volunteer plant- squash?

[b54red]

This vine volunteered in my garden and it was so vigorous I let it grow a while to see what it would produce. Below is is a photo of a couple of the fruits hanging on my fence which it has climbed. Does anyone recognize this plant? I assume it is some kind of squash or gourd but don't know what to do with it.

[cornbreadlouie]

No idea but those are some cool looking fruits!

[b54red]

The vine is huge and running all over the place. I think if I fertilized it and cared for it my whole garden would be covered by it.

[meadowyck]

b54red, yes if you did fertilized it you better run for the hills. I wish I knew which it was.

[livinonfaith]

Oooh, Ahhhh! Cool mystery squash!

I haven't seen anything exactly like it, but would guess it's in the Pepo family. Almost looks like a cross between some kind of Delicata or Sweet Dumpling type squash and..... well.......something?

Here's some Delicata and the Sweet Dumpling. http://www.kcb-samen.ch/shop/?cPath=401_5 and http://www.kcb-samen.ch/shop/product...ducts_id=50940 This site has tons of different squash. Fun to look through if you like that sort of thing. (The google German to English translator comes in handy for some of the descriptions, unless you know German better than I.)

It looks a little bit like the Stripetti hybrid, as well, which is a cross between a Delicata and a spaghetti squash but I still don't think that's it. http://www.kcb-samen.ch/shop/product...ducts_id=50900

Of course, it could be a cross with an ornamental gourd, as a lot of those are in the Pepo family, too.

What kinds of squash and ornamental gourds have you grown before? That might narrow it down.

I love a good mystery!

[Jeannine Anne]

It looks absolutely exactly like a Fairy squash to me..

I have a picture but don't know how to put it on XX Jeannine

[livinonfaith]

It does look a lot like that. But not quite.

So Jeanine is going with a Moschata hybrid.

I'm still going with Pepo family, some kind of Delicata hybrid. That's my guess and I'm sticking to it!

Once it's harvested and tasted, it shouldn't be too hard to tell if it's Pepo or Moschata. Moschata's are pretty distinctive in taste and texture, but the exact cross might not be quite so easy.

[Jeannine Anne]

If you describe the stem I can tell you what species it is as Pepo and Moschata etc are very different.

Go to Terrotorial seed and then look up Fairy Squash,,not Fairytale by the way.

XX Jeannine

[rockhound]

Sort of looks like the Mandan squash. How much do they weigh? Is the stem round or 5-sided?

[tjg911]

looks like seminile but not exactly. if it is a Moschata it will have solid vines, pepo will have hollow.

tom

[livinonfaith]

Originally Posted by Jeannine Anne

If you describe the stem I can tell you what species it is as Pepo and Moschata etc are very different.

Go to Terrotorial seed and then look up Fairy Squash,,not Fairytale by the way.

XX Jeannine

Here's the link for Fairy, Jeannine.

http://www.territorialseed.com/product/1119

You guys are so much smarter than me! I wouldn't have thought about seeing if the stem is hollow or solid. Are the leaf stems the same? Because cutting off just one of the leaves wouldn't be a great loss and a quick way to narrow it down.

So Rockhound is guessing Mandan, in the Pepo family. Here's a link to that one.
http://www.furtrade.org/store/index....product_id=307

And Tom says maybe Seminole, which is a Moschata. (I'm assuming you meant Seninole, because I couldn't find a Seminile Squash.) Here's a link to the only page I could find with both an unripe and ripe Seminole fruit. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/l...039082870.html

I find it very interesting that we are all coming up with such different squash. I would love to hear from B54red to get more specific information, but it's kind of fun to have some time to let everyone guess, too.

[b54red]

First I have never grown any gourds or any kind of running squash.

I haven't cut one off and weighed it yet but I would guess from handling one it is between 3 and 5 lbs or so.

From what I can tell the stem has 5 rounded ridges running from the fruit. I'll try to take a picture that shows the stem better. The leaves are now getting powdery mildew on them since all the recent rain so I don't expect it to keep going much longer. I'm sure the squash vine borers will find it soon if they haven't already.

How do you cook this type of squash? Do you store them or what? I am only familiar with summer squash and zucchini.

[Tormato]

With solid green leaves, I doubt that it's a mschata.

[Jeannine Anne]

I am certain it is a moschata, there could be some white markings on the leaves they are seen , not as many as a maxima, pepo don't have any.

Pepo stem, slightly angled , moschata distinctly angled, maxima round

Pepo leaves very prickly, moschata hairy and more velvety.

Oh and by the way if it was a gourd the flowers would be white not yellow.

I am certain it is not a Mandan.

XX Jeannine

[janezee]

Wow, Jeannine, I didn't know all that! Thanks!

j