Question
Methuen, MA.  I am relatively new to gardening.  Last year I attempted to trim my squash plants when they took over the garden and they did not survive.  Despite leaving them much more room this year, the summer squash and butternut squash are shading many of the tomato plants.  Is there a safe way to trim without harming the plant?

Answer
Gail, squash is one of the few plants that do not benefit from pruning. In fact, pruning often sets them back to the point they will not produce.

Squash should be planted in a separate bed, or in a bed with tall plants such as corn or sunflowers. They must be given a minimum of 2 feet between plants.

One alternative for next year is to plant them vertically. Many gardeners use stakes with heavy netting attached between the stakes and train the plants vertically. This will eliminate the problem of squash overtaking other plants, such as tomatoes and peppers.

I wish I had a better answer, but unfortunately there is not one. Pruning the plants at this stage will only put them into shock and expose them to insects and disease.

Keep in mind however, that the tomatoes will still produce on the upper branches. Your harvest will be smaller, but at least you will still get quite a few before the season ends. Also, squash tend to stop producing in mid-August. You can then cut away any vines that do not have fruit, and still harvest the ones that produced.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike