Winter squash for smaller gardens?

[applestar]

Next year's winter squash rotation is Haybale Row -- approxmately 3 ft x 18 ft bed. I could also grow some in one of the the VG beds but they are only 4x6. So I definitely need short and productive. But not necessarily small-fruited.

I won't grow hybrids unless they are exceptional and seeds are good eating, too.

I need short season/early maturing less than 90 days for C.pepo and C.maxima varieties because SVB's will be too much after that. So any variety that only eeks out 2 fruits under best conditions and takes 100 days or longer can't be considered for next year.

I'm also looking for productive, shorter season, cooler summer tolerant C.moschata varieties.

Flavor prefs -- Sweet, nutty or rich. Definitely not bland, spicy or musky

Right now, I'm thinking

Sweet REBA 90d
Acorn Winter Squash - C.pepo

Blue Hokkaido Squash 95-110d
(also known as Blue Kuri)
Kabocha Winter Squash - C.maxima

? Sibley 100d - 110d <-- longer seems more likely
Banana Winter Squash - C.maxima

Uncle David’s Dakota Dessert 95d
Buttercup/Kabocha Winter Squash - C.maxima

Burpee’s Butterbush 87d
Butternut Winter Squash - C.moschata

...or Nutterbutter 90d
https://www.highmowingseeds.com/organic- ... quash.html
Butternut Winter Squash - C.moschata

...what do you think?

[jal_ut]

Hmmmm, all the winter squash I have grown had big long vines that never quit growing until frost. They can get humongous, run up to 20 feet or more and climb fences and trees. Yes, you can lop them off at a reasonable length and after they have some blooms on.
The vines put down more roots at the leaf nodes. You can encourage this rooting by putting a bit of soil over the vines at the leaf nodes.
I like the Banana and Hubbard types. The fruit do get large.
You say your bed is 18 feet long? I would just put a seed about every 8 inches in a row and stand back. Let it do its thing.

[Taiji]

Hmmm. I forgot about Butterbush squash. Now that you mention it, I think I'll try some next year. I have never grown it yet. Territorial seed co. lists maturation at about 75 to 85 days. Also, maybe you get 4 or 5 squash per plant. My usual harvest with regular butternut is 2 nice big fruits per plant, then near the end of the season it tries to put on one more. Sometimes the 3rd one makes it!

I might be able to actually walk thru my garden with a bush type squash. That would be nice!

Butternut squash makes the best "pumpkin" pie too, in mho!

[pepperhead212]

I was not impressed with the butterbush when I grew it many years ago. I only got 2 squash on most plants, and 3 on one, so I figured that I'd have to plant more of them over about the same space of the regular varieties to get the same amount of squash! It was a little earlier, but not much, and I don't recall the seed quantity.

One year I grew nutterbutter, and, while it was touted as having a powdery mildew resistance, I had problems with this, while the Seminole Pumpkin right next to it didn't get it on a single leaf! Don't recall other things about it, since I never planted it again.

Heads up about Renee’s Baby Butternut - the vines are not short, it's the squash that are small. Wanted to tell you, in case you saw that.

Last year I planted 2 Polaris and 2 Crookneck butternuts, and I got around 30 squash, but they were spread out over a large area. The crooknecks were up to 18 lbs., which was a little too big for me! This year, I grew polaris and Canada Crookneck, which are just over 2 lbs, and there are at least as many out there as last year, with a bunch more forming. The Canada Crooknecks vines are long, however.

[digitS']

The Uncle David’s Dakota Dessert sounds interesting.

I've grown Burgess Buttercup for probably 30+ seasons. Maturing winter squash seems to be a problem here and storage isn't ideal but I always have buttercup right through the holidays and into January.

Acorn used to do fine in my garden; then I moved. For some reason, they would develop an off-flavor in my new gardens. I tried 3 different acorn varieties and gave up on them, never able to come up with a reason for the flavor problem.

Anyway, this is my 2nd year for trying a bush buttercup. Last year, it was Bitterroot Buttercup. Heck's Fire! I can essentially see the Bitterroot Mountains from my garden ... okay, I have to look past the Coeur d'Alene Range ... neither variety of the bush buttercup plants have done well. I'm sticking with the Burgess but that Uncle David's looks interesting!

Sweet Meat is also in my garden this year. Those vines are everywhere!!

Steve

[imafan26]

I have grown butterbush. It does not have good disease resistance and the flavor was not as good as Waltham butternut. I have grown buttercup and Table Queen. Both were good Table Queen is a bush acorn squash so it does not take up as much space as the vines. Table Gold is another one that is supposed to be sweeter but I have not tried it. Table queen is best once it turns color.

[jal_ut]

Squash vines get huge,as mentioned, and crawl all over.

[applestar]

When the rotation puts them back in a bigger bed, I want to try this one. One reviewer said the vines grew 30 + feet.

Greek Sweet Red Squash | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
https://www.rareseeds.com/greek-sweet-red-squash/

(C. moschata) 95 days Here is one delicious squash; the long-necked, reddish-tan fruit are filled with sweet, deep orange flesh that's richly flavored. This was the most popular squash here at Baker Creek in 2004! Attractive, large vines are highly productive. It is very resistant to squash beetles, too! This variety is super-rare, and I believe we are the only source.

...how does Polaris butternut taste? I'm leery of "market" varieties that grow "uniform" and "good looking" fruits....