To maximize growing space along one concrete wall, I grow lots of veggies in black 5 gallon containers - tomatoes, cukes, butternut and acorn squash, peppers. Someone who knows more can disagree with me, but I think a handful of my native clay/loam soil to a gallon of container mix greatly improves yields. Too much and it clogs the pore space, but without it the microflora count is too low. So my mix is: 3 gallons well composted organic matter 1 gallon vermiculite 1/2 gallon washed sand 1/4 gallon native topsoil (sometimes: wood ash or other fertilizers) Moisture contol is very important, as these containers can dry quickly and blossom end rot can be a problem. I seldom use any fertilizer except a compost tea.

I have had my butternut squash plant growing since the 28th of March but at the beginning, all of the tiny squash sort of turned dark and died and I thought it was a goner. A few days or maybe a week or two, I can't remember, I saw that I had 1 little squash hanging under a beautiful dark yellow blossom and I have been watching the vine closely ever since. Now, it is September, that squash appears to be ready to pick according to all that I have read. It is a nice golden tan all over, it is hard, no squishiness at all, it's stem is really dry and dark brown but, it is only 3 and a half inches from the stem to the bottom. Is it ready or not, I am not sure. Also, the vine, even though it has been planted in my backyard in a container for about 6 months, has started to produce some other babies. I never planted things before and I am 75 years old and I have tomatoes, the squash, cucumbers, sweet corn, strawberries, soon, potatoes and onions since I live in Florida (Citrus County) and that it the only time they will grow here for the most part since they do not like out hot humid days and nights of which, this year was the worst. It was so bad here for so much of the late Spring and summer, that even the bees were nowhere to be found so most things just didn't produce anything much. I am new to all this so any advice that anyone can share will be greatly appreciated! Carol

beesneeds, I thought of prying open one of the most mature male flowers but I'm concerned that if I do that, I'll use up the one male flower that would be ready to open at the same time as a future female flower(s). I even went to a community garden close to where I live to see if anyone is growing winter squash and borrow a little pollen from a male bloom but there's only one person growing squash. It was just planted two weeks ago so it's not close to having blooms. I don't grow from seed. I buy seedlings at a local agricultural store and transplant into the Earthbox. I've never grown delicata but they had a bush variety which is perfect for a container. I have two delicata going and I counted 20 male flowers, 5 of which have already opened. I can't see any females forming at all. So strange.

Okay, just got my first female blossom, so I think it's just late this year. Maybe if Fall is warm and longer, I'll still get squash. Fingers crossed.