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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Jayb on May 11, 2015, 11:22:33
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I spotted this little squash seedling which had germinated in a pot out side at the beginning of May, brave little thing! I didn't give it much hope as it was looking a little shrivelled and yellow around the edges. I moved it to its own pot in the greenhouse and noticed this morning it has perked up and grown two new leaves :happy7:
I thought it might be a summer squash - crookneck as I had several plants not far away to where I found this one last summer, but the compost heap is also quite close and the seed could have been carried from there. Any ideas what it is looking like, it's very small yet though?
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Is the underside of the true leaves scratchy? That is a sign of c pepo - which could be a crookneck. :wave:
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You'll have to let us know when it fruits....
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They are not that scratchy at the moment, I've just compared them to similar size ones on a Partenon courgette which are scratchy in comparison to the mystery one, though the leaves are older? But these little ones are not supersoft either!
You'll have to let us know when it fruits....
Will do.
Which reminds me I have a volunteer squash to use from last year, I've just been looking at it so far. I'm not all that hopeful for it's eating delights!
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I'm growing 2 mystery squash from loose seeds I found at the bottom of the seed boxes. Looking forward to seeing what they actually are. :)
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I have a couple of mystery cucurbits that have lost their labels (grr) suspect one is courgette (probably Firenze) and the other might be a pumpkin
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I'm growing 2 mystery squash from loose seeds I found at the bottom of the seed boxes. Looking forward to seeing what they actually are. :)
Lol, love a mystery! Have you an idea what sort of type they might be?
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I have a couple of mystery cucurbits that have lost their labels (grr) suspect one is courgette (probably Firenze) and the other might be a pumpkin
I'm just wondering how much space to give the one I have, does make a bit difference if it's a squash/pumpkin or a courgette. Hope yours turn out well.
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I have a couple of mystery cucurbits that have lost their labels (grr) suspect one is courgette (probably Firenze) and the other might be a pumpkin
I'm just wondering how much space to give the one I have, does make a bit difference if it's a squash/pumpkin or a courgette. Hope yours turn out well.
When faced with this problem, I have always gone up. Most trailing squash are perfectly happy being trained upwards with a suitable trellis (I put garden obelisks on my birthday wish-list), but other structures are just as good, provided they are reasonably strong. The 'footprint' is the same, but the squash growing upwards also gets more sunshine. Many maxima squashes produce smaller, secondary root systems from nodes. This won't be happening with plants trained upwards, but extra feeding and mulching makes up for it. Hope it turns out nice whatever it is.
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I'm growing 2 mystery squash from loose seeds I found at the bottom of the seed boxes. Looking forward to seeing what they actually are. :)
Lol, love a mystery! Have you an idea what sort of type they might be?
Nope, none, other than they were big seeds so I am guessing c.maxima.
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Can you tell what species it is from seeds? I have a couple of bags of "mystery" squash seeds from years ago that I didn't label, which don't really match what I remember growing at the time. One in particular is big fat chunky seeds.
I'd grow some out, but I have so many others I'm planning to grow this year!
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Can you tell what species it is from seeds? I have a couple of bags of "mystery" squash seeds from years ago that I didn't label, which don't really match what I remember growing at the time. One in particular is big fat chunky seeds.
I'd grow some out, but I have so many others I'm planning to grow this year!
Yes you can. A photo would help. As sparrow said c maxima are larger and can be brown or white, c pepo are smaller and flatter, beige or whitish, but green in the case of oil seed pumpkins because the seed skin is missing, c moschata are often greyish with a rougher surface. Commercial seeds are often shinier than home saved. Can you take a photo?
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cucurbita_maxima-seeds-Olinda.jpg
http://www.123rf.com/photo_4949243_pumpkin-sunflower-seeds-cucurbita-pepo-a-structure-the-invoice-them-gnaw-not-only-for-the-sake-of-an.html
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cucurbita_moschata_%22Anco%22_from_the_market_-_seeds_detail.jpg
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I still can't make my mind up how scratchy the leaves are, I'm just germinating my squashes so perhaps with some others to compare to I'll get a better idea.
Thanks Galina up is always a good move, but I think I should have room in the squash patch for it, nice would be good!
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Yes you can. A photo would help. As sparrow said c maxima are larger and can be brown or white, c pepo are smaller and flatter, beige or whitish, but green in the case of oil seed pumpkins because the seed skin is missing, c moschata are often greyish with a rougher surface. Commercial seeds are often shinier than home saved. Can you take a photo?
Sorry for the delay, but yeah, here's a picture. I'm thinking maxima since they are tan and chunky. Could be Burgess Buttercup I suppose, but these seeds look much plumper and bigger than my original seeds.
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I don't think Burgess Buttercup, seeds aren't the right colour or shape.
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What do you think, these are some of the Burgess Buttercup seeds I've got, assuming they are correct!
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Sorry for the delay, but yeah, here's a picture. I'm thinking maxima since they are tan and chunky. Could be Burgess Buttercup I suppose, but these seeds look much plumper and bigger than my original seeds.
Definitely a brown seeded maxima. Buttercup is white seeded from memory.
Yes, just checked, this seems to agree
http://www.sherckseeds.com/pages/seeds/squash/burgess-buttercup-squash/
as does Jayb's picture of course. Not all buttercup seeds are as slender as yours Jayb and there is no trace of 'cellophane' on them, I guess they are bought seeds, whereas I see some cellophane on Silverleaf's seeds.
Could be Uchiki Kuri or a Banana squash? Again from memory (haven't got my box in front of me) Crown Prince or is another common brown seeded maxima, as is Queensland Blue.
I find that size and shape of maxima seeds can be variable and differs from year to year. There is greater difference in maxima seed size/shape than in other squash species. Yes, buttercup is a little flatter than, say, crown prince, reflecting the smaller size of squash, but not always. With pepo squashes, the seed number (rather than shape) varies more from year to year, or often the number of flat seeds vs the number of filled seeds.
Trying to think - usually seed coat is maternal material. Assuming this was a cross with butternut and what you are holding were F1 seeds, I'm pretty sure, they would still be white.
:wave:
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This is the weird thing though - the only squash I've grown previously are Burgess Buttercup and various summer courgette/scallop types.
I don't remember the buttercup doing very well (my inexperience) and I can't remember saving seeds.
These are obviously home-saved seeds (yes Galina, they have cellophane). I don't think anyone gave me squash seeds and if they did they'd probably be labelled.
It's no good, I'll have to grow one. Don't know where I'll put it, but I'm too curious!
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This is the weird thing though - the only squash I've grown previously are Burgess Buttercup and various summer courgette/scallop types.
I don't remember the buttercup doing very well (my inexperience) and I can't remember saving seeds.
These are obviously home-saved seeds (yes Galina, they have cellophane). I don't think anyone gave me squash seeds and if they did they'd probably be labelled.
It's no good, I'll have to grow one. Don't know where I'll put it, but I'm too curious!
Might you have bought a squash and saved those seeds? Uchiki Kuri appears on Farmer's markets and even occasionally in shops. Asda had some Maxima labelled 'Kabocha' and I spotted several types in Waitrose too.
I am suggesting this because one of your seeds looks 'netted', a characteristic that I don't see on my home saved seeds. I have seen it on seeds inside bought squash (not that we buy them that often). I remember seeing netting on seeds from a Kabocha which according to the label came from Turkey. Could this have happened?
Summer squashes, courgettes and scallops are almost certainly cucurbita pepo, the seeds didn't come from those.
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It's a mystery all right. I don't remember buying anything other than courgettes and the occasional butternut (of course also not maxima). I also don't buy them often. Not because I don't like them, but because they are expensive and I don't see them often.
I've sowed a couple of seeds in the prop, so with any luck we might get a clue from that!
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It remains a mystery until you grow these seeds. Good luck.
Have just come across this excellent description of the features (including seeds) of the various squash species. That should help with stray squash plants.
http://alanbishop.proboards.com/thread/8400/visual-guide-identifying-squash
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My little one is a little bigger now and is definitely developing scratchy leaves.
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I have two seeds hopefully germinating. Not sure I'll be any wise when I see the fruit though! ;)
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It remains a mystery until you grow these seeds. Good luck.
Have just come across this excellent description of the features (including seeds) of the various squash species. That should help with stray squash plants.
http://alanbishop.proboards.com/thread/8400/visual-guide-identifying-squash (http://alanbishop.proboards.com/thread/8400/visual-guide-identifying-squash)
Thats a great help Galina :icon_cheers:
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I'm still none the wiser, but I don't think a crookneck. Aren't they a yellowy colour even when they are tiny?
I'll go leaf fondling when it stops raining.
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I'm still none the wiser, but I don't think a crookneck. Aren't they a yellowy colour even when they are tiny?
I'll go leaf fondling when it stops raining.
Sibley? or Sibley-ish? looking at the embryo fruit, ie a cucurbita maxima? Maybe just a tad early to say, but that's what I make of your picture at this stage. Leaf fondling should confirm it or otherwise.
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What about a round pepo? One Ball or ronda de nice type. They come in pale and dark green. What about a cross between a pepo and a maxima?
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What about a round pepo? One Ball or ronda de nice type. They come in pale and dark green. What about a cross between a pepo and a maxima?
A cross between c pepo and c maxima species outside of laboratory conditions is unlikely. It will be much clearer soon.
Awaiting news of 'scratch test'. Also in a few days, if we get the 30C that is forecast, c maxima leaves will droop alarmingly (and pick up after it cools down), c pepo leaves don't droop to the same degree. :wave:
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What about a round pepo? One Ball or ronda de nice type. They come in pale and dark green. What about a cross between a pepo and a maxima?
Nice thinking but I didn't grow One Ball or ronda de Nice type last year. I had some Gem the year before.
Sibley? or Sibley-ish? looking at the embryo fruit, ie a cucurbita maxima? Maybe just a tad early to say, but that's what I make of your picture at this stage. Leaf fondling should confirm it or otherwise.
It would be lovely if it is a Sibley, but I think the fruit is a little rounded, the sibleys I planted are a bit behind this one, no baby fruits to compare.
Well it's not a butternut on the leafy touch test, so yes most likely a maxima. But I only grew butternuts or pepo's last year!
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Maybe you did not grow the father bees go up to four or sometimes even six miles.
You also do not know what genes are lurking in your plants and will pop up later.
You grow a lot of squashes etc so perhaps the gem gene has come through from the previous year.
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Perhaps the little embryo fruit is a little more developed today. Any striping at all? Even faint striping would suggest some sort of butternut rather than Sibley. :wave:
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Me again. I failed to take a really clear photo. The closest I have to butternut this year is tromboncino and the embryo fruits are not stripey, but have whitish flecks instead. My embryo fruits are only half an inch at the moment.
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I have one or two trombocino or may be 15. And the leaves are not like that. The stems are much hairier. The leaves do not look moschata to me. I am still going for a pepo.
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This little volunteer is the furthest along of my squash. You're right Digeroo it could be a cross of just about anything. It took my notice because it was a real tryer, popping up outside despite the cold grotty weather, I'm surprised it lived to be honest.
No striping noticeable yet, flowers nearly open.
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We haven't had droopy squash plant weather here, it's been nice at times and a couple of days were hot, but not hot hot like some places.
I have one or two trombocino or may be 15. And the leaves are not like that. The stems are much hairier. The leaves do not look moschata to me. I am still going for a pepo.
I think you are right, not a Moschata.
It could be a Gem or Gem x but....
I thought by the fruit shape it might have been a Blue Ballet or a Kuri/potimarron type, but now it's developed a bit I think Galina could well be right with Sibley.
If it is a and is true to type I'll try and save seeds as it's done so well to get this far!
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What was it in the end Jayb? And what about your mystery squash Silverleaf? :sunny:
Hope you have been handsomely rewarded for giving these stray plants garden space. :wave:
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And what about your mystery squash Silverleaf?
I can see one tiny fruit so far. It's green and square-ish. I don't think it'll mature, to be honest.
There's another plant in my manure pile, but there's such a tangle of plants in there I can't see if it's doing anything and I can't even remember exactly where I planted it! ;)
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Mine has only set one fruit and I think it looks similar to a Blue Ballet, which is a possibility. Something took a few nibbles out of it early on so the shape has been a bit distorted. Still it's ripening up nicely and I'm looking forward to seeing how it tastes :happy7:
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This is my other mystery squash this year, it was meant to have been an Uncle David's Dakota squash, but obviously it's not. I'm not sure if it is a wrong seed or a cross, It doesn't match anything else I'm growing this year.
Second picture has got the much smaller, green and real deal Uncle David's Dakota squash by the side for comparison.
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Yes, both packet accidents and volunteers can be great fun. Being maxima, they are bound to taste ok and store ok too.
What does make a packet accident annoying is that one might have, in good faith, pollinated one with another and created a definite hybrid. By the time that becomes obvious, it might be too late for another handpollination :(
Looks like this one, which does grow very large:
http://www.bolster.nl/groenten/vruchtgewassen/pompoen+gele+centenaar++cucurbita+maxima
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Yes it does look very much like Hundredweight!
Definitely not a variety sown by me this year. Very true with the mistaken cross hand pollinating, one I did this year was meant to be Sibley x Potimarron, but it turns out the Sibley mother plant was in fact already a hybrid! Right shape but wrong colour! My mistake, maybe next year I'll have another go. Although if it tastes good I may try a few of the mixed up cross next year.