Here are a few specimens on the plot just now. Quite a few have rotted off but I think there'll be plenty left :)
Fantastic! Aren't they just amazing!! The kids saw ours today and they decided some looked like space ships from Mars! ;D
Wardy, that first pic called Marina - is that Marina de Choggia?
what's the bottom one ? Looks like a capsicum shape.
My Marinas are way behind yours, Wardy, I've a few fruits but they're still teeny babies yet. The flowers smell gorgeous though.
:) Wardy what's the third one down? is it a pumpkin? as I have one of those without a label, and should I put it in a bra? :o :P ;D
Wardy - Well done!! :o
I can't see any of mine yet - too many leaves.
I must try to take some pics this weekend. I know the hubbards have set, along with the marinas and a pink banana, but not quite sure how big. I'm really pleased with the blue hubbards you sent down - I will definitely grow that one again.
Loz
let us know how it tastes though, wardy/.
very happy with my two large spaghetti squashes and numerous buttercup squashes. can hardly wait til harvest time :) only one baby bear seems to have set though, and i cant spot any more flowers either :( after very poor germination and what now looks like very small yields, i'll be looking for something else to grow for next year :)
svea
buttercup is supposed to be the tastiest. i dont know who tests those things - can't wait for my own tests though :D
how do you know when a golden hubbard squash is ready?
I always wait until the leaves have died back on the plants as I cure mine in the sunshine ( ::)) during Autumn as this help them keep well into Spring. It is also meant to bring out the best in the flavour
When I advise customers, I always suggest they try the fingernail test - if the nail cuts into the flesh it is not ready, if it dents then it is likely to be OK, especially if the skin colour is rich.
Loz
Hmm
I think I'd eat it too - I'm too impatient ;D ;D
Case of dont do what I do.....
Loz
Looks fab! :D
Cheers by the way!
I'm so jealous Wardy, the look fantastic - still, next year...
Just a few more. The big green one is a Marina di Chioggia (thanks Loz for the seed) :)
Ta :) The big ones are Crown Prince and have been most prolific. The smaller ones are Sweet Mama and I've not tried those yet. Can't wait :)
They look brill Wardy, I am itching to get harvesting mine, so much foliage I have no idea what I have! (If any actually!) Was going to try and leave them on the vine as long as possible as due to bad germination this year, they went out extremely late :-\
Most peeps just grow the big orange ones on our plots and it seems just a tad boring to me not to grow the different varieties. I think they grow them just to show off how big they are. Nowt wrong with that but they chuck the flesh away >:( Only use them for lanterns. They don't know what they're missing :)
At last -------------
Started the harvest - Wardy marinas looking good! ;D
Loz
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/LDBeeken/trug2.jpg)
Fantastic squashes. All look absolutely brilliant. :) busy_lizzie
Hi Wardy
I ended up with two jumbo pinks that are a good size (about 1 1/2 feet log and about 7in diameter) and a load of crown prince. The blue hubbards were also good, one huge one.
I will curry mine or roast with herbs - lovely. Soup and risotto too.
I got kings seeds cat this weeks and there are some good varieties in there. I will try a couple of new ones next year depending on the taste of this years. I am looking forward to the uri kuchis.
Loz
Very artistic Wardy!
They look lovely Wardy!
I don't know if it is just me, but I think squash flavour improves with keeping/curing a while, the butternuts certainly do. ;D
It is the only veg I won't give away........stores too well!
I really want to grow Crown Prince next year, it's my favourite for pie making...any tips? Am on light clay. Yours all look so amazing... :)
Mmmmmmm sweet potato........ might try those too....thankyou very much :)
Maybe I can try one in my old dustbin too...if I can stop my neighbours' potato experiments for long enough....darn you Monty Don >:(Ha Ha
Hi Wardy
At long last, the final harvest, now all stored and ready to be eaten ;D
Loz
my efforts. What is the collective noun for sqaush - squish ?
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y268/ajkcps/DSC00046.jpg)
Wardy. I have absolutely no idea what they are. They are either mutants from a supermarket acorn squash, something I bought from a school fete (I thought I only bought one and there was about 8 plants) or a mutant something or other. They fella next door gave me one plant I seem to remember ????? I did keep back supermarket seeds but the only things I bought 'for real' were pink banana and thye seem to be the correct shape. As for taste, I put them in a slow cooker curry and they went like soft sweet potato. My sister roasted hers and she said they were unripe. Do they soften with storing ? We got about 30 fruits so I can def send as many seeds if you want (pm me) but don't know whether they will come true. If you like a challenge ???
Hi folks, yes, look like winter festival. I tried my first ones this weekend, roasted in silver foil, whole, 170 deg, about 1.5 hours - superb!!! 8) 8)
They will deffo be on my 2006 list.
Crown prince is the best for currys - retains its texture well.
Oh, and I had some blue hubbard oven roasted in herbs - another goody for my 2006!
Loz
Yep, no probs ;D
I am looking for something different too for 2006, so will let you know when I find it ;)
We are doing chacha at work next year, a kabocha type, so that will deffo be going in (well I have to sample them , don't I, to make sure we are sending out qulaity seeds) ;D
Loz
How spooky. I was doing the cha cha last night at evening class. Didn't know it was a squash too.
Reminder to check your stored pumpkins and squashes. I found two going mouldy this morning - Crown Prince - which had rotted from the base :'(
I think they had got too hot in the house over Christmas as the heating has never been off.
Mine are still in the shed on the allotment. The biggest problem is mice or rats helping themselves ...
I found mine (stored in the garage) with a few soft spots over Christmas, so have made a huge amount of soup for the freezer and will freeze the rest ready for using in curries etc.
Yep, I'd better get cracking too before I lose the lot