Spaghetti Squash

[MuddyBuckets]

Zone 7b - Piedmont North Carolina.This season I started seeds, potted up and planted 6 fairly large and robust spaghetti squash. Vines grew well and are now quite large with NO flowers or any fruit set. They were well watered and fertilized twice. We had a wet spring and a hot 30 days of 90+ in late June.

Any pointers or suggestions on how to get production from a spaghetti squash is appreciated. Is it really worth the effort?

[Worth1]

May be the hot weather but I am no expert.
I wish I could help more.

[GoDawgs]

That's strange. I've grown spaghetti squash for about six years now and haven't run into that problem. Mine are a smaller version called Small Wonder. One is good for two people, a half for each. But variety size shouldn't have any bearing on this situation.

I can understand the heat interfering with fruit set but June is long gone and you should have had some by now.

What variety are you growing and what's the DTM?

[MuddyBuckets]

These were saved seeds from store bought spaghetti squash so no clue as to type and DTM. They sprouted quickly and were planted 2 per hill.

[upcountrygirl]

Did you grow any other kind of squash? If so, what were your results with them? I'm a lil further south of you. No one I know around here had a good garden. Temperature too high and no rain. I also noticed less pollinators during that time...

[MuddyBuckets]

Countrygirl
Did not grow any other squash, garden overall this season has been less than productive, cukes pooped out (too wet, too hot, too dry...), okra tall and spindly (6 varieties), tomatoes were ok on the sun gold and black cherry but slicing tomatoes were a disaster, hot peppers (usually flourishing) had a spurt of production, remained small plants but very slow to ripen, eggplant...3 off of three plants...not exactly productive, tomatillos had lots of flowers but very few setting fruit. The good news is I had much fewer pests this season since using neem oil and sevin on a regular basis. Garden is raised beds and containers and neither seemed better this season.

[tryno12]

Can't get any Zuccini to set fruit here in Indy for a couple yrs - gave up!
Pete

[Worth1]

Story has it Napoleon used spaghetti squash in his cannon.

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by MuddyBuckets

These were saved seeds from store bought spaghetti squash so no clue as to type and DTM. They sprouted quickly and were planted 2 per hill.

I'm wondering if that's the problem if what you bought was a hybrid spaghetti squash. It's just a guess but I have a bunch that most veggies we buy at a regular grocery store are hybrid. They won't grow true to type.

The Small Wonder I grow is a hybrid because I can't find a dwarf variety that is OP. I've always wondered what I'd get if I planted the seed but haven't wanted to give up garden space to try.

[brownrexx]

If you are using Neem and Sevin on a regular basis, maybe you are killing your pollinators. They are not selective insecticides.

[upcountrygirl]

My next thoughts are what godawgs said. Also brownrexx has good points, too. I'm noticing more pollinators around here now that the dot hasn't sprayed in a while. If you really want spaghetti squash maybe you could do some research for next garden season and buy the seeds. Also you maybe could test the soil in your beds and containers.. squash is usually one of the easier crops to grow for us...

[MuddyBuckets]

All good points to consider. Anyone willing to swap some successful spaghetti squash seeds for some Aleppo pepper, bishops cap and/or sugar rush pepper seeds. If so PM me and we can exchange addresses.

[greenthumbomaha]

Squash seeds cross easily, so be aware of this if you are trading either as the sender or recipient. Virtually every big box and hardware has a generous package on the seed rack for under $2 a pack.

I grew a hybrid called Orangetti (SP). It is high in beta carotene. Production is very low though, which is still enough for me + a share. Will not be restocking the seed. Regular will be fine for my one meal per year.

- Lisa