Anyone with experience growing butternut squash and/or romaine lettuce? I'd love some pointers as I may attempt growing both - to feed my reptiles! -this season.
OK, I love butternut, I have 3 more on my vine. Have eaten 2. I planted seeds 4 years ago, vine grew then died. Then jap pumpkin vine tool over, no fruit, do ripped them out, found one deadly brown snake and one awesome butternut hanging off a trellis, ni vine, just the butternut. This year some old seeds must have grown, vine went crazy all summer, but now, mid autumn when vine is just about to die when the cold comes, but it is holding fruit. Beats me sorry, all I can say is, lots of sun, lost of organic matter in the soil and LOTS of space. Romaine or cos as we call them are my fave lettuce,I have grown them, ok results, but I really need to learn more so will watch for other comments.
What kind of reptiles?
@AmiSue
Cool! I was heavy into Pythons, Cornsnakes, Monitor Lizards and Iguanas, as well as Arthropods like Tarantulas, Preying Mantis and Emperor Scorpions. I was the hit of the neighborhood on Halloween. I would get trick or treaters long after the candy and change was gone! Finally, I would offer Mealworms!
@AmiSue
LOL. Other things you can give your Iguanas is dandelion greens. Loaded with calcium! I rescued two sick Iguanas (you guessed it: Vitamin D deficiency) and fed them baby food and later spring greens. Later I found a Jewish grocery store that sold dandelion greens. They worked well for a speedy recovery.
@AmiSue
I'll keep them in mind should I own again. I cannot justify keeping a tropical reptile in this climate.
In Florida, things were different. I may own a corn or a king, something more temperate here in the Midwest.
Lately I'm thinking a move back home and doing some intense butterfly gardening. I may get some small reps, fish or amphibians then.
Had a pair of Timor and a Tristis Monitor, with some Uromastyx that fell into my lap, along with their custom built enclosures! My fave was Triscuit, my Australian Tristis. Dog tame in every sense. Timor pretty but skittish. Nice viewing lizards.
The Uros were pussycats. I hated parting with them most.
I grew some of those white squashes that were flat a few years ago. I treated those just like my regular squashed. I forget what they were called but I'm fairly sure they were not butternut. One thing I have learned is to not plant the edible squashes downwind of the ornamental ones. They'll cross-pollinate! Or at least that's my experience.
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