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Cola82
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Butternut squash--is this kind of diversity normal?

So this is kind of an update to my butternut squash filled with germinating seeds post.

They got big! Real big! I kept two and gave the rest away, but I've noticed something very strange about my twins: they are nothing alike. I keep them separated, just in case one gets sick.

Plant A is a big sprawling vine with lots of those curly little tendrils sticking out looking for something to grab.

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Plant B is a dense bush with no curly little tendrils. I water it less because the shade of the leaves prevents it drying out as fast.

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So is this normal? Do plants from the same source sometimes just do this? Or is this a sign that my supermarket butternut squash was a hybrid? I appreciate your thoughts.

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rainbowgardener
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Almost all supermarket produce are hybrid varieties, bred for long shelf life, etc. And yes, when you grow out seeds from hybrid varieties, that kind of diversity is normal. Your two plants are no more or less alike genetically than the average brother and sister.

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Cola82
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I know, I asked because I was led to believe there was a good chance it wasn't a hybrid, but I figured this was a poor omen. You've confirmed my suspicions.

Welp, we'll see what happens. I'll get edible flowers, if nothing else.

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rainbowgardener
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You will get squash, just may not be exactly the same as the squash the seeds came from.

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Cola82
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Indeed, and here's the first one! Pretty dern excited to see this little guy.

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applestar
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That's actually a girl.... :P :()

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jal_ut
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Here is an example of what hybridizing may do. On the left a Hubbard, on the right a Banana, and in the middle a cross between the two. Yes, its all squash and all was good eating, but the hybrid had some characteristics of both of its parents.

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Cola82
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Pfft, Applestar, girls can be guys. Gotta get hip with the kids. ;p

So far it looks a lot like a traditional butternut squash, Jal Ut, so I'm anxious to see how it differs from the parent. The parent was hardly the best squash we'd ever bought, but it was also out of season, so hopefully it was hybridized for shelf life or something and I'll still get a good flavor out of it.

The best butternut squash I've had came out of my grandma's garden.

tomc
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My experience on getting hybrid butternut squash is very colored by where I shopped. So I have to allow that what has been true for me, may be less so for others. But in fifty years of buying butternut squash east of the missippii I never ever got a hybrid one.

Waltham is what everybody grew...

TZ -OH6
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There are hybrids and then there are cross pollinated seeds. I expect that the hybrid variety that made the fruit is butternut-type x butternut-type, but there might be other varieties grown on the farm which would result in bush-type x long vine.

A couple of years ago I planted seeds from a grocery store spaghetti squash and got modified acorn type and normal spaghetti type.

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Cola82
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Genes are fascinating.

...well, science is fascinating. I mean really, the whole big cosmic experiment is pretty awesome, at its core.

But also just how things grow.

I'm really glad I kept two of these. If I'd kept one I would have probably just assumed it was true to the parent plant and never really thought about it.

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Cola82
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It opened today!

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And attracted friends!

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And there's more.
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:D

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ReptileAddiction
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Your plants look awesome! How big of containers are you growing them in and how often do you water?

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Cola82
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Thank you, I hope they stay that way. I read that they would be fine in five gallon containers, but these are bigger than that. I'm not exactly sure. Opinions differ widely, of course, so I know I'm taking a bit of a risk.

I water daily, because the temperatures have been between 80F and 95F since June. I watch it closely (and I've drilled holes in the caddy it sits on) and stop watering when it starts to drain out the bottom. I've mulched it, too. On the rare day it has dipped below 75F, I don't water.

On the bushier plant, I water every other day. It shades the soil in the pot and holds on to water better.

ETA: I also created a tower from 8' stakes that I've reinforced at the base with scrap wood from a shipping palette. I needed to get it off the ground. Circulation and bugs aside, I kept stepping on it.

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applestar
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Looking good! Love the photos you took :D

Be sure to make them nice slings from old pantyhose or nylon tights something and do what's needed to keep the tower from toppling in windy weather or if it gets too top heavy.

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jal_ut
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Looking good. Love to see the bee visit.

I have never grown squash in a container. I do know the roots go quite far and wide when grown in the ground. 8 to ten gallon pot would not hurt a thing. Even at that, you will likely need to water frequently.

Best of luck.

imafan26
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Waltham is the best tasting and it is a vine. But there is a butterbush variety that is more compact, the vines only go out about 6 ft. The fruit is usually smaller than the waltham.

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Cola82
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Jal: yeah, I do have to water frequently. The pot does not hold much unless I want to drown the roots. I'm going to do raised beds next year.

That poor little bee! She kept coming back all day, but the flower had wilted in the afternoon heat and she kept buzzing around it like mad, going to the nasturtiums and back, but she'd gotten what she could off of those, too. I felt so sorry for her. I mean, maybe there were more bees, but I only ever saw one at a time.

Iamafan: that is an exciting thought. I'm going to look into it. :D

ETA: Applestar, I'm glad I never throw out old stockings! I keep thinking I'll find a use for them. ;p

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bryce d
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my kid hates every thing but he loves butternut squash. So we planted four plants. Let us know how they do because I have no Idea when to harvest them.

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Gary350
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My experience with butternut squash grown from seeds harvested from a grocery store butternut squash is, they grow great squash.

I planted 4 plants about 5 years ago they took over the whole garden with 30 ft long vines in all directions. I pulled up all the plants but one. That one plant made 21 butternut squash on a 30 ft long vine. The long vine was hard to deal with.

We ate the squash and they were good.

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TheWaterbug
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jal_ut wrote:Looking good. Love to see the bee visit.
Here's a little pollinator, doing his job:

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and here's a big black bumblebee pollinating my pumpkins a few years ago (click for YouTube):

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