Climbing Squash

[AlittleSalt]

Over the past 6 months or so, I have sent out/shared many packs of Gialla Nostrale squash seeds. I have them growing in our garden now, and the germination rate is around 75% - so plant a few extras just in case. Gialla Nostrale squash is pretty difficult to get seeds for. That's why I shared so many seed packs.

I also have Seminole squash/pumpkin growing - as well as Greek Sweet Red on a fence. There are two other varieties coming in the mail that are both climbing squash that I will plant the day they arrive.

Some that I am growing that I'm letting sprawl are:

Butternut - Waltham
Buttercup
Sweet Mama
Sweet Potato Acorn
and Sweet Fall, but those haven't germinated yet.

I don't know how well those will grow on a fence/trellis? It's my first time growing all of them.

I am interested in vertical gardening. The older I get - the farther down the ground is

If they grow and produce, I do plan on saving seeds from all of them to trade for other squash seeds that are climbing varieties. I am interested in what squash varieties you are growing. Winter or Summer squash - it doesn't matter.

Some non-vining summer squash we are growing are:

White Scallop
Yellow Crookneck
Yellow Straight Neck
Zucchini

[Andrey_BY]

Most of squashes are of vining type in this picture.

[Jeannine Anne]

I am just popping in to say Hi, I am growing three types of trailing squash, Shooting Star,Black Forest and from A Little Salt I too am growing Gialle Nostrale.

However I wanted to jump in because squash has always been so close to my heart. Over the last several years I have distributed most of my squash collection as I am getting on a bit, same with my tomatoes and beans, At one point I had more than 300 varieties of squash.

I don't have the space to grow then any more so my post would have to be a wannabee .

I would first off grow the blues, I love almost all of them, then I also like the Australian Japs, it took me some time to find the seeds but a bit of shady swapping in Australia got me the real thing as it did the Gramma too. It also gave me the chance to bring an unheard of one in to North America, a very local one that was never shared until the owner died. My swapper worked in a office with some one who knew the relative and through office chats about seeds he had mentioned his friend in Canada who was a squash collector. His office friend told him about her friends Dads seeds and yep, they got their heads together and I got the seeds. I shared them with just one person, Tatiana, she now offers them as Mayoral Blue. The original owner had been the Mayor of a town in NSW and it was called after him.

I once had a house with acreage that had a huge half a field which was my winter squash patch, there were no limitation on what I could grow and I loved it, and I miss it.

So I shall watch this post with interest and pretend I am part of it if I may.

By he way, if you are letting things sprawl and want to save seeds , you are going to have to be very careful and bag, you have more than I Moschato group, ditto Pepo etc etc and they will cross pollinate.

[reddeheddefarm]

I am following this as growing vertical saves space. We have tatume for the first time this year.

[jmsieglaff]

Hi Salt,

I'll be growing F2 seed of my Lemon X Tatume cross. You can see more about my project here if you haven't already http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=31187

Basically I crossed Lemon and Tatume to try to come up with an even better climbing summer squash. Goals of the project are a good climbing, tasty and productive summer squash, insect resistance and mildew resistance a plus. We enjoyed the F1 last year as summer squash. The F1 matured to small-medium Orange pumpkin looking things, a lot like their mother Tatume.

In addition to those Ill be growing a couple bush summer squash.

If you'd like some of my cross seed I'd be happy to send you some. I've got both F1 and F2. Hopefully after this year I'll have one or two F3 varieties that seem worthy of following.

[AlittleSalt]

jmsieglaff, I am interested in trying some of the cross seeds. I'll PM you soon.

reddeheddefarm, Besides saving space, I seem to have better luck controlling squash bugs and borers when growing them vertically - I'm thinking it's because they are easier to see. Tatume is one I want to grow.

Jeannine, you are an important part of this thread. Besides giving your knowledge (Which is extremely useful) , the other varieties coming in the mail (Post #1) are coming from you. I know those seeds were difficult to get. I will grow them with pride.

Andrey_BY, Thank you for the picture. Now, I know when to pick the Gialla Nostrale squash. I am interested in some of the others in that picture.

I should explain about the Tatume and Gialla Nostrale squash. I did try to grow both in 2015. I planted both on a fence line in a new garden that was mostly clay. 2015 turned out to be the wettest year on record here - with over 73" of rainfall. Instead of being able to eat the squash - I did everything I could to let a couple of them grow out to be able to save seeds. I was able to save seeds from Gialla Nostrale squash, but not from the Tatume.

Thank every one of you for replying. Lets grow some squash.

[luigiwu]

*thought* I was growing a vining Korean Squash that I got seeds from remy/sample seeds a couple years ago, ALAS, in today's crazy plantout, I am not sure if I saved one for oneself as I gave away a bunch... UGH. I'm looking at the piece of paper that has the plant survey and its not on there...

[AlittleSalt]

Luigiwu, what variety was that vining Korean squash? Some pictures: https://www.google.com/search?q=Kore...HZxoCOUQsAQIGw

[Jeannine Anne]

Liigiwu, I can let you have a few of the Shooting Star trailing Zucchini, and a couple of the Black Forest trailing if you would like them. The outfit that sent me the Black Forest back ordered on me but I only need 1 plant so have sown 2 seeds, hopefully they will send the others as I have no refund . They only came 8 to a packet which I split with alittlesalt so not many spares but you are welcome to the remaining 2. Pm address if you want them.

alittle salt, thank you for the sweet comment it made me smile, you will be forever Salty to me now.. I always spell your member name wrong.

[AlittleSalt]

Salty works too.

You know, it's kind of funny. My doctor of the past 15 years is one who tells all of his patients they need less salt intake. He wouldn't like my nickname here

[Jeannine Anne]

Well you tell your Dr that there is a funky great grandma in Canada who will take all the Salty she can get LOL

My Gialla Nostrale are up..you and your low germination, When the seeds arrived they looked a bit flat as if there was very little kernel in them , then I saw your comment about low germination and thought OK, maybe some are duds so they all go in the pot,low germination, small kernels maybe I will get one...yep...I have several plants now. It just goes to show an ex squash collector with hundreds of varieties at one time and many many years of growing experience is quite capable of being stupid.

[AlittleSalt]

Ours are growing well too. It was my first attempt at saving squash seeds. I read so many replies and threads here, and looked at all kinds of squash seed saving sites.

Oh yeah, I was supposed to weed today...oops.

[Deborah]

Salty! That's one of the names I call my little boy rabbit. Love it! I can't grow squash because I'm a balcony gardener but I would like to add more squash to my diet because it's so good for us. That's why I'm enjoying this thread-I like squash and I'm envious!

[luigiwu]

Jeannine Anne, thank you for your generous offer but all my spot are now filled so alas it will be YET another year that I will have NO squash!

Robert, this is the pic from Remy's listing:

I planted one of the Gialla Nostrale seeds from you too, AlittleSalt, and it came right up!