Winter squash growing great–right up the tomato cage! Here is a photo from earlier in the summer, when the Tahitian Melon Winter Squash started growing. You can still see the tomato cage as it is growing up onto it. The tomato cage was eventually totally covered and the squash took over the cucumber trellis which was about 3-4 feet away from this tomato cage. So far, I have seen 2 large squash growing on the same side of the tomato cage. I did anchor the tomato cage with some more stakes inside of it. So far, so good–it is still standing. I think one squash is ready to harvest so that will take off some of the weight!
The picture to the right is a squash that is growing at the bottom of the cucumber trellis. The red you see at the top of the picture to the right of the squash is part of one of the tomato ladders that I used to create my cucumber trellis. I have seen pictures of these squash with a curved neck. Maybe they grow with a straight neck when hanging from the vine instead of laying on the ground because the weight of the squash keeps it straight. It is almost touching the ground which should help hold its weight. Right now it is doing fine. Now I realize why the squash vine is so strong where it attaches to the squash–to hold the squash so it doesn’t fall off of the vine (if it happens to be hanging instead of laying on the ground.) This squash measures about 2 feet long! I wouldn’t use a tomato cage again for support. The squash were just too heavy for it. The tomato ladders worked much better.
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