Topic: My Squash

[pookienoodle]

I use a scorpian power tool to chop up squash...its a lot safer than it sounds.

[flowerlady]

I grew my first ever Pumpkin this year  :o ... have grown winter squash in the past ... anyway it  was a MARMELLATA [ http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/683 ] 8)

... and I even get to make Jam !!  ;D ;D ;D

[manicscousers]

wow, flo..let us know how it tastes  ;D

[grannyjanny]

I also have grown my first pumpkin but alas it was supposed to be a BNS plant. I sent a polite email explaining to the place I bought the plant from & they are giving me some squashes.

[Deb P]

Lovely spread too Deb P, is that a Queensland in the front?  They look and keep so well.

Ninny

No, it's Jarramore.....an American squash apparently, I got the seeds from an EBay supplier, but I've just had a look and they don't stock them anymore....it won't be worth saving the seeds from mine as I didn't isolate them! ::)

I dunno what planet I was on, that squash is Jarradale form Australia.... ::)

[Ninnyscrops.]

I admit I googled Jarramore  ;D, but they do look a little like Queensland, I think the skin is smoother on the Q's though.

Cefer sent me some Jarrahdale seed, they grew well, but  I prefer the squashes from the Queensland seed seed she sent. (This piccy is from last year's show)

- last year

Ninny

[gwynnethmary]

you are obviously an expert on squash!  I'm very much a newbie when it comes to growing vegetables, and would like to ask some very basic questions.  How much space does it take to grow a butternut squash?  Does each plant yield one fruit?  Where's the best place for them in the rotation sequence? Will they grow in the cold North-east?

[chriscross1966]

Butternuts need a long season, you might be better off with a shorter season squash like Festival  (A4A'ers probably getting bored of me banging on about this variety by now :D)...  Crop depends on  conditions and variety..... In good conditions you'll get 6 or more 1.5Kg butternuts per plant, in bad conditions the frosts get the plants before they ripen.....there's a thread with my harvest here http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,55313.0.html with a picture.... Basically the small stripey ones at the back are Winter Festival and they were ready by the end of August really.... the butternuts at  that time had only just set fruit and without the good september they'd not have cropped this year.... I'd honestly not reccommend any Butternut squash to a first-time grower, wheras I've been passing out Festival seeds to lots of people secure in the knowledge that if they can get the started, hardened off and planted out OK by the start of June then three months later they should have 6-8 squash per plant... and they're a sensible size too.... roast one in chunks with the Sunday dinner, whats left over becomes soup on Tuesday.....

chrisc

[realfood]

Gwynnethmary, seeing that you are in the cold North East, I would agree with chriscross. You can also have a look at the Winter Squash and Butternut pages of my website for further suggestions for cultivation. Some cloche protection for the first month would be a help as well.