Winter Squash (trailing types) ... pinching out ...

Dovefromabove

This is my third year of growing Uchiki kuri squash .... I've been reading up on 'pinching out' and now I'm more confused than when I started ... please can someone explain clearly what to do ...
Many thanks 

Skandi

I don't, I find they ripen the first few they set and anything else either falls off on it's own or just doesn't fully ripen.

Now I have nearly unlimited space so that isn't an issue for me.

Last year each of my squash plants (spaghetti and crown prince) set and ripened over 10 fruit each, the Uchi didn't survive the slug battering when they were planted out.

war garden 572

you don't pinch out squash where you hear that old wives tail. 

floralies

Why not @war garden 572? Please elucidate.

war garden 572

because it hurts production and makes plant vulnerable to
pest and disease issues.  

scroggin

Generally I wait until a couple of fruit have set and then nip out the leader, as each plant throws out numerous leaders I average 6 to 8 good size squashes. Never had a problem with disease and I find I get larger squashes this way.

Dovefromabove

Thank you @scroggin 🙏 … that’s the sort of advice I was looking for. 

What may work well in the longer growing season in the USA isn’t always best practice in a different climate. 

😊