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Squash varieties

Started by Humbug carrot, October 19, 2015, 13:04:03

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Humbug carrot

Could anyone suggest some squash varieties I could grow to extend my squash repertoire so to speak.
I currently grow butternuts, Sweet dumplings and mini pumpkins, but would like to branch out to other interesting and tasty squashes.
The area I put down to squashes tends to grow each year, and I see so many weird and wonderful squash names on this site it would be good to try some different ones next year, but which are worth growing?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Humbug carrot


BarriedaleNick

Got to get a plug in for 'Uchiki Kuri' (or Winter, Onion, Hokkaidoor or Potimarron Squash)

A good grower and a tasty squash

http://www.seedaholic.com/squash-winter-uchiki-kuri.html
Moved to Portugal - ain't going back!

saddad

Crown Prince, Jarrahdale (?), Queensland Blue and Vif Rouge D'Etampes... would be my choices...

galina

Buttercup or Bonbon F1 if you like a similar hybrid and all of the above  :wave:

Humbug carrot

Thanks for all the suggestions, I will certainly give 'Uchiki Kuri' a go, and Queensland blue.
Thanks BarriedaleNick for the link, a very interesting site.

Silverleaf

Thelma Sanders acorn squash has done best for me this year, which seems to be a really bad year for growing squash. I've only eaten the immature fruits so far but they taste really nice so I have high hopes for the ones I'm going to store for winter.

cambourne7

Hi

I have grown Jespee de vendee which is a nice Heirloom Squash and good for soups and cooking  as it has a nice sweet taste.

http://www.organiccatalogue.com/Seeds-Vegetable-Seeds-Vegetable-Seeds-S-Z-Squashes/c21_22_43_114/p1321/SQUASH-Jaspee-de-Vendee/product_info.html

Courgette wise i have these to try next year supposed to be a climbing courgette.

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/vegetables/vegetable-seeds/pumpkin-squash-and-courgette-seeds/courgette-shooting-star/tt52080TM

sparrow

Another vote for Potimarron, they are lovely and taste just like chestnuts. Lots of squash descriptions have that line in, but these really do. In a similar vein I love Black Futsus. Also very nutty in taste and very pretty. Thelma Sanders are more savoury and 'squashy', but also very tasty. Tonda Padana is also very good - more on the savoury end than the nutty end. If you get what I mean.

I prefer smaller squash - Rouge Vif etc are all too big for 2 of us to manage easily, though a couple of bigguns is nice to have. I absolutely didn't rate Muscat de Provence last year. And Crown Prince/Queensland Blue/Rouge Vif all tasted pretty much the same to me.

Obviously it's all personal taste - and I don't know how much my general neglect affected their flavour, particularly for the big ones. QBlue weighed in at over 4kg each, likewise Crown Prince.

galina

#8
Just a couple of comments on the species of the squashes mentioned.  The different squash species have different growing and storing features.  Unfortunately not all seed companies list the species of their seeds and some get it wrong if they do!

Black Futsu and Tonda Padana are cucurbita moschata, which (like the butternut squashes) need more warmth than others.  My Black Futsu were very small, as the year was just too cool here.  But moschatas usually store for months.  Thelma Sanders, Sweet Dumpling and Jaspee de Vendee are cucurbita pepo and pepos generally don't store for very long, not much beyond the new year.     Most squashes mentioned are cucurbita maxima and those are the real winter storage squashes which can last well into spring next year and still taste delicious.   

Shark Fin Melon, cucurbita ficifolia, is the longest storing squash, they can keep going in good condition for two years! 

Obviously all storing squashes need regular inspection.  If they have any (invisible) faults, they can develop rot spots sooner or later, and need eating before they perish in a heap of mush.  Often they start going soft at the point where the stem attaches to the fruit.
:wave:


picman


Digeroo

#10
I like tromba d'albenga.  Very tasty and store well. It is the same family as butternut but skin is not so tough

sparrow

Hi galine - I have Tonda Padana definitely as a maxima, not a moschata. I have seen it listed here and there as either a pepo or a moschata, but the leaves are wrong and they have a corky stem.

galina

Quote from: sparrow on October 20, 2015, 10:02:09
Hi galine - I have Tonda Padana definitely as a maxima, not a moschata. I have seen it listed here and there as either a pepo or a moschata, but the leaves are wrong and they have a corky stem.

Sparrow, Thank you for the correction!   :happy7:  - I haven't grown them yet, no personal experience and take your advice on this happily.  Bad seed companies for getting it wrong ............   :glasses9:   Actually I was holding off growing them because I thought they were moschata - maxima are much easier in cooler parts of the country   :wave:

sparrow

They are a nice squash, and not too big either. Am going to grow them again next year.

chriscross1966

Winter Festival if you want a smallish one, Boston Winter if you want a biggie, Dill's Atlantic Giant if you want a Halloween tourist attraction

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