Black River
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Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:01 pm
Location: NE Arkansas

Volunteer squash seedlings

My wife said we have what looks like squash seedlings coming up where we previously had a compost pile. I know they could be squash or cucumber, and I believe I saw a potato or two coming up! :P

I'll bet they are some winter squash seed we threw out early last winter, I had only about two small squash, I think they were Golden Delicious, and my wife cut up and baked the larger of the two. They were round, about the size of a vollyball, and were green speckled at first, but turned orange like a pumpkin before we ate them. It was my first time to ever try winter squash, and boy they were good, it reminded me a little of a baked potato but slightly sweet....I'll definitely be planting more this year!

Should I just let them grow where they are, or try to transplant them to the garden....I would think they'd be in the best place just leaving them as they are, should be very fertile soil....Do volunteer plants usually do well?

Black River
Full Member
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:01 pm
Location: NE Arkansas

Looking around the net, I found a site with pics of the squash I had. Looks like it was a New England Sugar Pie....so I guess these are actually a pumpkin?

https://www.dinnergarden.org/fallProduce.html

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

If they happen to volunteer in a place with good conditions for them, they can do excellent. My compost pile always sprouts squashes, but it is in the shade, so they don't do well there. But I have had squash volunteer in flower beds (when I planted things with compost in the planting hole) and they have done great there. Sometimes my best squash are the flower bed ones. Being in the middle of all the flowers seems to help protect them from the squash vine borers.

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jal_ut
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Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Volunteer squash will grow just fine if in a sunny location. If you only had the one variety last year, they will likely come true to form. Squash tend to hybridize if you have several varieties and then next year the fruits can look much different. They may or may not taste good. I don't let volunteer squash grow here because I grow so many varieties, they would never come true to form.

There are a couple of exceptions to the hybrid thing. Butternut, and Blue Hubbard are each in a different genus and don't cross with pumpkins and summer squash, nor each other. I keep seed from these varieties and they come true. Still a volunteer is a risk. You have no way of knowing from whence it came.

Squash can be trans planted when small. If you want to move it, do it soon. Larger plants will not move well.



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