Butternut squash problems,help please!

[matowakan]

I have a huge butternut squah in the garden that is growing very well but I have no fruit or flowers yet and I am worried that it is too late in the year now for fruit to develop.
It was started in the polytunnel around May and planted out in late June. Since then it has got bigger and bigger in all directions.
Ithink there are loads of closed flowers all over but none that are open or what I assume to be closed flowers could just be part of the plant ready to go off in another direction!!!!
any advice would be appreciated.
Last year I grew one in the polytunnel with no problems although I only got 3 squashes from it.

[grahamhobbs]

Still time yet, mine don't really get going to around this time

[pumpy]

Patiance!! You'll probably find that once they get going, then they will go berserk. You'll probably start with loads of male flowers, then the fruiting female flowers won't be far behind. This is about the right time of year for things to be happening,......but who knows with this weird wheather?

[Millymollymandy]

I've only got one butternut so far from two plants yet last year I had about 14 between 2 plants .... for me at least it has been a very bad/wierd/slow year for squash - very slow to either germinate or start growing. Now growing like mad so hopefully there will still be time for some to form and ripen!

[Potter's Farm]

I've put in 8 plants this year and have yet to see any fruit! I planted them on a bed of cow muck, topped with good topsoil.

Last year they grew beautifully planted on top of my compost heaps...think i'll do that again next year.

[Millymollymandy]

Gosh since I wrote my last posting on Aug 27th I have about 6 huge butternuts now! Hope they will ripen but I don't really need them as I have tons of other squash.

[scrap]

Butternut,yummm.
I like them roasted,dressed with a spiced olive oil mix by J.Oliver...

Back on topic,I had 3 small squashes from 5 plants,and the weather is getting colder.
Same problem with my fig tree,about a ton of mid-sized unripe figs and no chance they'll ripen further.
Basicly this was a pretty bad year overhere.
Hardly any strawberry's,handfull of gooseberry's,Goji committed suicide and the pawpaws remain puny.
Young mullberry seems to be catching on pretty well though,and the herbs thrived this year.

[matowakan]

Thanks for the replies. It is now grown into a triffid and butternut squashes are everywhere! Some big now and some small.
Some have gone brown and wrinkly and others are perfect,

[gregorach]

I had a truly lousy year for squashes - I got one, maybe two courgettes and absolutely stuff all else. Courgettes were just rotting on the plants and none of the other squashes grew more than a couple of feet. Disappointing.

[matowakan]

Now I think of it I have had a good crop of courgettes and they are still grwoing and I am picking them but I too have had a lot rot on the plant,the same as some squash seem to be doing.

[Mrs Moustoir]

Had loads and loads of courgettes and potimarrons but not one butternut squash. Had two quite vigorous plants with lots of male flowers but no females/fruits. That's the second year I've failed with them.

[Millymollymandy]

Ahhhh Mrs M wish I could give you one of mine - they are now all washed and placed on windowsills along with the potimarrons and 88 Jack Be Littles.

Yes 88 Jack Be Littles from 2 plants. I hate the person who recommended them!!!