Squash?

[jal_ut]

[wysteriangnome]

nice

[DoubleDogFarm]

How much per pound James

Eric

[TheWaterbug]

Nice!

I went Kabocha hunting this morning, and I found 11:

It's about twice what I was expecting to find, as a lot of these were sitting under vines, leaves, other plants, etc.

Two of them have split open, and a lot of them have warts and holes in the bottom where the pillbugs have eaten them, but they're probably all still edible.

The Hubbard I harvested a while ago, and it's been sitting outside ever since. I should probably eat it.

But that one "hill" of Kabochas (I think I culled down to three plants) has produced 15 squash, so I'm pretty happy with it. Most of the vine has died off, but there are still some green bits, and I think I saw a couple of baby squash as well. I'll definitely plant Kabochas again next year.

Not shown are 6-7 Butternuts I got from a single vine.

[DoubleDogFarm]

They look good Waterbug. I have Kabocha almost ready too. Mine have teeth marks from voles. I'll take some pictures soon.

Eric

[jal_ut]

How much per pound James

Eric

Good question. I haven't sold any yet, but will take some to market this weekend. I am thinking about
$0.35 a pound for the big ones. I can't sell by the pound at market, but can weigh them at home and put a per piece price on them.

Now butternut is $0.89 in the local store. Most of mine weigh 6 to 8 pounds. Would anyone pay $5.00 for a butternut?

[DoubleDogFarm]

How much per pound James

Eric

Good question. I haven't sold any yet, but will take some to market this weekend. I am thinking about
$0.35 a pound for the big ones. I can't sell by the pound at market, but can weigh them at home and put a per piece price on them.

Now butternut is $0.89 in the local store. Most of mine weigh 6 to 8 pounds. Would anyone pay $5.00 for a butternut?

This is one of the reasons I'm no longer a vendor, but I may setup a Farm stand next Spring.

@.89 per pound those 6-8 pounders would be $5.34 to $7.12 Customers that support local food have no problem with such prices. Those that don't care and compare to grocery store foo produce would not. Local, fresh and vine ripe is worth a premium.

@.35 a 10 pounder only sells for $3.50. I say hardly worth the gas / time. You say it's a social event but sheesh.

Eric

[jal_ut]

When I said big ones, I meant the Banana and Hubbard. They make you work to pick them up.

My wife said, start high and see if they sell. Nothing wrong with that logic.

[imafan26]

Those prices are terrific. You should see what I pay for groceries here. It is shocking!

[jal_ut]

Well...... some of my squash sold at those prices. I even sold two of those very large yellow crookneck. I don't know if the guy wanted them for decorations or what , but he took them. Then someone wanted a large zucchini, and I had not tossed one in the truck. Oh well, can't win em all.

[jal_ut]

TheWaterbug, let me know how the flavor of those kabocha is OK?

I grew some Red Kuri, and was frankly disappointed. Small size and not much flavor.

[digitS']

I was happy with Cha Cha kabocha (& loved the name ), however, it barely had time to ripen before frost here. It seems odd that another C. maxima, Burgess Buttercup, ripens every year for me.

This has been the worse year for winter squash that I can remember and it is the fault of a difficult June and a more difficult rabbit! Or, it may be a marmot & a rabbit. The neighbor said he saw a marmot in the garden but I am certain he is far more tolerant of the bunnies to even mention them!

The only buttercups I have this year came back from near death and grew amongst the zucchini I set out in their space in July. The rabbits had other things to eat by then altho' they had polished off nearly all the cabbage by that time - outside beds and tolerant neighbors, what can you do??

The pumpkins grew fine! Yeah. Left them alone.

The larger ones are selling for $8 at the soopermarket but we had $4 & $5 on them at the market the last couple of times. Sold a few.

Farmers' market produce should NOT sell for less than what is at a soopermarket! Yes, you can have the customer who says (or thinks), "Well, it's the farmer. He has eliminated the middle man. So, the prices should be much, much lower." Well, sure - except the poor sap has spent all that time transporting and processing the produce in his backyard. (Not much time processing a pumpkin but compare that with leaf lettuce .) Then, there he is down under a flimsy canopy spending a day trying to sell it.

The pumpkins aren't but all of our food crops are organic (albeit, uncertified). Those organic fertilizers and sprays are expensive! Further, compare dragging a sprayer behind a tractor thru killing the weeds to spending hours out there with a rototiller or hoe.

You get a few vendors that show up on a "lark." They just have a lot of something or other and figure their half truck load of sweet corn or whatever, can go for most anything at all. A little cash is better than nothing. Those vendors don't belong in a market where people are making a commitment to growing month after month, year after year. Those carefree spirits are vendors almost from an earlier time, however. These days, people are doing their best growing and selling locally and in need of support.

Now, after many years under the sun (& canopy), I will climb down off my soapbox . . .

Steve

[DoubleDogFarm]

You get a few vendors that show up on a "lark." They just have a lot of something or other and figure their half truck load of sweet corn or whatever, can go for most anything at all. A little cash is better than nothing. Those vendors don't belong in a market where people are making a commitment to growing month after month, year after year. Those carefree spirits are vendors almost from an earlier time, however. These days, people are doing their best growing and selling locally and in need of support.

I will call this reason number 2, 3 and 4. I gave the Farmers Market about a 3 year shot. One season my mother died and we had to get Dad situated.

Customers have their favorite vendor and about $20.00 in their pocket. Pastries / pizza and coffee get about half of that $20.00. So the reliable vendor with the biggest splash gets the rest. A new "Farmer" has to work very hard to gain loyal customers.

I sold Spring vegetable starts. The season would start out slow, build up then crash. The Fall starts really never took off. The first year I sold them at $1.50 4" pot. Second year @ $2.00 and the last back to $1.50. Competition the last year was everywhere. Doit Best, Ace Hardware, both grocery stores and some of the market vendors all sold seedlings.

Eric

[wysteriangnome]

You have all made me hungry for squash with butter, salt & pepper! Your veggies look great.

I might try growing a bunch next spring/summer. We had good luck with watermelon here, and I think this is a good area for it. Southern Cali., towards the desert, zone 7, I believe.

And I just ate 'cheesy bread' Squash would have been so much better for the diet & health! Wish we had a good outdoor market close by.

[DoubleDogFarm]

I had to double check. I'm growing Burgess Buttercup recommended by Carol Deppe.


Eric

[jal_ut]

Farmers' market produce should NOT sell for less than what is at a soopermarket!

I agree!

I have been attending the local market for several years now and have actually built a client base. People come specifically to buy from me. Interesting how that happens.

I don't dicker. Put a price on it and if they want it they can pay the price. Generally, my prices are about the same or a little higher than supermarket prices. I can't sell by the pound as I don't have a certified scale, required legally, but I can weigh things like squash at home and decide from the weight what price I will put on it. They go to the market priced "Each", never by the pound.

I joined the local market as a venue for my honey, and the produce makes enough weekly to fill the gas tank. Veggies have never made enough to warrant my time spent at market, let alone time and effort to grow it.. If it were just for veggies, I would not attend the market. I'd rather give it to the food bank.

I grow a big garden for myself and family, however it always produces much more than we need so there is excess.

[DoubleDogFarm]

I harvested 45 squashes today and 3 or 4 earlier, from 4 plants. Average of about 12 fruit per plant. That's a lot of food from a small space.



Shape wise, some look like zucchini and some spaghetti. I'm not positive until I cut them open. Zucchini types are more solid and the winters are stringy centered.

Eric

[jal_ut]

Quite an impressive array of hybrid squashes there DD.

[wysteriangnome]

Beautiful garden veggies!

[digitS']

These are something new for me:



They are Marina De Chioggia squash and I had them and an Autumn Crown squash in with the pumpkins. They may have "hunkered down" to avoid being seen by the rabbit. I don't know but the pumpkins nearly buried the squash vines!

I hope they are fully mature but guess there's only one way to find out.

Steve

[DoubleDogFarm]

They look good Steve. A perfect size too. Three like that are much easier to deal with than one huge squash.



Eric

[jal_ut]

I haven't seen Marina De Chioggia. Interesting looking and a good size.

[digitS']

Here is Jung's story on Autumn Crown, (Link).

There were only 2 on their "shorter vine." The fruits were about the same size as the smaller Marina De Chioggia (I'm never gonna remember how to spell that!).

It really wasn't a kind thing to put them in with the pumpkins but those Halloween guys just had a very good year. (I wish pumpkins were as good to eat & as good in pie as winter squash . . . shhhh . . .)

Steve

[mhannum]

Wow - that is quite a collection of squash! Nicely done!

[DoubleDogFarm]

More squash. I believe they are Burgess Buttercup



Eric

[digitS']

I believe they are too, Eric.

They sure look fine!

Where will they go now, in all that moisture that you have to deal with? James and I may have it easy with the dryness. Things are not perfect in my basement for squash. Dahlia roots, it's okay down there but a little too warm for squash, I guess. But, that is temperature. It seems like you would have both warmer temperatures and higher humidity to contend with.

Steve

[DoubleDogFarm]

According to Carol Deppe, Pepo squash should cure in a warm area for one to two weeks and Maxima for a month. Her favorite squash, Sweet Meat, is not eaten until Thanksgiving and later. She has her squash all throughout the house.

She classifies Pepo as Fall squash and Maxima as Winter.

Here is a interview with Carol. You have to wait until about the 7 minute mark to hear her.
https://digthisdigthat.blogspot.com/2011 ... rview.html

Eric

[jal_ut]

I joined the local Gardener's market to sell my honey. It has been a great outlet for selling honey. I do take some garden produce each week and the produce makes me enough to fill the gas tank. So I guess it is worth it. However, if it were just for the produce, it would not be worth my time. I would rather give excess to a charity.

[jal_ut]

That's a lot of food from a small space.

DDF

Yes, one can surely get a lot of food from a squash patch.The winter types keep quite well too so you can be eating squash into next year.

[jal_ut]

These are landrace squash. (Hybrids)

[digitS']

I may become a "one from column A, one from column B . . ." squash gardener. I'm happy enough with open-pollinated squash and would be willing to save seeds. However, my neighbor taught me a lesson about squashes mixing.

A problem might be saving summer squash seed since zucchini and others are Cucurbita pepo. And, so are jack o'lantern pumpkins! Yeah, the neighbor allowed some volunteers to survive, found them inedible and left the fruit in the garden. We shared the same "tractor guy" the next year and I had his volunteers all over my garden - including in my squash patch! I mean, the things were like gourds!!!

So, I maybe I should grow Cushaw pumpkins instead of jack o'lantern pumpkins . If I got the story right, these are pumpkins that you would find in a can. They are C. argyrosperma not C. pepo.

Or . . .

Johnny's sells Long Island Cheese Pumpkin seed. It is a Cucurbita moschata. The other story is that canned pumpkin is from one of these! My zucchini seed would be safe but the butternut and spaghetti squash (both C. moschata) would be in danger of the cheese pumpkin "jumping the fence."



Steve

[DoubleDogFarm]

Spaghetti is a Pepo.

Dickinson field pumpkin - 'Libby's Select' uses the Select Dickinson Pumpkin varity of C. moschata for its canned pumpkins


Eric

[digitS']

Spaghetti is a Pepo. . . .

Eric

Ah ha! I should have checked

Steve

[jal_ut]

My son planted a variety of C. maxima squashes. Every variety he could come up with, then saved seeds. The next year he had a bountiful harvest, they had hybrid vigor, but the variety in size shape and color was fantastic. Yet, they are still all squash.

[digitS']

There you go, James!

That is kind of the reverse of my thinking! Everything from Column A!

Maybe I need to reconsider . . .

Steve

[DoubleDogFarm]

[quote="jal_ut"]My son planted a variety of C. maxima squashes. Every variety he could come up with, then saved seeds. The next year he had a bountiful harvest, they had hybrid vigor, but the variety in size shape and color was fantastic. Yet, they are still all squash.


James I like It. I see a lot of C maxima open pollinated seed on Ebay. Did your son start out with a mixture of hybrids and OP?

You have me thinking, I don't like summer squash and most C pepo, so why not a landrace of C. maxima.

Eric

[jal_ut]

Eric, I just had a Butternut squash foe dinner last night. Hard to beat their flavor. I do like Banana and Hubbard squash too. I have some seed for a Banana Hubbard cross, and that squash is excellent.

Here is a picture, the squash in the middle is the hybrid.

[jal_ut]

A problem might be saving summer squash seed since zucchini and others are Cucurbita pepo. And, so are jack o'lantern pumpkins!

If only one variety of C pepo is grown, you can save seed and it will be true to form, however squash grown and open pollinated will freely cross with other varieties within the same species. If you then save seed it is very likely the next years crop will be hybrids and the fruit will be different than either parent. It will still be squash. Squash is usually pollinated by bees/insects, and they spread the pollen around.

Same goes for C maxima. Though C maxima won't cross with C pepo.

If you really want squash true to type and you grow more than one variety of the same species it is best to buy new seed each year.

[DoubleDogFarm]

"hybrid vigor" coined by Charles Darwin 1800s


I read your son's article in Mother Earth News on TPS. Does he have a write up on Maxima squash?

Although Garden City Seeds is committed to breeding new OP varieties and making them available to gardeners, Navazio values certain hybrids, too, for what he calls their "resiliency and instant adaptability." The difference between hybrid and OP vigor, he says, appears most strikingly in specific regions of the country like the Pacific and Mountain states and northern New England, where early-season cold snaps can slow the growth of heat-loving vegetables. In such conditions, many OPs will go into a "holding pattern," but the increased vigor of hybrids helps them grow through the unseasonable weather

https://www.garden.org/subchannels/care/ ... 293&page=3

Eric

[jal_ut]

I don't know for sure. Have you seen his page?

Click