What varieties of squash are you growing this year?

[kath]

Originally Posted by JRinPA

kath, when was last minute to you? Apparently, I am terrible at growing zucchini. I think that first year with butternut here brought in so many squash bugs to the yard that our summer squash gets destroyed as soon as it starts producing. This year I didn't plant any back there...but now a few went in pots out front.

Last minute for me meant months after all my seed orders arrived in the mail, but it was still in time to start seeds in peat pots 5/1 and set them out 5/15. If I direct sow them, the cucumber beetles sometimes damage the sprouts/seedlings beyond saving. Usually the squash vine borers kill the plants in late June/early July, but sometimes they survive quite a while. I've also grown them in succession about 3 weeks apart and that usually gives me a longer window because they don't all die at once, but it takes up more room than I like. The squash bugs make a mess out of things but aren't usually fatal- I really dislike dealing with them though because it's gross as well as time consuming to patrol every day and squish them and try to remove the eggs from all those leaves in the worst heat of summer. Saw the first eggs yesterday on some butternut leaves but haven't found any adults. Made the mistake of planting melon and watermelon too close to the trellised cucumbers and butternut squash and now I only have access to one side of the trellis, so I'm at their mercy this year, I guess. Depending on how bad it gets, next year I may buy butternuts.

Hope they don't find your squash!

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by Tormato

Back to this post. I forgot to mention one VERY important thing about vining squash. They can send down roots at the leaf nodes (if the vine is touching the ground at those nodes). So, moving vines might be almost impossible at times.

Hmmm, we shall see how that worked. For the most part the vines are growing on black Dewitt woven fabric, but I noticed they were rooting in the 4 inch square holes cut for the garlic in the outer reaches of the vine.

I found a few clusters of squash bug eggs and one entire vine turned yellow overnight so this is not as pest resistant as I had hoped.

My primary pollinator was Early Butternut Squash. The seeds were re-branded for a local garden center named Earl May. They were supposed to be bush with a moderate spread, but they vined like crazy. I also grew a single Hood River plant from old seed, but it was a weakling and I'm not sure if it producing. I haven't noticed any unusual characteristics in the immature squash resulting from the overcrowding. Aristocrat F1 and Gold Rush fill out the bed. A hybrid cantaloupe whose name escapes me know is off to the side.

I taste tested two steamed and buttered yellow squash varieties tonight; Yellow Crookneck and Gold Rush F1. The crookneck was full of seeds that needed scooping out and I vowed never to grow it again. The hybrid had few seeds in comparison which I deemed edible. I have only 2 crookneck while the hybrid is producing 20 fruit.
Flavor wise, the crookneck won hands down. Flavorful and sweet, a real treat for the first of the season.

.

[ac21686]

Anyone have a recommendation for a summer squash that comes close to Costata Romanesco in flavor but has a higher yield? Really love it, but the yield has been average to below average and the plants are massive.

[killab]

growing butternut,yokohama ,Chioggia'

only male flowers.....i have no idea what's going on this year,so frustrating

[Tormato]

Originally Posted by ac21686

Anyone have a recommendation for a summer squash that comes close to Costata Romanesco in flavor but has a higher yield? Really love it, but the yield has been average to below average and the plants are massive.

The plain and simple answer is...no.


The only recommendation, for that huge plant, low yield, AMAZING taste is...find more land.

[rxkeith]

i have a surprise in the squash dept.

my saved seeds of a yellow crook neck from 2010 evidently crossed with a couple other squash. it wasn't unexpected since i took no special measures to prevent cross pollination. what i have growing out of two hills, huge plants are the expected yellow crook neck, and also a light yellowish green zucchini type squash, and a short compact
yellowish green bumpy squash that makes me think it is crossed with a golden scallop squash going by shape. i picked a small one, and ate it right there. it tasted fine.
i may save seeds from the last type just to see what else develops it looks like it may be
fairly productive. of course further cross pollination may occur. i may have to think this one out a bit before proceeding.



keith

[Tormato]

Originally Posted by rxkeith

i have a surprise in the squash dept.

my saved seeds of a yellow crook neck from 2010 evidently crossed with a couple other squash. it wasn't unexpected since i took no special measures to prevent cross pollination. what i have growing out of two hills, huge plants are the expected yellow crook neck, and also a light yellowish green zucchini type squash, and a short compact
yellowish green bumpy squash that makes me think it is crossed with a golden scallop squash going by shape. i picked a small one, and ate it right there. it tasted fine.
i may save seeds from the last type just to see what else develops it looks like it may be
fairly productive. of course further cross pollination may occur. i may have to think this one out a bit before proceeding




keith

Save the seed. Later you can think it out.

[rxkeith]

wise advice there tomato.

the short hybrid squash i mentioned looks like a shower head in shape, yellow, and bumpy. the other hybrid yellow crook neck growing is more zucchini shaped. two days of rain, have pumped one squash to small water melon size. i'll save seeds from that one too, and think about it later. one plant is giving me the original yellow crook neck.



keith

[greenthumbomaha]

Tetsukabuto (F1) Hubbard Squash Seed was a giant vine as shown above, but I only see 4 fruits under the leaves.Its dying down now. I left the fruits on to get them a little darker, but they are turning dark greenish with golden specks. I just gave one away thus no photo atm, but I am wondering if it is getting over ripe. Is that possible?

Here's what we're growing, this year:

* Cushaw White (C. argyrosperma)
* Black Futsu (C. moschata)
* Patisson Golden Marbre (C. pepo)

Cushaw White is the clear winner. The plant grew enormous quickly and has four quite large fruits with at least one more fruit growing. Black Futsu has fruit, but they're very small and some don't look how they should). Patisson Golden Marbre has a big healthy-looking plant, but I'm still waiting on fruit, even though it's had female flowers for a long time.

It's a good thing Cushaw White is doing so awesomely. I used my very last seed (fortunately, it germinated). I tried to grow it on a previous year, but the corn and our neighbor's shed shaded it too much. This year it has full sun and lots of space (although it could have used more space had we not pruned it) I direct-seeded most of the seeds last time (squash don't have a 100% germination rate in our soil). This time, I started it in a foam cup in my unheated greenhouse. It also had black plastic this time.

[rxkeith]

one plant in my ingot hill is giving me a yellowish green lightly striped zucchini type squash. its either a hybrid or a stray seed i think.



keith

[rxkeith]

we are stuffing ourselves with winter squash.

yesterday, i baked a blue kuri, and a scarchucks supreme squash.
the scarchucks supreme was gone in about 5 minutes. flavor was outstanding.
i will have to grow more than one hill next year. we have six more to savor.
blue kuri was nearly consumed. flesh was flaky, and on the dry side, but good.

today i baked a gills hubbard or sugar hubbard, and a canada long neck squash.
the hubbard was good as always. i have grown this one in the past. this years plants
just did not do well this year, just not a good spot for some reason. the plants struggled, and never took off like before.
the canada long neck was nice and sweet, and moist. it will be back again next year.

i cut the squash in half, and put them face down on a sheet pan with some water in it,
and bake at 375 for about 45 minutes depending on size of the squash.
add some butter, and a little salt when they are done, and eat them.
ground cloves or nutmeg can be used too if you like.



keith

[greenthumbomaha]

I have so many seeds that I can't keep track of what I am growing, but I think I need to try what worked for you, Keith. Where did you get your seeds for scarchucks? I came up empty with google.

My best for tast and production was butternut, but there were two shapes from the same seed package. One was far larger and tastier than the other.

- Lisa

[Tormato]

After giving away all of my Scarchucks Supreme seed a few years ago, I haven't been able to find it either. My seed was old, and it would likely have crossed pollinated with other squash, so it was best to donate it to others. The vines are thick, making it fairly resistant to SVB, unlike all other pepos I've trialed.

[rxkeith]

My scarchucks supreme came from Sandhills preservation.
Glenn likes it too.



Keith