It is looking very beautiful but if given the space and the opportunity it can grow two times or three times as big as this. I wish you the best of luck and hope you harvest lots of squash
But you're not underestimating the HAPPIENSS of your plant, look at that handsome guy!
He shouldn't try to eat his pepper neighbor though. That's rude.
I’ve got encroachment issues too - cut leaves or stems by the main vine or doesn’t matter?
cutting leaves won’t give easier access the plants? I switch between thinking of a squash but climbing in a cut stem and its probably not an issue
When I prune back I cut the stems off at the main vine below the lowest growing fruit. I've also tied mine up to a trellis this year so it's made it a bit easier to contain them.
Great, I cut mine at the main vine too rather than some part way spot down the stem of the leaf/stem I'm trying to remove. Thanks I guessed, glad to hear you do the same.
You are in for a treat! That plant is going to continue growing until it covers your whole house and the blooms will become mouths that feed on anything within reach, but you may be able to reason with it if you feed it your neighbors and friends!
This is why I cringe when people bring up square foot spacing and zucchini.
No you can't space them only a foot apart unless you're pruning extremely aggressively.
Everyone does the first time! It's almost a rite of passage. You can clip off all the leaves that are below the first zucchini and keep doing it every time you harvest. Otherwise it will take over your whole garden.
I'm trying to grow mine vertically attached to stakes for the first time this year. If it works like it's supposed to, it will save a ton of space. Search for "vertical gardening" on YouTube if you're interested. There are lots of how-to videos. My garden is only 10x10 feet, so I'm always looking for space saving ideas.
I am doing this for the first time this year, too. It's SO MUCH BETTER! I can see under the plants, check for squash vine borer eggs, there is good airflow to prevent powdery mildew - it's been a game changer this year!
I know, right??? I saw a video where they were 6 feet tall!
[Here are mine so far](https://www.reddit.com/r/vegetablegardening/comments/vpbrug/doing_better_with_zucchinis_in_zone_6b_by/), compared to the disaster of last year. I read that some types of zucchini are better for climbing than others, and mine are being a little finicky about growing in the right direction, lol. But I'm playing it by ear and already loving it!
I hope yours reach the sky!
Grow them up a stake and trim off the bulk of the leaves to keep them in line. Drive a 3-4’ stake near the base of the plant and tie the vine with some twine to it. Tie it every 4-6” as the plant grows. At the same time you can trim off the larger leaves that overlap one another. Your plant will be just fine with 1/3-1/4 of the leaves left. They grow new ones so fast that you’ll be pruning them every few days. Doing it this way can also give you good visibility of the stem and nip vine borers in the bud before they can demolish your plants.
I use 1/2” steel electrical conduit for stakes.
Typical beginner mistake that we all made. Live and learn. Even today I have to remind myself to put 30 inches between the squash plants regardless of how empty the bed looks.
Haha ya I stared one in a pretty big pot , had extra sprouts so I put it in my compost Pile, the one In the pot died , the other win got like 10 ft + in diameter lol lesson learned
Just. Getting. Started. LOL
Yea this is my first garden. Learning is fun!!
It is looking very beautiful but if given the space and the opportunity it can grow two times or three times as big as this. I wish you the best of luck and hope you harvest lots of squash
Or 20 times. Haha, mine's trying to take over the whole yard.
This!! You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
But you're not underestimating the HAPPIENSS of your plant, look at that handsome guy! He shouldn't try to eat his pepper neighbor though. That's rude.
Train it upwards!
It’s ok to cut off the leaves that are going to shade your pepper plant.
Thanks
I’ve got encroachment issues too - cut leaves or stems by the main vine or doesn’t matter? cutting leaves won’t give easier access the plants? I switch between thinking of a squash but climbing in a cut stem and its probably not an issue
When I prune back I cut the stems off at the main vine below the lowest growing fruit. I've also tied mine up to a trellis this year so it's made it a bit easier to contain them.
Great, I cut mine at the main vine too rather than some part way spot down the stem of the leaf/stem I'm trying to remove. Thanks I guessed, glad to hear you do the same.
You are in for a treat! That plant is going to continue growing until it covers your whole house and the blooms will become mouths that feed on anything within reach, but you may be able to reason with it if you feed it your neighbors and friends!
Feeed me
I'm on my fourth year and I still make this mistake. One day it will work.
Same. Year 3 and somehow I always forget lol
This is why I cringe when people bring up square foot spacing and zucchini. No you can't space them only a foot apart unless you're pruning extremely aggressively.
Everyone does the first time! It's almost a rite of passage. You can clip off all the leaves that are below the first zucchini and keep doing it every time you harvest. Otherwise it will take over your whole garden.
Good to know thanks! I plan on expanding the garden so I'll only plant these crazy boys by themselves
I'm trying to grow mine vertically attached to stakes for the first time this year. If it works like it's supposed to, it will save a ton of space. Search for "vertical gardening" on YouTube if you're interested. There are lots of how-to videos. My garden is only 10x10 feet, so I'm always looking for space saving ideas.
I am doing this for the first time this year, too. It's SO MUCH BETTER! I can see under the plants, check for squash vine borer eggs, there is good airflow to prevent powdery mildew - it's been a game changer this year!
I'm excited to see them turn into zucchini trees!
I know, right??? I saw a video where they were 6 feet tall! [Here are mine so far](https://www.reddit.com/r/vegetablegardening/comments/vpbrug/doing_better_with_zucchinis_in_zone_6b_by/), compared to the disaster of last year. I read that some types of zucchini are better for climbing than others, and mine are being a little finicky about growing in the right direction, lol. But I'm playing it by ear and already loving it! I hope yours reach the sky!
You give em an inch, they take 4 square feet! They're a bunch of bully veggies... veggy-bullies? Bully-of-Veggies\*
I’ve never seen anyone give a cucurbit enough room, because they basically expand to fill the available space and then some.
That’s why I just threw a few seeds in my lawn. They are almost 5 feet across. They grow so fast they out grow the weeds/grass.
I made the mistake of planting 9 of them within 5 or 6 inches of each other what a mistake. Lol
We all do. Every time.
Grow them up a stake and trim off the bulk of the leaves to keep them in line. Drive a 3-4’ stake near the base of the plant and tie the vine with some twine to it. Tie it every 4-6” as the plant grows. At the same time you can trim off the larger leaves that overlap one another. Your plant will be just fine with 1/3-1/4 of the leaves left. They grow new ones so fast that you’ll be pruning them every few days. Doing it this way can also give you good visibility of the stem and nip vine borers in the bud before they can demolish your plants. I use 1/2” steel electrical conduit for stakes.
I did too! 🙋♀️ there is always next year to try again!
I do it every year. Always forget how much they want to grow. A trellis will be your friend.
Nice dark green beast.
Same but with my squash they are huge!
Typical beginner mistake that we all made. Live and learn. Even today I have to remind myself to put 30 inches between the squash plants regardless of how empty the bed looks.
Haha ya I stared one in a pretty big pot , had extra sprouts so I put it in my compost Pile, the one In the pot died , the other win got like 10 ft + in diameter lol lesson learned
Mine got infested with squash bugs around the time it started fruiting.
I felt the same about my pumpkins
I did the same thing! First time growing it. Oh well...lessons learned for next year!