Topic: seedless squash

[shirlton]

When we cleared the squash plants we found a squash that was the same colour as butternut about 2/3rds the sive but shaped a bit like an acorn. Cut it up yesterday to use in some soup and to my surprise there were no seeds. Wish I had known the plant it had come off but Tony had cleared them all out before I saw it. Did smell and taste like a butternut.

[amphibian]

A seedless squash would be a very useful thing, if only there were some way to propagate it.

[shirlton]

We have eaten it now and we are still alive. I did think it very strange. Someone gave me a couple of cobnut butternut and had wondered if it was one of those

[amphibian]

I suppose if a tetraploid and a diploid squash had crossed, the resulting seed may be triploid and therefore might produce seedless fruit, much like a banana. Or the fruit may have been parthenocarpic like a navel orange, I think this does happen in squash sometimes, lots of plants can produce parthenocarpic fruit.

[shirlton]

Sorry Pet but you have lost me with them big words ;D

[1066]

me too! So I looked up parthenocarpic - and according to wikki  ::)  it's virgin fruit i.e. fruit without seeds  8)

[plainleaf2]

getting a seed less squash is not uncommon.
Most of all female squash varieties like this.
Even in bi gender squash plant it happen from time to time.
As for seedless  it is also not uncommon to get immature/nonviable  seeds in ripe squash.

[Chrispy]

I've grown a seedless squash a few years back, the fruit was small so was not supprised, just thought that the small ones did not have seeds, although I have a number of small ones this year, and I think they are going to be full of seeds.

[shirlton]

Thankyou for all your replies

[Robert_Brenchley]

I suppose if a tetraploid and a diploid squash had crossed, the resulting seed may be triploid and therefore might produce seedless fruit, much like a banana. Or the fruit may have been parthenocarpic like a navel orange, I think this does happen in squash sometimes, lots of plants can produce parthenocarpic fruit.

Parthenocarpic perhaps, but would a triploid quash necessarily be seedless? Bramleys are triploid, and I'm sure they have seeds, they just lack pollen.

[amphibian]

I suppose if a tetraploid and a diploid squash had crossed, the resulting seed may be triploid and therefore might produce seedless fruit, much like a banana. Or the fruit may have been parthenocarpic like a navel orange, I think this does happen in squash sometimes, lots of plants can produce parthenocarpic fruit.

Parthenocarpic perhaps, but would a triploid quash necessarily be seedless? Bramleys are triploid, and I'm sure they have seeds, they just lack pollen.

No, they would not necessarily be seedless, many triploids produce seed even viable seed, like bramleys and sweetcorn and some potatoes. However, some triploids fail to produce seed, especially without another pollen source.

[Digeroo]

parthenocarpic

I think that some varieties of courgette are this they do not need a male and so set fruit earlier.  I think Cavilli is one.

I grew a fantastic set of butternut squash from a seed saved from a supermarket fruit a few years ago and it also rather diappointingly produced no seed.  But it did set fruit amazingly well.

[amphibian]

...and of course some cucumbers set parthenocarpic fruit too.

[tonybloke]

should we set up another board?
we could have one for ordinary gardeners, and another for scientists?  ;) ;D ;D ;D

[shirlton]

 ;D

[manicscousers]

my head aches  ;D

[Digeroo]

and of course some cucumbers set parthenocarpic fruit too

I grow a cucumber called Zeina that does not need another plant to produce fruit, so presume that this is one as well.  Also does not produce viable seed.

They are very useful if you have a lack of pollinators eg early or in a greenhouse or you only want to grow a single plant. 

I think it is good to take on new concepts and new knowledge.  So please amphibian keep the facts coming. 

[cornykev]

Anyone got any Anadin.    ???   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[amphibian]

should we set up another board?
we could have one for ordinary gardeners, and another for scientists?  ;) ;D ;D ;D

Sorry about me, I'm afraid I have quite a penchant for biology. Plants fascinate me, they're wonderful things, their diversity, such as the many gender combinations they have, just draw me in to wanting to know more and more about them, how they work and why they do the things they do. I am still very much an ordinary gardener, and not even a very good one at that.  ;D

[Digeroo]

Sorry about me

Please don't apologise. 

the many gender combinations they have

   ??? ???
Looks like there is a great deal more to learn.