I picked most of mine a couple of weeks ago but now the leaves have died back a bit and I've finally done some clearing, I spotted a few I'd missed. A welcome bonus a Blue Ballet, one Australian Blue, 3 Little Gem and 4 very small Autumn Crown, they are about the size of Hooligan!
Are yours all picked?
Yes- unless there are any hiding under my nasturtiums!!
Quote from: caroline7758 on October 27, 2013, 09:40:01
Yes- unless there are any hiding under my nasturtiums!!
At first glance I read that as Yes the are stored under my nasturtiums!!!! :drunken_smilie:
I only had one plant germinate this year and lost the label. The two fruit that grew on this plant are a fawn colour and have a very odd shape. I don't recognise them at all! The seed must have been a cross from a previous years plant. It looks like a cross between a butternut and a patty pan. I might cut one open today and roast it.
I think it's time to throw out my squash seeds and buy some new ones!
Yep all brought in to safety today. Crown Prince, Uchikiri Kuri, Thelma Saunders, Black Futsu and others that I have to find my labels for so I have some idea what they are. 43 in total though - cant be bad.
Quote from: Paulines7 on October 27, 2013, 11:23:38
I only had one plant germinate this year and lost the label. The two fruit that grew on this plant are a fawn colour and have a very odd shape. I don't recognise them at all! The seed must have been a cross from a previous years plant. It looks like a cross between a butternut and a patty pan. I might cut one open today and roast it.
They sound pretty, let us know how they taste.
Quote from: gwynleg on October 27, 2013, 13:41:44
Yep all brought in to safety today. Crown Prince, Uchikiri Kuri, Thelma Saunders, Black Futsu and others that I have to find my labels for so I have some idea what they are. 43 in total though - cant be bad.
Great haul :toothy10:
I've Black Futsu on my list for next year, they sound delish :happy7: I've not grown them before are they productive and how do taste?
Not yet. I've 7 U.K. to harvest.
Welly job in this godawful weather. :icon_scratch:
I am very proud to announce that I have grown a butternut squash for the very first time & I didn't even plant it :toothy10:
It was a rogue seed that was in my home made compost
It has been ceremoniously plonked on the kitchen scales ( 2lb 7oz :glasses9:) and had its photo taken !!!
Debs :icon_flower:
Quote from: Debs on October 27, 2013, 15:36:47
I am very proud to announce that I have grown a butternut squash for the very first time & I didn't even plant it :toothy10:
It was a rogue seed that was in my home made compost
It has been ceremoniously plonked on the kitchen scales ( 2lb 7oz :glasses9:) and had its photo taken !!!
Debs :icon_flower:
Congratulations Debs. I've never been able to grow the darned things.
Quote from: Debs on October 27, 2013, 15:36:47
I am very proud to announce that I have grown a butternut squash for the very first time & I didn't even plant it :toothy10:
Debs :icon_flower:
Yayyy :icon_cheers: and for free! Are you going to save seeds or just try the old compost method again? :toothy10:
Jayb - don't know how Black Futsu tastes as only harvested not cooked as yet. Had to look them up on internet as not sure if they are the little ones or big ones that I harvested. Just double checked and think they are the small ones - pretty prolific from 2 plants - will count how many next time I can
Quote from: Debs on October 27, 2013, 15:36:47
I am very proud to announce that I have grown a butternut squash for the very first time & I didn't even plant it :toothy10:
It was a rogue seed that was in my home made compost
It has been ceremoniously plonked on the kitchen scales ( 2lb 7oz :glasses9:) and had its photo taken !!!
Debs :icon_flower:
Debs, so it did grow for you after all :sunny: excellent! Was hoping it would do it for you although time was short. Thanks for telling us about it :wave:
Hello all.
I harvested mine two weeks ago. It's my first year of growing winter squashes (apart from pumpkin.. I only averaged 2 to 3 per plant of Autumn Crown, Bon Bon & Uchiki Kuri which doesn't seem a very high yield. 4 pumpkins have matured but the rest do not seem to be doing too much in the greenhouse. Can they be use if they stay mainly green?
Regards
Bluecar
I have tried 3-4 varieties of butternut squash in the north-east and struggled to get much more than foliage. Gotta be doing something wrong. I've tried 4 years and had 4 the size of tennis balls from about 25 plants........
Have the most enormous haul of Pink Banana, Turban, and Gem squash all stored that will keep us fed for months.
It is the one veg guaranteed to keep you happy through the long winter because of its versatility and warming colour. :happy7:
Quote from: kt. on October 28, 2013, 23:42:25
I have tried 3-4 varieties of butternut squash in the north-east and struggled to get much more than foliage. Gotta be doing something wrong. I've tried 4 years and had 4 the size of tennis balls from about 25 plants........
It's not you but your location. North Yorkshire is at the very edge of growing squashes, unless the plot is very sheltered. And butternut squashes are hard to grow anyway. They are species cucurbita moschata. The easiest to grow moschata for me is the tromboncino/trombolino squash.
If I were you I would look for cucurbita maxima species of squash for better success, especially the ones with shorter growing times. Uchiki Kuri or Buttercup or the hybrid BonBon should be more successful. And of course starting them off early (April) indoors, then planting them out under cloches into June etc.
There are many maxima suggestions on this website:
http://www.bobby-seeds.com/Maxima-Seeds-all:::12_14_16.html?cPath=12_14_16&language=en
The cucurbita pepo species is also easier to grow. Gem Squash, Delicata and Thelma Sanders are some suggestions that might do much better for you. However these won't store as long as the maxima squashes.
http://www.realseeds.co.uk/wintersquash.html
Hokkaido and Anna Swartz are maxima squashes that are early, as is their Buttercup.
Unfortunately they don't give the latin names, which doesn't make it easy to see what species a squash is. Their Thelma Sanders is also recommended (c pepo).
The organic gardening catalogue also has a good selection of early squashes that stand a better chance in your climate:
http://www.organiccatalogue.com/Seeds-Vegetables-Vegetables-S-Z-Squashes/c21_22_43_114/index.html
Perhaps choose from their selection the early ones such as Buttercup, Blue Ballet, Crown Prince, Green Hokkaido, Uchiki Kuri and Zapallito
Just a few ideas for you (I have no connection with any of these seed companies)
Mine are all in the greenhouse now,butternuts and some blues from the seed my sister sent me from down under.
November 3rd, just picked the last cricket ball today (had a bit of a growth spurt this last week, more like a hand ball in size!), plus the last two courgettes. Amazing, usually the plants would have been frosted off weeks ago, just a hint of ground frost the other night and that's it so far here (Oxford).
Adrian
yes today pulled up the last tromba plants and saved their last fruit as baby courgettes adding to the collection in the shed being 'cured'also pulled the last all green bush things - v late year but no powdery mildew as usual
they are big plants so hope they compost down soon