My gardening zone is 4. I live in Boyne City Michigan; this town is in the northern part of the lower peninsula.

I know that as a rule-of-thumb there are certain vegetables and fruits that don't grow well in containers. To my knowledge these vegetables and fruits are any kind of squash, any kind of melon, and indeterminate varieties of tomatoes. I know that these vegetables and fruits shouldn't be planted in containers cause they need lots of space, don't like cramped quarters and having limited space, and their vines go all over the place.

However the variety of butternut squash I plan to grow is butterbush. Compared to traditional varieties of butternut

squash this variety of butternut squash has a more compact

growth habit, and as the name of the seed implies, it grows in the shape of a bush. This variety of butternut squash

is more tolerant of being spaced closer together with the plants than other varieties of butternut squash would be,

since the seed was designed and bred to be grown in close and confined spaces.

I do have some questions about growing butternut squash

in containers. What type of soil does butternut squash prefer? Is butternut squash a cool weather vegetable or a warm weather vegetable? I know that certain varieties of

squash like zucchini and summer squash prefer warm weather and grow best in warm weather; however I've never grown

butternut squash before so I don't know whether it's a cool weather vegetable or a warm weather vegetable.

I use 10 gallon storage containers for container gardening; there are holes that have been drilled in the bottom of the container for irrigation. How many butternut squash plants can I grow in a 10 gallon container without overcrowding them? This is AFTER the butternut squash plants have been thinned out.

For something like butternut squash, even though the variety I plan to grow is more compact, I would probably use 15, 20, or 30 gallon containers. How many butternut squash plants can be grown in a 15, 20, or 30 gallon container without overcrowding the plants? This is AFTER the plants have been thinned out.

How often do you have to fertilize butternut squash? Is it a "heavy feeder"? I know that most squash are "heavy feeders" meaning you have to give them a liberal application of fertilizer. Does this same rule of thumb apply when growing butternut squash?

To my knowledge any type of squash have numerous vines that

sprawl all over the place. To my knowledge the variety of butternut squash I'm growing, butterbush, has shorter and more compact vines. Would I still need to train these vines to climb via staking or the use of a trellis despite

the fact that the vines are shorter and more compact?

I know that for people who have experience with vegetable gardening and with growing butternut squash these questions will seem very basic. However I'm a novice with vegetable gardening; I am growing some vegetables now but this is my first real gardening experience. I also don't have any experience with growing butternut squash. I could really use advice and help, suggestions, etc. with with growing butternut squash in general and growing it in containers as well.

Any suggestions and advice given regarding growing butternut

squash will be very much appreciated.