Patty Pan Squash

Can they be grown in a container?

About to find out... will provide feedback as they grow.

There's another tyre of them at the other end of this row, which gets afternoon sun.

Update 2015/10/11:

Update 2015/10/16:

Update 2015/10/23:

Update 2015/10/28:

This is about 5 weeks after sowing, 3.5 weeks after sprouting and they're moving right along. Flower bulbs just showing on stem of leftmost plant, so should be actually flowering in next week or so. You can apparently eat the (male) flowers? These are "mixed" seeds, so won't be identical. The batch at the other end are about a week behind this lot.

Question about "fitting" into tyre container will soon be answered.

Update 2015/10/30:

Saw some seedlings for sale today... they looked very small compared to this.

Update 2015/11/02:

These have been buffeted by the strong wind last night, and I'm not quite sure how to straighten them up, so they're being left alone for the moment.

The other batch of patty pans, not too badly wind blown.

Update 2015/11/11:

Serious leafage, but still fitting into tyre... a bit of pruning of lower leaves might be in order.

Deep inside the leaves the first signs of some edible product.

Update 2015/11/15:

First pass at an answer - a single plant in the centre of the tyre would probably be "contained" (the other batch has two plants, and they look bigger. I'm not sure of the yield, though - whether a single plant would produce enough. As it is there are three in here, and they're spilling over the edges a bit. Pruning off the lower interfering leaves might help.

This is now about 53 days after sowing... I guess about another week or so for flowers and growth?

Update 2015/11/18:

Humongous female flowers, but no male flowers yet... about 75mm to 100mm long.

The other tyre of Patty Pans.

Update 2015/11/19:

Found a male flower nearly open, cut off the petals, opened up the female flower and tried hand pollination. I suspect the male flower needs to open by itself for pollen to form properly.

Update 2015/11/22:

Male flowers nearly open.

The other tyre of patty pans, a week or so younger.

Update 2015/11/25:

Lots of male flowers, and it looks like at least some of the earlier female flowers got pollinated, as the blossom has fallen off the end of the fruit and they haven't gone rotten yet. The larger patty pans are about 40mm diameter, and growing. Plenty more small ones coming up. Could be eating by the end of the week?

The other tyre isn't yet flowering. Also it looks like the different varieties in the "mix" flower at different rates.

Lesson so far is that these do fit into the constraints of a tyre lined up in a row, but three plants is far too crowded. One might be better, but I don't yet have a feel for their productivity.

Update 2015/11/27:

Update 2015/12/01:

That's what, about 70 days?

About to be processed according to this recipe:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sauted-baby-squash-with-basil-feta

Didn't have any leeks, so used an onion instead. Delicious.

Lots more coming along, The green ones are just starting to flower.

Update 2015/12/02:

Onion, mince, mushroom.

Update 2015/12/17:

What happens if you leave them a day or two too long...

Update 2016/01/28:

Still flowering, but pretty much finished as regards producing.