Volunteer squash is going crazy

[jmoore]

I tried to grow some squash last year but they were a colossal FAIL. This year one of the seeds decided to sprout and is growing well. I swear it grew 6" last night. I think it's gonna take over the entire center of my garden bed. Good thing we like squash.

The funny thing about this is the squash I planted last year was a mixed blend of seeds so I have no idea what kind of squash is growing. It's fun to go out in the morning and check out the growth. I'm interested to see what I get.

[DoubleDogFarm]

jmoore,

Are you saying this is a seed you planted last year and it wintered over

or it's a seed from one of the fruits from last year. If it's a seed from one of the fruits, hard to say what you have after cross pollination.

[jmoore]

Are you saying this is a seed you planted last year and it wintered over

That's exactly what I'm saying.

I planted maybe 6-8 different kinds of seeds, one sprouted, grew and died before it produced anything. No fruit.

I have no idea which one is growing now. Could be anything.

[hardland]

I tried to grow some squash last year but they were a colossal FAIL. This year one of the seeds decided to sprout and is growing well. I swear it grew 6" last night. I think it's gonna take over the entire center of my garden bed. Good thing we like squash.

The funny thing about this is the squash I planted last year was a mixed blend of seeds so I have no idea what kind of squash is growing. It's fun to go out in the morning and check out the growth. I'm interested to see what I get.

LOL, I go out in my garden in the morning and am amazed at the growth from the night before. I don't know, maybe these plants soak up the sun and water during the day, then grow at night. P.S I also have a son who seems to grow taht way to.

[DoubleDogFarm]

P.S I also have a son who seems to grow taht way to.

and you don't have to spread manure around his feet.

[Joyfirst]

I got bunch of volunteer squash this year and I have no idea, w hat kind of squash they are, because I just got this plot a few weeks ago. I let one grow too, just from curiosity.

[garden5]

Well, I highly doubt that you have a plant from a seed that was literally sown last year. What you have on your hands is probably a plant that is from the seeds from a rotted fruit of one of last year's plants. It kind of seems like the same thing, but you have to consider pollination issues as well.

Let us know when you find out what it is .

[jmoore]

Well, I highly doubt that you have a plant from a seed that was literally sown last year. What you have on your hands is probably a plant that is from the seeds from a rotted fruit of one of last year's plants. It kind of seems like the same thing, but you have to consider pollination issues as well.

Let us know when you find out what it is .

The plant from last year never produced any fruit. It grew to 6", produced one flower and promptly croaked.

Whatever it is, it's about to throw about a dozen flowers. It's growing like gangbusters. It's at least 12" longer than last week. Crazy.

The tomatos in the bed next to it, on the other hand

[rainbowgardener]

The only squash I got last year were the volunteers. I had a delicata and a butternut volunteer in front flower beds (from the compost I planted with) and they did great and I ate squash off them. All the zucchini I actually planted got vine borers and died...

[DoubleDogFarm]

rainbow,

Sense Delicata is a C. pepo and Butternut is a C. moschata there should have been no cross pollination. I was just curious, did you notice any changes in the fruit.

[rainbowgardener]

Nope!

There couldn't have been any cross pollination, because I didn't grow those squashes the year before, I just ATE them (from the local CSA farm). So the seeds were in the compost and sprouted when I planted things with compost.

So then last year I grew out the squashes from the volunteers, so if I get more volunteers this year, IF they cross pollinated each other (as you point out different species and they were in different flower beds) there could be hybrids. But I've gotten better at getting my compost pile to heat up both last year and this year, so I don't seem to be getting volunteer squash and tomatoes popping up from it (so far any way). Too bad ... I liked the volunteers!

[DoubleDogFarm]

[jmoore]

Two blooms starting to open this morning.

Now, I just need some pollinators to swing by.

[gixxerific]

You could always hand pollinate them jmoore.

I have pulled a few squash/melon volunteers they are everywhere. I will leave a few though just to see what they are.

[DoubleDogFarm]

You have to make the buzzing sound as you do it.

[jmoore]

You have to make the buzzing sound as you do it.

As long as the buzzing sound can be a margarita machine, I'm golden.

PS - I'm an expert in hand pollination. My cukes had to be babied a lot last year to get any yield.

[DoubleDogFarm]

I didn't say you had to get a buzz while doing it.

I personal like the home brew.