For winter squash I’m going to continue making my own hybrid, borer resistant strain of maxima-type squash. I also grow some butternuts.
This year I intend to introduce a lot more maxima material since there was a lack of pollen for the Tetsukabuto to cross with. They still made lots of fruit without abundant C. maxima pollen. But those non-pollinated fruit were vegetal and bland. The fruit with viable seeds were sweet and rich. Didn’t seem to matter if I harvested early or on time.
Saved
Tetsukabuto
Marine Grey
Honeypatch 898
Honeynut
In Packets
All of the above
North Georgia Candy Roaster
Pink Jumbo Banana
Theron’s Winter Harvest
Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead
Blue Kuri (Adaptive)
Blue Kuri (Fedco)
Red Kuri
Lower Salmon River
Doran Round
Sonca Orange Butternut
For Zucchini I am just selecting based on surviving vine borers. I have seed saved from a few plants which made it.
I’m also going to be letting these cross with pie pumpkins and long pie to try and create a sort of dual purpose zucchini/summer squash.
My Honeynut vines were around 16’ from end to end. I didn’t alter where they went at all, you could definitely have made them more compact. Somewhat compact would be how I’d describe them.
The related Honeypatch 898 is a little smaller and a very compact bearer. 3 of those vines produced just as many fruit as my 2 Tetsukabuto plants which stretched maybe 40’ end to end. Less weight obviously than the Tetsu, but lots of fruit.
I grow them to eat. They’re not as sweet and magical as kabocha or butternut. However, they have a high yield, so I add them to soups and stews where the squash doesn’t have to be the star.
Anyone know if there’s any truth to floating seeds being bad? My partial eclipse have a 0% germ rate after 2 weeks at 75. I just put some in to soak again and they all floated
Seeds float when the organic matter inside dies. It creates an air pocket. So there is definitely truth to it. It is not a 100% effective method though. Floating seeds can germinate sometimes.
My queen tromboncino before planting yesterday. It’s amazing how many years it’s taking me to figure out when to start things. Ran out of time to plant a second one, hopefully tomorrow, but did get an equally massive Cucuzza in the ground. These will be started 2 weeks later next year!
Cucumbers went in about that big, pumpkins have been crazy slow to germinate this year. I think it was too cold in the new spot I was seed starting. Heat pad and reseeding helped. I have a Thai kang kob, musquee de Provence, butternut squash (I think it’s pilgrim) and 2 Long Island cheese to plant when I have time. I can’t seem to get king ka ae or musquee de maroc to germinate, which is killing me because I wanted to try the kka and the mdm is super fun looking for the kids. Most of these seeds came from Annie’s and it’s my first time ordering there. I’m going to reorder this winter from one of the seed stores I know better.
Same here! I started two or three rounds of seeds during that month+ long heat wave California had several weeks ago and nothing. I finally figured maybe they were old seeds & it’s too early and bought a new pack. Before I could start them, the old seedlings started poking up. Probably four weeks for that round and the earlier ones didn’t come up at all
Seed recommendations needed- where have people gotten curcubits Moschata that germinate well? I ordered all of them (aside from TKK) from Annie’s as my first time buying seeds there. Abysmal germination for all except tromboncino. All the seeds either seemed empty or composted and the inside turned to gu- if anyone knows what does that…Need to reorder and ideally asap to get some direct sown soon. I did not get any of musquee de maroc to germinate, some butternut and king ka ae (that I so wanted to try!).
Edit to add the internet says dampening off and it was my fault. I’m just confused because this has never happened before and I tried two rounds after the first clearly failed.
Also- is Pilgrim butternut really bush? Trying to figure out where to put it.
replying because I’ve got a precocious friend here. bees have been in and out of the greenhouse in the daytime this week and i just noticed this hiding behind other trays, this plant was at the back.
these and the trombocinos and the strange big candy roaster saved seeds are doing the best of all my cucurbits. i have some triamble and kabocha that are very rootbound and ready.
i went from 2” soil block up to 6” pot this year. i like to get them out already about to, or already in, flower. they do a little better than the late planting
patty pans are going in direct sow on i think Monday- that’ll be a day I’ll put out other starts and some seed
I had terrible luck terminating any of my squash or watermelon. Not sure why, though when I soaked em they all floated so maybe they were just duds. Idk.
I haven’t had any germination issues anywhere I’ve ordered melon & squash seeds. For moschata (really hybrids but moschata in form) specifically I have germinated seed from Row 7 and Baker Creek and did well with both of those.
all of my seed is fedco, sandhill, Johnny’s, adaptive. or saved seed.
some of it was getting older and not stored very well- my pink banana squash got damp and warm, and molded. i was hoping to plant them in again this year.
one or two trombocino have gone wild. this one is in a 4 inch pot. it’s going the ground tonight.
I planted out the finally germinated pumpkin seedlings this weekend — three Big Max: one in an almost hip-high, relatively narrow grow bag halfway filled with recipe 420 (bottom half leftovers & recycles). Hoping to get something out of the high octane potting soil, never had luck with pumpkins before but also didn’t have the appropriate sun or space. Other two seedlings are in medium-good sun but in a former chicken run, so curious to see if the best dirt on the property is enough to counteract less than all day sun.
Mexicana zucchini I got at the county master gardener sale about 3 weeks ago opened its first flower today, so that was fun. It’s roommates with a lemon cuke in a half-whiskey planted I had laying around. Costata Romanesco from an older johnnys pack and in a 5gal is a bit behind but not too far
