Help needed; Andrey, Alex, Tania, etc.

[cdntomato]

I'm going to do a hijack here, with the promise that I will share harvests with Carolyn, in gratitude (and my offer still stands, Carolyn). And share seeds with any translators.

http://www.aif.ru:81/online/dacha/155/04_01

Tania, did I send this to you before? BTW, the Russian seeds are slow in coming. I have Perehvatka already, and am trying to figure out whether it is butternut-ish or cheese-ish as a moschata.

Thanks for any help, Tania or Andrey!

And Carolyn, should I get Chirimen or Kikuza and/or Futtsu? Seem to recall that you liked the middle one. Know that Amy keeps you covered but I'd like to contribute too. Will also bring Early Moonbeam, the OP version of Yellow Doll and, of course, Cream of Sask.

Jennifer

[Andrey_BY]

Jennifer,

it's a common atricle about different types of pumpkins. Yes, they mentioned Perehvanka (but better to spell it Perekhvatka, because I know that "h" is not spelled in the middle of English words, but it is there in the original Russian name Перехватка) :wink:

They haven't mentioned describtion for this variety, but I do know that the full original name for this variety is Perekhvatka Mestnaya. It has got elongated shape, weight 10-15 kg and usually grown only in the South of Russia where it is possible to obtain ripen C.moschata and they call perekhvatka a "honey guitar" :wink:
More to say Russian call every elongated moschatas "perekhvatka". Fruit of perekhvatka-type pumpkins are 1/4 sweeter that other Russian pumpkins. They even produce juice and a special wine from perekhvatka-type pumpkins :wink:

[cdntomato]

Oh that sounds wonderful, Andrey. Thanks so much for all the information including the preferred name and spelling in English. The spelling that I have is from PGRC, like the seeds are.

Do I understand correctly that this variety is still well-known and grown over there? If you need or want seeds (pure), just let me know.

Carolyn, at least one harvested squash will have your name on it. :wink:

Best,
Jennifer

[carolyn137]

Jennifer, yes, Kikuza was a favorite squash of mine, but I can't grow pumpkins.squash and all that anymore, and there is a seed source for Kikuza now that I saw but can't remember where it was. Possibly Nichols Seed where I first got it or perhaps Baker Creek.

It's Chinese as I recall, not Russian, for sure.

So grow it in good health and make me some pumpkin cookies and send them down and I'll pay postage, b'c I refuse to use my oven.

Just taking a break from ordering some more Medifast stuff b'c I want to lose about 20#, at least, by my surgery date of May 9th. And I'm having trouble weaning myself off bittersweet chocolate.

Then I had to upgrade my Dishnetwork programming to include, amongst others, The Tennis Channel and Versus, the old Outdoor Living Network, which also carries tennis stuff that ESPN2 and USA and the others don't carry.

So I love tennis, wanna make something out of that?

And now to attack getting the tax stuff together.

[cdntomato]

Carolyn, can't forget the date of your surgery as it's the day before my B-d!

Glad I remembered correctly that the squash was Kikuza. Am not trusting my memory quite so much since having all those strokes. Anyhoo, will bring or send something squash-related and yummy. I have a great pumpkin-chocolate cake recipe (chips or chucks in dough NOT whole hog choc, so no guilt attached to this vegetable 'side dish' )...

I thought Kikuza was Japanese. And yes, BC and SSE carry seeds for it.

Am also growing Tennis Ball the lettuce. Will bring/send salad to balance calories.

BTW, I got booted out of cardiac rehab. Don't have heart disease and am 'too healthy'. Third best tread mill results they've ever had. Yeah, right. There is such a thing as being too thin. Send a pound or three my way. You know, the chocolate-coated ones.

Be well.
Jennifer, who gets by with Boost or Ensure (pseudo choc-flavoured) on the side for now and is NOT thrilled by the latest valve replacement method using bovine jugular (inserted through groin instead of open heart, but that's not this veghead's issue, as you can well imagine)

[Andrey_BY]

Jennifer,

since Perekhvatka-type squashes are rather warm loving as the most of C.moschatas this variety is quite known only in the South of Russia. Gardeners in more cool Zones prefer to grow mostly C.pepo and a little bit less C.maxima
I'm really don't know any Russian seed company who is currently offering Perekhvatka-type squashes. They are more an amateur seed exchange items :wink:

Carolyn and Jennifer, be well.

By the way, 9 May is a highly respected holiday here in CIS. It's a Victory Day (against fashism) when huge army parades take place in the capital of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other former USSR Republics. I wish you, Carolyn, a big victory over your desease and all inconviniences regarging limited access to the vegetable growing