Winter Squash Variety???

[MaryDel]

[img]https://i769.photobucket.com/albums/xx337/Flatfeesh/DSCN1299_zps7daea76b.jpg[/img]



Does anyone know what type of squash this is? I bought five or six types of winter squash seeds last winter and don't remember buying this one. It looks like a green butternut on steroids

[applestar]

Does the vine and leaf petioles have solid stems? It looks kind of like a C. moschata type that I'm thinking of growing next spring called Naple's Long. There's one other similar variety with a different name in Italian. I,ll see if Ai can find it.

[jal_ut]

Long of Naples

[applestar]

That's the name! Sorry

[MaryDel]

Thanks for the info.

I got a few bigger than this, but from what I've now read these things get giant.


I always plant my winter squash around mid-July. Getting a late crop is the only way I have been able to grow most here with the hot climate. Butternuts always did well but I find I don't like them until a light frost hits them.

I find I have to plant varieties like Hubbard in the shade of corn or tall tomatoes to even get fruits.

[jal_ut]

I can only use a small amount of winter squash since there is just two of us. I have also found that not many people want to buy a large squash. I have decided that next year I will only plant acorn, delicata and butternut.

Now if you want to grow it for the thrill of getting a huge squash, go for it.

[MaryDel]

I get 3 or 4 hubbards every fall, process them and freeze them. They are not as good as fresh, but close.

[DoubleDogFarm]

James,

For a little different color and taste you may want to add Red Kuri and Carnival.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Vegetables%20and%20%20Fruits/Wintersquash002_zpsbae70ec1.jpg[/img]

I personal like the small single or two servings size squash. I believe they have more flavor less watered down.

Eric

[gixxerific]

Plus less waste but the compst pile never complains.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Plus less waste but the compost pile never complains.

No waste. Ducks love cooked squash, seed cavity and skin.

Eric

[gixxerific]

Either way Eric you are good to go.

[jal_ut]

Eric, I am going to assume you grew those red ones? Did you have any other C. maximas growing on your plot? If not you could sell seed like crazy. If you had other maximas they would be crossed and the seed not worth much.

I am first in line for some seed if you tell me they are not crossed.

[Tonio]

oooh, red kuri- I finally got to taste one- yuuummy, nice size for 2. Saved all the seeds, and bought some blue kuri. They are essentially hubbards right? How many fruit per vine, are they huge plants?

Those carnivals look interesting.

More flavor- less watered down, just right for my soil

[DoubleDogFarm]

Eric, I am going to assume you grew those red ones? Did you have any other C. maximas growing on your plot? If not you could sell seed like crazy. If you had other maximas they would be crossed and the seed not worth much.

I am first in line for some seed if you tell me they are not crossed.

Sorry James. They are most likely tainted. 2012 I grew Scarlet Kabocha "Sunshine", Hubbard "Red Kuri and Buttercup "Burgess strain" All three are C. maxima.

Acorn "Jester" and Sweet Dumpling "Carnival" are both C. pepo and most likely have crossed.

Eric

[DoubleDogFarm]

oooh, red kuri- I finally got to taste one- yuuummy, nice size for 2. Saved all the seeds, and bought some blue kuri. They are essentially hubbards right? How many fruit per vine, are they huge plants?

Those carnivals look interesting.

More flavor- less watered down, just right for my soil

Johnny's Selected seed has Red kuri at 2 to 3 fruit per plant. Even with my poorly prepped soil and growing among the corn, had 2 per plant.

Eric

[Tonio]

Thanks Eric, I'll be planning them in for next year !!

Time to clear out the perrenial bed and amend for squash.

T

[jal_ut]

I may have posted this photo elsewhere, but here is a classic example of crossed squash. On the left a Hubbard, on the right a Banana, and in the middle a cross of the two. The seed of the cross was saved last season from a Hubbard. I had the two maximas growing last year.

[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/squash3.jpg[/img]

You can save seed from squash and it will usually grow, but unless you can isolate it from other varieties of the same species, you never know what it will produce. This is why it is a risk to save seed from any squash you buy at a store or market, as you can't tell what it was grown close to. It is likely a cross if the farmer had more than one variety in his fields. Some tell me it takes over half a mile from other squash to really be isolated as the bees will fly up to a mile easily, and the nature of bees is to be pretty species loyal. IOW a bee working squash will only work squash.

I have only been growing one C. moschata, the Butternut, and I save seeds from those. They come true to form.

I grew several pepos and maximas this year, so the only seed I am saving is the Butternut again.

I had to pay a premium for maxima pumpkin seeds this spring. Next year, I am tempted to just grow one maxima, the pumpkin, and plan on selling the seeds.

Now I am torn, because it may be better to go for the Red Kuri. It seems many seed places are out of stock on that one.

[Tonio]

Well noted James. I only have room for 1 squash variety, so hopefully will see between the store bought red, and purchased seed from the blue.