Sowing SquaSh

In early May, winter squash ‘Potimarron’, courgette ‘Striato d’Italia’ and melon ‘Hero of Lockinge’, from the Heritage Seed Library, are sown indoors, two seeds to a pot. Seedlings are potted on once before planting out in late May or early June, depending on the weather. Someone asked me, “When is a winter squash ripe in the autumn?” Apart from tapping them to listen for a hollow sound, I don’t actually know. I store mine rather than eating straight from the plant, and they are always ripe by the time I eat them. To help everything flourish, the greenhouse glass will be cleaned and fresh compost added to the beds prior to planting out tomatoes, peppers and melons.