Allotments 4 All

 KIKUZA seed from Jeannine

"Kikuza squash is a Japanese heirloom winter squash that dates back to the Edo period.  The plants have a short vertical profile with dark green foliage that can run for ten feet or more.  Each vine can set several pale-colored fruit that develop a light tan finish when mature.  The flesh is sweet, dry and has nut-like overtones." From internet's description. We haven't tasted these yet.

PENNSYLVANIA CROOKNECK (seed from Jeannine) and the dark green squash are CONFECTION
Some of the BUTTERNUTS. You can guess what we'll be eating lots of this year. And next year.

WOW!!!! That is stupendous ;D

Quote from: pumpkinlover on October 17, 2011, 21:58:07
WOW!!!! That is stupendous ;D

There are many things I can't grow year after year, but squash seems to be no problem except for borers.

Borers? you mentioned them before and I forgot to ask then?

Do you bump your head on them ;)  er the squash that is not the borers!

Quote from: pumpkinlover on October 17, 2011, 22:05:46
Borers? you mentioned them before and I forgot to ask then?

Do you bump your head on them ;)  er the squash that is not the borers!

Borers- don't worry, your part of the world doesn't have them. They get in the stems and the plant collapses.
The squash hang high enough we can walk under them. A lot are given away. In stores they sell for $1.29/lb. I'll
have to calculate how much we've "earned" ;D

Is that the basement you store them in GrannieAnnie?

Quote from: pumpkinlover on October 18, 2011, 07:09:29
Is that the basement you store them in GrannieAnnie?

yes basement and they hang over the walkway so if one happens to fall it won't land on
anything critical. We've only had a couple fall (one fell on a bottle of homemade wine-notgoodbigmess-which taught me a lesson-- but that happened after they'd hung for almost a year.
I keep an eye on them and use up any that start looking like they might rot.
Easy to see why the American Indians stored these underground for the winter as their food source.

all is looking great GA  8)

I also grew Kikuza this year, mine have yet to change colour. I guess they'll ripen on the windowsills  :)

I had the best harvest this year!
I had 6 Black Futsu (you can see one in this pic), 2 big Queensland Blue, and 2 other mysterious grey-blue pumpkins.

I also got a huge Atlantic Giant - 8.2 kg!

and there are 4 orange pumpkins (one got eaten before the pic was taken) - funny because I only planted Turk's Turban - the others appeared magically!

Antipodes- your glossy orange ones are beauties!
Last year my Queenslands had a greyish-green color and almost flattish blocky look to them, not like yours at all.
Interesting the many variations.

I am unsure where the orange ones came from! That big one is rock hard and very glossy! I only planted Turks Turban and Atlantic Giant, maybe they are a variation on the AG?
The QLD blue is the ondulated one giving a piggyback to the Black Futsu! I have 2 like that with the distinctive shape - the other grey ones, I don't know what they are! I may have planted something else by mistake, Goodlife swopped me some seeds but didn't think she had something like that in the package!
They are all really healthy but now I wonder what I will do with them all!!! Last year I had a boxful which was plenty! But this!?  8)

Quote from: antipodes on October 18, 2011, 14:54:54

They are all really healthy but now I wonder what I will do with them all!!! Last year I had a boxful which was plenty! But this!?  8)

Such a problem others would die for. ;D

My Queensland blue (seed from HDRA seedbank) is very blockish with flat vertical sides and green rather than blue. It may change colour now that it is inside in a sunny window. Quite surprised that it did so well so far North in Glasgow in a poor year weather wise. Most of my other squash have done well, the outstanding success being small sugar, which gallops for miles and miles. Sweet Lightning did not do well as it takes too long to start fruiting compared with the rest, and it gets caught out by our shorter season this far North.

Quote from: realfood on October 18, 2011, 19:27:32
My Queensland blue (seed from HDRA seedbank) is very blockish with flat vertical sides and green rather than blue. It may change colour now that it is inside in a sunny window. Quite surprised that it did so well so far North in Glasgow in a poor year weather wise. Most of my other squash have done well, the outstanding success being small sugar, which gallops for miles and miles. Sweet Lightning did not do well as it takes too long to start fruiting compared with the rest, and it gets caught out by our shorter season this far North.

Glasgow! That IS amazing. Do you grow them in a box like some on this forum?

All my Winter squash were transplanted into the open ground at the start of June, covered with a Lidl cloche for the first month and then told to get on with it!!