Topic: Tastiest squash/pumpkin variety?

[goodlife]

mmm..yes, butternut squash soup. Unfortunately not so reliable to grow in Uk..I seem to have very little success with butternuts. :(
Last year I grew 'the warty thing' and I was positively surprised by them. I thought they would have been more of 'odd to look at'..but NO..really nice eaters. Just about firm enough for roasting and excellent for soup. Sort of texture between pumpkin and squash.
I did grow few for seed saving so I only allowed one fruit per plant. I don't know how they would 'turn out' once left to grow as they want..but those ones few did grow quite large with thick layer of flesh. I suspect without limiting the fruit set..they will be much useable size.

Gwynneth..if you want to try some 'the warty thing' squashes..send me your address in pm..

some info about 'warty' ones.. http://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/view_seed_item/2438?actionName=view_squashes_pumpkins&itemname=RED+WARTY+PUMPKIN&page=2

..mine looked very much like the one in pic , in some sites the fruits in pics are covered with warts..mine only had odd few ones.

[RenishawPhil]

Am rather disappointed with some of the germination of squash i got from a seed place online

What seed company?

I got the seeds from the real seed company in pembrokeshire. Only one of 5 festival has come up and the banana one has completely failed to put in an appearance.

[goodlife]

Real seeds.. :o..that's surprised. They are usually really good with their seeds.
Did you sow your seeds on their sides and not flat against the compost (like saucer)? Too much moisture in compost and not enough warmth will result them to rot quite easily.
Have you had a look into the compost for what the seeds look like? If they haven't gone 'mushy' yet..giving extra warmth may bring them to germination.

[RenishawPhil]

Real seeds.. :o..that's surprised. They are usually really good with their seeds.
Did you sow your seeds on their sides and not flat against the compost (like saucer)? Too much moisture in compost and not enough warmth will result them to rot quite easily.
Have you had a look into the compost for what the seeds look like? If they haven't gone 'mushy' yet..giving extra warmth may bring them to germination.

Hi . Yes indeed they reviewed well. All planted on side and give bit mushy. Got the oil filled radiator on!! Maybe just a bad batch

[Kea]

A buttercup/kaboucha variety (Dark green with silvery stripes) I grew Bon Bon last year and it was excellent and the person who stole my 5 big ones c. 1Kg one by one obviously thought so as they keep coming back >:(

Usually the smaller fruits aren't so good but the small ones of Bon Bon were very good just wish I'd got to eat the big ones. Problem of having a plot right at the front of a site with easy public access i.e. no fence

I'm losing my asparagus at the moment, I'm actually thinking it's not worth the work involved i've only had one bunch very early on. I see them coming up and I see where they've been cut.

[galina]

True, butternut is one of the trickiest to grow.  

There are smaller, earlier types to look out for, such as butternut Ponca or some of the earlier hybrids.  I find that tromboncino (tromba d'albenga) is as good, bigger and grows more easily.  Also tromboncino can be grown upwards and is quite space saving.  Much bigger harvest.  Stores well too - still have 2 on the windowsill here, together with one buttercup, one Todo el An(tilde)o and one Sweet Meat.

Tromboncino turn yellow in storage like butternuts.  These were freshly harvested and grown on the ground, this is why they were curly(I only hung them on the door for the photo  :) ).  They grow straight hanging down.

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Kea, really not fair. 

[Toshofthe Wuffingas]

I planted out some Uchiki Kuri yesterday. I noted that someone said they weren't a good keeper. I have some unnamed plants grown from seed coming up and will discover how they do in due course. Thanks to the advice here I will have fun picking seed this autumn.
That pallet trick for training them sounds great; propping two pallets up against each other. I will try it.

[firstofficerspong]

Interested to see that you can use tromboncino as winter squash. I grew them last year and treated them as courgettes. They were ok but wasn't going to do them again. Might have to now though, to store and eat later on!

[galina]

Interested to see that you can use tromboncino as winter squash. I grew them last year and treated them as courgettes. They were ok but wasn't going to do them again. Might have to now though, to store and eat later on!

Yes they keep well.  Picture was taken a few minutes ago of the last 3 -Todo e A, Sweet Meat and Trombo.  We are eating another Trombo at the moment and it is still very tasty, no deterioration.  The other really nice feature is that there are no seeds at all in the long neck, the seed cavity is in the bulb  You can peel them with an ordinary potato peeler, but the skin is soft enough not to bother.  No need to peel if you roast them.

[Digeroo]

As you use Trombo they ooze out a sweet gel which seals the end so you can use them a few slices at a time for over a week or more.  I still have two.  Very tasty.  Much less wastage than normal squash. 

Love them. Much more reliable than butternut and you do not need to fight with a hard shell to get at the flesh.? 

[woodypecks]

Could you grow up a trellis or support of some sort

I have noticed how they never want to stay where I put them , they want to run around and escape over the chicken wire fence . So this year I have made a slightly leaning , south facing frame for them to climb up , sort of like an assault course for squashes . I am trying Spaghetti squashes for the first time this year .