Is it all right to just use home made comfrey and/or seaweed fertilizer and if so how oftenRay uses ours once a week :)
Is it all right to just use home made comfrey and/or seaweed fertilizer and if so how often
Well ive tried Butternut squash 3 years on the run & onlyThat's frustrating!
had 1 fruit in 3 years.
I tried them in the greenhouse this year but getting
the same results , fruits start to set and grow then they
just shrivle up & die any ideas? :-X
Bison.............
Anyway, all in all, I'm just thrilled every time I go down to see them. It's the closest thing to keeping pets I've come across in the plant world :) Thank God for this forum where I can babble on because I keep trying to drag friends and relations down to see them, but they're not interested :'( can't shift 'em down there at all.
Is the rot at the flower end ?. If so it could be Blossom End Rot,same as in tomatoes and from the same causes.. lack of calcium at flowering time, this could be from too much watering or daft as it seems soil too dry. It is usually only the first fruits that do it at flowering time same as tomatoes.It generally goes away, you could add a little calcium feed or lime but it probably won't make much difference, later fruits will be OK usually XX Jeannine
also high humidity which slows the passage of fluids and therefor minerals up from the roots.
This is very interesting! (I don;t really understand it, but it's interesting!)Isn't it interesting how many different colors and forms squash have. Mine are dull dark green, shiny bright orange, bluish white, light green and tan.
I'm pleased to see that my experiment squash for this year - galeux d'eysine - has got a fruit on it at last! From the photos I've seen they look amazing, I can't wait to see it fully grown.
Earlypea - I understand your sentiments exactly!! And you've got me thinking about the Summer Crooknecks, they look gorgeous! And as my courgettes are pnats again this year (don't know what I do wrong?!) I think I might switch to the crrokneck or a pattypan next year
And we must be sychronised - I bought the Compleate Squash this week too 8)
Come on Jeannine, get writing :)
My huge Jarrahdale had a circumference of 82 cm yesterday - today it is 84cm! I just hope the netting and supports hold out!=33.07...inches That is impressive! What circumference can they reach?
Tricia
Our crooknecks popped out 8 fruits then nothing for a couple weeks. Now they're producing again
though fewer. Perhaps I should have fed them after the first round to show my gratitude.
They were planted with some manure but there is never enough and the watering and rainfall surely wash away the nutrients over time. Some of the winter squash I gave some liquid fertilizer to and they've become huge. I might do that again to help the baby squashes mature that are just forming now.Our crooknecks popped out 8 fruits then nothing for a couple weeks. Now they're producing again
though fewer. Perhaps I should have fed them after the first round to show my gratitude.
What kind of feed would that be? My optimum bed will go on forever, but B and C grade I'm worried will run out of sustenance. I never feed, rely on the earth, but I might make an exception if my Trombas start falling off :-\
Very jealous...mine didn't germinate.Sometimes my seeds don't either. With squash they say don't keep them too wet or they'll rot
very excited today as I discovered that our squash plants have flowers and some are starting to set fruits! How many should we allow to develop on each plant please.? They are butternuts. We are complete squash novices!
DOES ANYONE ELSE THINK THIS THREAD WILL BECOME T?HE LONGEST ON THE FORUM BY FALL??
well it looks like the Blossom End Rot that my Courgettes were suffering from is over - I picked several nice but smallies yesterday :)Our squash in one bed stopped producing little ones for close to a month- now some new are forming but the mat of vines is so intertwined it is impossible to tell whether the new are Crown Prince, Queensland or Confection. Still hoping the borers don't get more of these high-sugar varieties <hope, hope hope>
Oh and the Queensland Blue has finally set some fruit :) But the plant does seem intent on taking over the paths and next doors plot :D
I was also thinking its a nice international collection we all have growing - what with the Aussies, French, Italians, Japanese, South African and Americans :)
If trailing it would be creeping along like a snake, at first just in one direction, it could be quite long by now, then it might branch..If it is a bush type, it will cover an area about 5 foot span and leaves will come from the centre and grow out from all directions.
Do you know the variety and I can tell you.
Don't do anything yet. How big are the fruit and how many?
XX Jeannine
My cucumbers have only produced two (2!) fruits all summer. How weird.
Well done, they look smashing. That rotten borer must be a real pain.I tried a suggestion to defeat the borers by covering the main plant with aluminium foil.
XX Jeannine
I would feel bound to try to out wit it but feel sure it is has all been done.I have wrapped in aluminum foil when a plant has had an accident and the stalk nearly broken through but that is all. I wonder if Saran Wrap might be doable. or the self clinging wrap you buy to put round thread reels to save the thread for tangling, that is only a couple of inches wide.Yes, be thankful you don't. I just picked a 6 lb "Sunshine" which looks more like an bright orange pumpkin and it also has a borer. I've read up on various ways to foil borers but all have a downside- mainly manually intensive. I guess I must use row covers next year on the susceptible varieties and then hand pollinate. We also have squash bugs that cause a different problem. ::) Makes me wonder why I'm doing this! Except, we're getting a bumper harvest of butternuts if all goes well so at least we'll have something to store and give away. Pity they aren't as sweet as "Sunshine."
I think I would go after it with a preadatory nematode personally.
It is something I need to eduacate myself about really as I know very little about the problems in some areas. It is on my list of to do's actually.whenever...whenever...
So pleased I don't have that problem.
XX Jeannine
my delicata is about 5inches long but ALL the leaves now have mildew so it's a waiting game really. Can see it getting any bigger :( My Crown Prince and Hooligan have quiet a few flowers but very little swellings. Don't know if I planted too late.Maybe it would help you to box them in the way Allaboutliverpool does in his video:
.....just a quick question, maybe a stupid one ;)
Is it possible to train squashes to climb back down as well as up ??? ;D
Only my QZ Blue has climbed to the top edge of the trellis and there's nowhere else for it to latch onto so it's waving around in the wind with feelers well above it.
.....just a quick question, maybe a stupid one ;)
Is it possible to train squashes to climb back down as well as up ??? ;D
Only my QZ Blue has climbed to the top edge of the trellis and there's nowhere else for it to latch onto so it's waving around in the wind with feelers well above it.
Oh lawks a lordy a dismembered hand :o :o
Looking great Ninny ;D
I had 2 squash just drop off today when I was putting them on a tile. One was a butternut and the other a sunshine. Neither of them had handles sow will they store ok.I'm cooking a Sunshine as we speak because the top around the corky stem got moldy. Thought I'd find a borer in it but none seen. Also picked a basketful of "Confection" winter squash with corky stems. My guess is they won't store as well. I plan to cure them in the shade on the patio, dip them in dilute bleach and later hang them in little birdnetting hammocks from the rafters in the basement but keep a close eye on them for
The gnawing is a bit of a problem though... :-\It's not just the gnawing it's the shock :o I fell over backwards into my rasberries yesterday when I saw him back in my shed again.
Question: has anyone ever left the trombo summer squash to harden and tried eating them in the winter?
We have some that have turned tan on the vine- I planted too many of these thinking some might get killed but they've all survived. Just wondering if they are fit to eat come winter.
I suppose being too exposed doesn't help, but you also took a naughty holiday while I was developing arms like a gorilla from lugging watering cans ;D
Thanks 1066 - I do have Claudia Roden's, Middle Eastern cookery book somewhere, it was an all-time favourite of mine when I was a cooker, but the recipes are very involved.
Finally got the Jarrahdale cut before the deluge set in this morning. It weighed in at 9.2 kg (20.26 lb). It's had its bleach wash and is now with the others curing by the patio windows. The futsu foliage is still nice and green so the 5 fruit will be left for as long as possible. Also have 3 small Hunter butternuts which still have a long way to go.Tricia, an exciting picture and your jarrahdale is a monster!! No wonder you needed help getting it down. How do you plan on preparing it? Our largest squash weighs much less and I'm guessing I'll save it til Thanksgiving when we have a crowd for dinner.
[attachment=1][attachment=2]
Tricia
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/shirlton/bert048.jpg)
Well here they are all washed. Will I have to eat the ones that broke off without handles or will they keep.
They can be a bit stringy,Thing is 1066, I think it must be an English thing, but I rather like stringy, although they aren't particularly, just a bit of fibre.
Decided to make some soup with the Sunshine squash that broke off and was delighted with the inside. Just a small cavity for the seeds and lots of flesh. First time growing this variety and will certainly grow it again.Ditto for me. First time growing it and despite borers on some will try it again next year- it is sweeter than Butternut.
Well Believe it or not. I dont like squash on its own apart from butternut so It is being added to a lovely thick soup with other veggies and frozen in portions for 2 ready to take to the allotment for our lunch. Of course we will have to try it fresh as well.
I could do with some advice here please being a novice squash grower. I have blue hubbard, uchiki kuri and potimarron fruiting merrily but I have no idea how big they might/ ought to grow, how they should look when ready for cutting or when they might be ready. All help gratefully received.well my uchiki kuri are minsicule, so can't really advise, and I've had to pick my Potimarron early, so lets hope for some more successful advice for you grawrc ;)
If I bleach them (my QZ Blues) and put them in my plaggy greenhouse do you think they'll be OK.....and the answer is 'NO' ::) The weight of them (biggest 11 1/4 lbs) and they're not fully cured (my fault) has given them little dents where they were sitting on the shelves - I suppose, in retrospect, I should have laid them on the same side they were lying on in the field.
Winter squash such as Butternut, Acorn, Hubbard, and other types are mature when the skin (rind) are hard and cannot be punctured by thumbnails. The mature fruit has a dull and dry skin compared to shiny, smooth skin of immature fruits. Remove stem completely from Hubbard types and if desired leave only 1-inch long stump on the fruit. Stems longer than 1-inch tend to puncture adjacent fruits when in transit or storage. Butternut, Hubbard and other squash types do not need be cured as the benefits are less compared to pumpkins, while curing is very detrimental in Acorn types as it leads to decline in quality. Acorn types have the shortest storage time of 5-8 weeks at 50°F and relative humidity of 50-75 percent.http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gardenerscorner/issue_01/fall_04_04.html
GrannieAnnie...I was wondering how long is your growing season..when do you get to plant your squashes at earliest?
Tomorrow night a neighbor I paint with is coming and we're arranging a still life of squash so I'm debating which of my Hollywood beauties are worthy of a portrait ;D
This is the still life set up (you'll notice your Crown Prince and Queensland made the sitting) but we won't paint the borer hole blemish on the Prince's face. My friend was threatening to paint a fat worm peeking out of that hole grinning over which we had a good giggle. Between that and trying to decide on worthy squash it took the evening to set up.Tomorrow night a neighbor I paint with is coming and we're arranging a still life of squash so I'm debating which of my Hollywood beauties are worthy of a portrait ;D
Sounds like a lovely way to spend an evening - in the company of Hollywood beauties ;) :D ;D
have been away from the lottie for about 3 weeks (holidays and helping son to move house). I was surprised to see how big the squash (Hunter) have grown. How will I know when they are ripe please?
have been away from the lottie for about 3 weeks (holidays and helping son to move house). I was surprised to see how big the squash (Hunter) have grown. How will I know when they are ripe please?
The skin wioll be an even tan colour with no thin green stripes at the stem end.... it will ripen off the plant but stores better if ripened in situ....
chrisc
grawrc - the blue hubbard looks lovely, I'm trying to make a personal list of nice small squash, and that one looks like a good contender! I've grown Blue Ballet and Blue Kuri this year, both of which are pretty small and the vines don't seem to want to take over the planet. I guess the proof will be in the eating :)
all of my butternuts got to approx 6" long and then the next time i went up the lottie, they had disappeared, must have shrivelled or rotted, not been a wonderful squash year for me in hertfordshire, have had a few successes, but i am not counting my chickens until they have been cut and curedWhat if you tried Allaboutliverpool's method of planting in wood boxes to help keep in the warmth and the wind out? He has great success.
took these off to let the others have a chance (small ones), still have half a dozen butternut, some potimarron and a couple of uchi kuri to go ;DBeautiful squash mixture there, Manics.
all of my butternuts got to approx 6" long and then the next time i went up the lottie, they had disappeared, must have shrivelled or rotted, not been a wonderful squash year for me in hertfordshire, have had a few successes, but i am not counting my chickens until they have been cut and curedWhat if you tried Allaboutliverpool's method of planting in wood boxes to help keep in the warmth and the wind out? He has great success.
One of my butternuts this week, I wish I could remember which variety they are.
[attachment=1]
One of my butternuts this week, I wish I could remember which variety they are.
[attachment=1]
Looks like Violina (or the italian version of "Violin")... I'm farily certain you had soe in the swap.....
One of my butternuts this week, I wish I could remember which variety they are.
[attachment=1]
Looks like Violina (or the italian version of "Violin")... I'm farily certain you had soe in the swap.....
Oh yes, I did have some but I can't remember if I sowed them or not. It seems much bigger than some I have growing on my neighbour's plot.
Squash 64, it looks like it will be very meaty. Please let us know how much of a seed pocket it has.
Coloursport Lunga di Napoli.... the shapes about right and the whole thing screams "moschata" at me... a very short Tromba/Tromboncino?... I'm running out of options here.....I've had a Waltham Butternut that was almost cylindrical before....
Note for Betty: I must put a diary on my Christmas list and fill in all the seed sowings and dates, I look back in mine for the last four years and sometimes helps remembering where, when and why I have sow in different years. ;D ;D ;DMy garden diary goes back to 2003 but I'm thinking of switching to a computer record instead. The problem with a written diary is indexing. How can I find what date I planted the beans or which company I ordered from...takes too much time but would be a snap to retrieve on the computer.
Note for Betty: I must put a diary on my Christmas list and fill in all the seed sowings and dates, I look back in mine for the last four years and sometimes helps remembering where, when and why I have sow in different years. ;D ;D ;D
Still have about a third more butternuts on the vine.
SMILE, MY PRETTIES.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/nonrancher/smile.jpg)
Still have about a third more butternuts on the vine.
GA, do you sow the seeds directly outdoors?
The butternuts and some other types were seeded directly outside.This is in the USA remember-hot,hot, hot weather.
The plants were put outside April 25 with protection. By June 9 the runners were 10 ft long. By July 31 there were 122 squash on the vines. I didn't write the dates the seeds were planted out ::) ::) My record keeping has gaps like the Grand Canyon.
The butternuts and some other types were seeded directly outside.This is in the USA remember-hot,hot, hot weather.
When do you sow them? I suppose they get a much longer season than ours do here. Mine are sown indoors in May and planted out in June.
What's your weather like today?
I planted mine a lot earlier this year and potted them on into bigger pots so they were quite big when they went outside and they have done so much better than sowing them laterHave you ever tried black plastic under them?
Earlypea - hmmmmmm, they came from Real Seeds ............ have you got a picture? Maybe we could demand a refund ::) And now I'm trying to remember what I grew last year, will have to dig out some photos and see if we can find it's cousin!I'll take one - it has a very dark, green, thick rind, like an acorn maybe.
very healthy looking plants, Shirlton, and they even have leaves! Ours look terrible now.
I have cut a lot of the leaves off to let the sunshine in that is if we get any more
Here we leave them on the vine until the vine collapses. Ideally til the stem is dry and brown. this year though I've cut some when just the leaves collapsed due to a schedule problem. But maybe there with all your wet weather there is more risk of rot?....maybe best to see what others say in your area.I have cut a lot of the leaves off to let the sunshine in that is if we get any more
Whats best to do cut them down or let them die down?
I still have one on the plant that needs to ripen up more.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/shirlton/bert061.jpg)Shirl, I'd be interested to hear how you compare Sunshine and Bonbon on taste, please, when you get around to eating them.
Cold night forecast for tomorrow so we brought them all home to let them cure. I have never had so many. The small ones on the left are Harrier so wont be growing them again. the large BN are from real seeds Waltham.The blue one are invincible pumpkin. Orangesunshine and Bonbon
It is important to note that pumpkin fruits can tolerate light frost that kill the vines only but more fruit loss can occur if the frost caused injury on the fruit surface as the damaged areas act as avenues for fungal and bacterial fruit rot pathogens. Remove pumpkins from the fields before the hard freeze (when the night temperatures are less than 27 degrees (F) or else you may risk losing 80-90 percent of the fruits.http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gardenerscorner/issue_01/fall_04_04.html
Grannie Annie.We ate one of the sunshine because it broke off without a stem. I liked it enough to grow it next year.You might want to try growing "Confection F1" sometime if you haven't already. We had one the other evening (actually a couple meals from it). They're about the same size as Sunshine but the flavor, no joke, is like a sweet potato. I think if you blindfolded someone and served them this mashed up they would not be able to tell the difference. It is much sweeter than our butternuts and has a starchy sort of feel to it and no stringiness. They are also the same deep orange inside (but dk green outside so not as pretty on the vine as the shiny orange Sunshine.) Now I must do a comparison taste test of the two (but that's an awful lot of cooked squash at one time!). The plants are more compact than butternut also, but here we have borer problems with them so will have to somehow enclose them next year.
As for bonbon, We grew it last year and it must have been ok cos I asked Betty for a plant that turned out to be a Boston. When I do try the one that she gave me off her frame I will let you know how it compares with the sunshine.
The sunshine is a faster fruiting squash and also faster maturing but I did lose 2 to the dreaded slush whatever it was. It has proved to be a good squash for our climate here in iffy uk
Will look out for that one GA. I am enjoying this squash growing. Does it become addictive would you say?????? :-\
I am really impressed with the variety of squashes. Think I will try to do this next year. I have too many blue banana's - taste fine but bit too big for two (massive thai curry just made but my freezer is getting very full).
Is there a thread on here about favourite varieties? (planning for next year)
Earlypea - hmmmmmm, they came from Real Seeds ............ have you got a picture? Maybe we could demand a refund ::) And now I'm trying to remember what I grew last year, will have to dig out some photos and see if we can find it's cousin!
well sucrine du berry are meant to look like this...
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Good luck with deciding what to grow next year Chris, it's a tricky task, and looking at the varieties I've got I could do with triple the growing space!!
EP - nothing wrong with the top of the window, just thought I'd focus in on the stars of the show ;D
Just wondering if I could borrow Tricia's saw and neighbour - think I'll be needing it for the Q Blues!!
well here are a few of the ones I picked early cos of the slush. Think I'll bring the rest of them in this weekend
Sorry not the best of pics - but there are a couple of Winter Festivals, An Ausie Blue, A Rouge Vif D'Etamps, a Sucrine De Berry (which is now finally ripening)
;D
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well here are a few of the ones I picked early cos of the slush. Think I'll bring the rest of them in this weekend
Sorry not the best of pics - but there are a couple of Winter Festivals, An Ausie Blue, A Rouge Vif D'Etamps, a Sucrine De Berry (which is now finally ripening)
;D
[attachment=1]
Lovely picture ;)
I've bought a squash that looks like the Winter Festivals, except it has green stripes in the grooves, is this still a Winter Festival type ?, (going to save the seeds and grow it next year)
Futternuts or little Butsu's :D
Futternuts or little Butsu's
Interesting idea - I might just try that to see what happens (if I can find space :-\). I'll certainly save some seeds from each variety. All the other varietes I grew this year were maximas.
Tricia
Can i ask a question. the other day i went to make soup with my uchiki kuri and when i was doing it the flesh nearert the skin was turning green - is this normal? It was still solid to the touch so I carried on with it and the soup tastes fine (but i have got a cold!). Is this normal?
As Shirl say's Betty they look great, I harvested a single butternut today, I was also given a squash by one of my mates at work, its the same colour and size as a butternut but is more of a big pear shape and I can't work out what type it is, HELP! ! ! ! ! !
QuoteCan i ask a question. the other day i went to make soup with my uchiki kuri and when i was doing it the flesh nearert the skin was turning green - is this normal? It was still solid to the touch so I carried on with it and the soup tastes fine (but i have got a cold!). Is this normal?
I think it sounds ok, but I haven't got one to hand to examine and compare. They're not like potatoes, where you have to worry about green bits.
Anyone else know for certain?
As Shirl say's Betty they look great, I harvested a single butternut today, :'( I was also given a squash by one of my mates at work, its the same colour and size as a butternut but is more of a big pear shape and I can't work out what type it is, HELP! ! ! ! ! !I've noticed that butternuts of very different shapes and sizes can grow from the same see crop, from pear shaped with a very skinny neck(bad due to little meat there) to blocky shaped ones(good) and in all lengths.
??? ??? ???
I picked these today
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The funny thing is, all except the three Crown Prince on the left are supposed to be Butternuts!
I am absolutely certain I didn't get plants mixed up (not even Shirl's funny Bonbon) so I suppose there were 'rogue' seeds in the packet.
I picked these today
[attachment=1]
The funny thing is, all except the three Crown Prince on the left are supposed to be Butternuts!
I am absolutely certain I didn't get plants mixed up (not even Shirl's funny Bonbon) so I suppose there were 'rogue' seeds in the packet.
that's just you again with your phallic obsession :D
I picked these today
[attachment=1]
The funny thing is, all except the three Crown Prince on the left are supposed to be Butternuts!
I am absolutely certain I didn't get plants mixed up (not even Shirl's funny Bonbon) so I suppose there were 'rogue' seeds in the packet.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/nonrancher/IMG_0932.jpg)
See anything strange about this butternut squash?
I've read differing views - some say lovely, others, not so good, so I thought I'd try for myself... but not today clearly.
Just been to the allotment and brought home a musquee de provence... it's HUGE! Still dark green all over though... I hope it's ripe inside.
but the others on the vine look normal.(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/nonrancher/IMG_0932.jpg)
See anything strange about this butternut squash?
Looks like Violin, they're bigger at the stem end sometimes...
You can just cut out the manky bit and freeze the flesh in chunks... it can then be roasted/souped at a later date.. :-\
(Queensland Blue) One's still maturing on the trellis, although it has a constant pool of water in the top of it from the rain, so I fear that stem might rot too.I was wondering whether anyone else had experienced that and what to do? Should I have made a rain hat for it or something 8)
Yes, we want that final photo shoot!
All of which reminds me, I must do a final photo shoot ;)
Saddad thats all well and good if you have any room left in yer freezer.We' ve got to the stage now where we have to eat something out of the freezer if we want to put something in. ;D ;D ;DIt's getting a bit like that here too Shirl... Spent a good couple of hours bagging the frozen tomato slop to make space for some more boxes... to freeze tomato slop!
Finally Immortalized! Queensland Blue, Crown Prince etc. Now we can eat.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/nonrancher/IMG_0933.jpg)
Now we can eat.No :o...it's much nicer on the wall..why don't you eat the squashes instead? ;) ;D
...and how long that took for you to paint it?A neighbor comes over once a week and we paint together. It usually takes a month but that includes one evening of dickering over what objects we want to paint and where to place them according to some hazy art principles. She has a great sense of humor so we giggle a lot while critiquing each of our "great masterpieces."Code: [Select].
That is so good GA, and what better subject than squash to have on your wall! ;)I just looked at your allotment link, Squash64. What a beautiful set of photos of all your allotment buddies with their wonderful, healthy looking produce and flowers. It looks like you must all have a good time together especially getting ideas from growers of all different backgrounds.
Finally Immortalized! Queensland Blue, Crown Prince etc. Now we can eat.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/nonrancher/IMG_0933.jpg)
I just looked at your allotment link, Squash64. What a beautiful set of photos of all your allotment buddies with their wonderful, healthy looking produce and flowers. It looks like you must all have a good time together especially getting ideas from growers of all different backgrounds.
I've have now used up my first ever queensland blue..now, is it normal for this variety but mine was really strongly melon/cucumber fragranced ???..I have never noticed this with any other squash before ??? It is not unpleasant just suprising..I know both are related and there was the similar flavour too when raw..but after cooking it all was 'job as usual' ;D
Quite amazing if you haven't come across this before.No I havent' come across it before..a have always grown odd pumpking and some butternuts but that is about how exiciting my squash growing has been..untill this year ::) I've never bothered growing in quantity as OH has been under training to learn to eat squash..it the skin is not orange and it doesn't looke like pumpkin he start being suspicious with his food ::) But 'we' getting there ;D ..and now that he has been munching away with different sorts variety in lottie will expand ;D ;D