Volunteer squash

[annageckos]

Every year I get a few volunteer squash plants in my compost pile. I normally let a couple grow to see what I get. I've gotten cute little mini pumpkins which I assume came from the ones I bought for my rats and guinea pigs. Two tone egg shaped gourd which I have no clue where they came from and regular pumpkins too. This year I have one growing well, I call it a semi bush type. It is bushy, but starting to grow outwards too on a very thick stem, kind of like a cross between a vine and bush type squash. The squash that are starting to develop look like butternut squash. Which is weird because I have never grown butternut squash and haven't even bought any from the store. This winter the only type of squash I've bought is buttercup, kabocha and spaghetti squash. If this is a butternut type how do I treat it? Should I leave it on the plant until it starts to die back? The only winter squash I've grown so far has been sugar pumpkins. Should I treat it like I do them? I love these surprises that pop up, I find them very interesting.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Watch out for it to start to rot where it touches the ground, but leave it on until it is really hard. You should have trouble sticking a knife or fork in it. That's my normal test to see if they are ready. The stem is likely to die too while the plant lives and keep growing. They will change color a bit too. I haven't grown sugar pumpkins but it is a lot like regular pumpkins.

If you get them too young they won't keep really well but as long as you use them before too long they taste good. Ripe is better though.

Unfortunately they are not like cantaloupe where they separate from the vine when they are ready. It takes a bit of a learning curve, but you will learn pretty quickly.

 

[annageckos]

Thanks @Ridgerunner. I should add too that right now they are green, like unripe pumpkins and maybe 6-8 inches long for the biggest ones. The plant is loaded with flowers too.

 

[digitS']

Butternut squash is rather unique in the produce aisle in that it's about the only representative of
Cucurbita moschata you are likely to find there.

The kabocha and buttercup are C. maxima squash. Spaghetti squash is a Cucurbita pepo as are Jack o'lantern pumpkins (zucchini, too). Those C. pepos seem to cross-pollinate readily! At least twice, when that has happened in my garden, the result was a plant with oblong fruit, something like a gourd.

Steve

 

[annageckos]

So the buttercup squash I planted this year can't cross with the others I have? I have two types of zucchini, lemon squash, sugar pumpkins and spaghetti squash. I don't save the seeds from my pumpkins or zucchini because I have heard they can cross, though I'm sure that some of the volunteers I've had have come from them. If the buttercup do well I'd like to try and save some seeds. I want to cut down on the seeds I buy every year by saving some. Letting some mustard greens go to seed now to save them, and snap peas.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I found a squash plant on the compost pile. I took it off and planted it next to the compost bin. I also planted a tomato plant there. They are both doing great. I have to wait and see what kind of squash it is. I think it is a zucchini.

 

[digitS']

Unless something flies over the neighbor's fence, we should all be able to save seeds from the 3 common types of squash. The problems we get into are mostly from growing the pepo squashes/pumpkins.

We'd have to swallow hard and make some kind of decision on those.

Now, I say this but every year I want Jack o'Lanterns, summer squash, and not one but 2 or 3 maxima varieties!

Steve, the bumblebee's friend.

 

[Smart Red]

I found a couple of volunteer squash(?) plants hiding in the strawberry bed. How they got there is anyone's guess, but I left them. Wonder what will develop?

 

[annageckos]

It's always fun to see what surprises you get. Do you have any idea what they could be? Hopefully they don't shade out your strawberries.

 

[Smart Red]

They are rig

It's always fun to see what surprises you get. Do you have any idea what they could be? Hopefully they don't shade out your strawberries.

They are right along the edges of the raised bed. I plan to add a fence for them to climb so shading out the strawberries won't be a problem. I am hoping/thinking they are cucumbers. The leaves are about the same size as the Munchers I grew last year.