Squash Ranch: Grow Squash in a Neglected Garden Space 

Do you have a sunny but neglected space in your garden or property? If so, this may be an ideal location for a "Squash Ranch"!
My Squash Ranch is a series of large pots or used buckets with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage placed along a gravel French drain on the side of the garage. If you use a lot of buckets of organic fertiliser like pelleted chicken manure or blood/fish/bone meal, those containers are perfect for making into large squash pots!
This sunny spot was left empty for many years before I decided to use it to grow squash in containers. A neglected garden space may be suitable for a squash ranch if it is protected from high winds and gets sun exposure during most of the day. In the UK we have few pests and diseases that target squash, so as long as the plant receive sun, water, and fertiliser they will probably do well.
Some varieties of winter squash (Cucurbita maxima, C. pepo, and C. moschata) do better in containers than others, with the largest fruited varieties better suited to growing directly in the ground. However, small to medium sized fruit varieties usually grow well and make several fruits per vine if provided with plenty of fertiliser and water throughout the growing season.
Happy squash ranching!
Music by Derek and Brandon Fiechter