for them. I got 2 about basketball sized and one softball sized for Halloween.
Zucchini/squash in a low pot with MM? SFG-08-13-11-3

Zucchini/squash in a low pot with MM? SFG-08-13-11-3

Coelli 5/9/2012, 12:50 pm

I didn't have room either in my boxes (this is my first year SFG and I "only" built 2 4x4s) but I definitely wanted zucchini. I'm trying it out in a 2'x3'x8" cement mixing tub I got at Lowes for $13. Drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom, filled it up, and raised it so it can drain. We'll see how it goes. Smile

I should add that I didn't use MM - I went much heavier on the compost to help keep it from drying out in our SoCal summers. When it starts needing support I'll move it up against the chain link fence and use that as a trellis.

Fingers crossed!

Tbites 5/9/2012, 12:59 pm

rowena___. wrote:i always trellis my squash, it keeps the fruits cleaner and the plant healthier.

Trellis or stake ? What type of squash... have a picture please ? Very Happy

**rowena___.** 5/9/2012, 1:03 pm

Tbites wrote:
rowena___. wrote:i always trellis my squash, it keeps the fruits cleaner and the plant healthier.

Trellis or stake ? What type of squash... have a picture please ?

trellis. i don't like or use stakes anywhere in my gardens. i don't think i have any pictures but it is just like trellising cucumbers.

Tbites 5/9/2012, 1:22 pm

I'll take your word for it LOL

This thread might be helpful to whoever is into this squash thread https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t341-squash-vine-or-bush

GWN 5/9/2012, 2:10 pm

wow what a great film
Although I have tried this before, the part about cutting of that lower leaf is what I did not do in the past, and it all makes SUCH great sense.
THis IS such a great site
So with that in mind then ROWENA how many squares do you give per squash that is trellised

FamilyGardening 5/9/2012, 2:40 pm

last year we grew our crookneck squash in a topsy turvy tree Very Happy

Zucchini/squash in a low pot with MM? 06_28_22

hugs

rose

**rowena___.** 5/9/2012, 3:17 pm

GWN wrote:So with that in mind then ROWENA how many squares do you give per squash that is trellised

one plant per square, on the north side of the block.

however, this year i'm not growing any squash in my front garden beds. i'm putting all my squashes in my back garden straw bales so as to free up the front beds for other things. the only squashes i'm growing in front are the ones going into my street-side farm beds, which serve as demonstration areas and community gleaning gardens.

**walshevak** 5/9/2012, 6:04 pm

I planted my summer squash 1 per 2 squares, on outside squares of my table tops. I'm going to let them trail down not up and along the side edge.

Kay

Tbites 5/9/2012, 6:08 pm

walshevak wrote:I planted my summer squash 1 per 2 squares, on outside squares of my table tops. I'm going to let them trail down not up and along the side edge.

Kay

Curious, is this summer squash a bush or vine type ?

**walshevak** 5/9/2012, 6:57 pm

Just run of the mill yellow crookneck and zuchinni. As the plants get bigger I'll trim up the inside leaves and let the outside ones just go where they will over the side. Also have a pumpkin, some butternut and acorn winter squashes planned using the same technique.

Kay

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