Author Topic: Help! squash ID please?  (Read 1514 times)

antipodes

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,366
  • W. France, 5m x 20m (900 ft2)
    • My allotment blog
Help! squash ID please?
« on: August 06, 2013, 09:44:00 »
I was growing what I thought was a cucumber, up a stake. I thought it was rather slow to get going! Then I realised that there was a fruit developing inside the plastic bottle at the base which I use for watering! I got it out and it is like a big green ball and does not seem to be a cucumber!!!! I do not think I had any round or lemon cucumber seeds??? Yet it seems to be a cucumber plant????
Any ideas?
This is the fruit:
 
This is the plant, tied in:


And this is a newly developing fruit:
2012 - Snow in February, non-stop rain till July. Blight and rot are rife. Thieving voles cause strife. But first runner beans and lots of greens. Follow an English allotment in urban France: http://roos-and-camembert.blogspot.com

squeezyjohn

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,022
  • Oxfordshire - Sandy loam on top of clay
Re: Help! squash ID please?
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2013, 19:25:43 »
They look like melons to me!

goodlife

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 8,649
Re: Help! squash ID please?
« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2013, 20:20:42 »
Ummm.....did I ever send you some cucumber melon seeds?...if I did and that plant would be of those....then the big fruit would be ready to eat now :toothy10:

antipodes

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,366
  • W. France, 5m x 20m (900 ft2)
    • My allotment blog
Re: Help! squash ID please?
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2013, 10:46:18 »
Hmmm I did have something which I labelled as "Unusual cukes"!!! maybe that is it?   I guess that the solution is to pick the darn thing and open it! It has odd, sort of matte skin, not shiny like a cuke or courgette. But I don't think that it is a melon, as I definitely did not sow any of those.
2012 - Snow in February, non-stop rain till July. Blight and rot are rife. Thieving voles cause strife. But first runner beans and lots of greens. Follow an English allotment in urban France: http://roos-and-camembert.blogspot.com

goodlife

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 8,649
Re: Help! squash ID please?
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2013, 12:25:40 »
Matte skin...sort of slightly hairy-ish... :icon_cheers: THAT'S IT!..it is cucumber melon :toothy10: :icon_thumleft:
Don't let it grow too big or it doesn't taste as nice as it should.

http://www.seedsofitaly.com/index.aspx?pageid=1834926&chainID=198484&txtQuickSearch=cucumber+melon
« Last Edit: August 07, 2013, 12:28:21 by goodlife »

antipodes

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,366
  • W. France, 5m x 20m (900 ft2)
    • My allotment blog
Re: Help! squash ID please?
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2013, 12:59:47 »
Yes, that does look like it!!! OK I had better go pick it tonight then! How clever of you. And yes it must be one of your seeds goodlife, so thank you! I will try and save seed from it if I can. never eaten those before.
2012 - Snow in February, non-stop rain till July. Blight and rot are rife. Thieving voles cause strife. But first runner beans and lots of greens. Follow an English allotment in urban France: http://roos-and-camembert.blogspot.com

antipodes

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,366
  • W. France, 5m x 20m (900 ft2)
    • My allotment blog
Re: Help! squash ID please?
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2013, 10:12:07 »
I ended up picking the mystery cucumber! I peeled it as the skin was a little thick but the result was gorgeous: sweeter than a normal cucumber and a rather firm flesh. It was really nice. the only thing that worries me is that it doesn't seem to be fruiting very well. Hopefully it will catch up soon, as the plant is quite big.
2012 - Snow in February, non-stop rain till July. Blight and rot are rife. Thieving voles cause strife. But first runner beans and lots of greens. Follow an English allotment in urban France: http://roos-and-camembert.blogspot.com

 

anything
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal