Who grows winter squash?

[TheSeedObsesser]

We've grown Buttercup, Butternut, Acorn, Sweet Potato and Sweet Dumplings. All have good tastes and reasonably sized seed cavities.They would be the "standard" varieties in my area.

I tried a locally grown Blue Hubbard last year. The darn thing must have been juicier than a watermelon. Actually all of last year's squash have been watery, they didn't last long either. The plants got too much water.

Journey, your Jumbo Banana squashes were early!? Wow. How do the plants do with squash bugs? We'll be doing CSA and farmer's markets by the 2015 growing season. Your description got me considering a smaller strain of Pink Banana, which should be even earlier!

P.S. Baymule, maybe after we get our farm going I'll send you some squash.

 

[PhilaGardener]

I have had excellent luck with Pennsylvania Dutch Crooknecks. Varieties of C. moschata are the most reliable for me because I have a terrible time with squash vine borers and moschatas are resistant because of their solid stems.

 

[journey11]

We've grown Buttercup, Butternut, Acorn, Sweet Potato and Sweet Dumplings. All have good tastes and reasonably sized seed cavities.They would be the "standard" varieties in my area.

I tried a locally grown Blue Hubbard last year. The darn thing must have been juicier than a watermelon. Actually all of last year's squash have been watery, they didn't last long either. The plants got too much water.

Journey, your Jumbo Banana squashes were early!? Wow. How do the plants do with squash bugs? We'll be doing CSA and farmer's markets by the 2015 growing season. Your description got me considering a smaller strain of Pink Banana, which should be even earlier!

P.S. Baymule, maybe after we get our farm going I'll send you some squash.

I can't give you an exact DTM, but I recall them being the first winter squash I harvested that year. I didn't have hardly any squash bugs that year, but I can't say whether the plants themselves had anything to do with it. Past couple of years I have been totally plagued with them, even though I grew very few squash than I used to. Our weather has been weird, wet and unusually mild in the winter the past two years, so that encourages them, I'm sure.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

The squash bugs have been my arch-nemesis of garden pests for the past few years. We've had the same odd weather the past couple of years. Hopefully this cold winter that we've experienced this year (or last?) made a dent in there population. The war against the squash bugs may be at a stalemate for the moment, but it's not over!

Good for you Philagardener! I like to hear that one of Pennsylvania's treasured local heirlooms is being preserved in your garden! Now only if somebody would grow the Upper-Ground Sweet Potato Squash.

 

[Hal]

This thread exploded with activity while I was snoring my head off here in Australia so everyone is getting a response in one.

Ridgerunner, I thought that might have been the case but I was hoping you had a new squash for me to seek out for my collection!
Arikara, I'm pretty sure I grew when I did my hubbard type grow out. Worth growing for sure.

Thistlebloom, NwMtGardener suggested one of the things I do in my home. I usually put some in the living room or the dining room on a shelf or in a basket. Make sure you turn and inspect them on a regular basis no matter where you store them.
Squash have differences in flavors, would you like yours to be sweet? nutty? dry? moist? Sorry for all the questions I'm trying to come up with a good suggestion.

Baymule do you have room for summer squash?

Smart Red, do you save your own acorn squash seed or are you buying seed/starts? Also which acorn is it? Some acorns cultivars are much better than others.
Do you wish to stick to acorns or would you like to try something sweeter?

Journey11, lots of good info there! Good to know someone grows a banana type. Heads up on the Galeux D'Eysines, good squash but the skin is highly variable as under some growing conditions it ends up almost completely smooth so don't be upset if yours is not ugly as can be.

TheSeedObsesser, that is a good assortment of squash. Yeah hubbard squash should not be that moist, you hit the nail on the head with figuring out the problem though.

PhilaGardener, Pennsylvania Dutch Crooknecks are a great squash. Table quality is excellent and they are all neck meat.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i've had decent luck with the butternut, but i'm not the one that eats them-my mom loves them! i'm hoping to have a lot next year to grow and store for her in my root cellar. also have luck with acorn squash and i had some delicata one year grow well. i finally got my hands on the bush delicata and hope those will mature early enough this summer. i've had a delicata survive over a year kept in my kitchen though it did shrink and turned yellow. it was to dry to enjoy when it was found.

i got seeds a couple years ago for Sweet Meat but i haven't tried them because i didn't realize they could take 115 days to mature. in NH i really need something that will mature around 90 days. this year i will give them a shot and some space to grow. here's hoping for a long warm growing season this year!

 

[thistlebloom]

Thanks Hal, how about sweet, nutty and moist? Or any one of the three, with nutty my priority. Our season is on the short side too. Can they be started indoors to get a jump on the season?

 

[Hal]

Thanks Hal, how about sweet, nutty and moist? Or any one of the three, with nutty my priority. Our season is on the short side too. Can they be started indoors to get a jump on the season?

Sweet and nutty I can do, moist will depend on growing conditions and cooking method somewhat in addition to which cultivar it is your growing
If you want sweet and nutty try Red Kuri and I also get good feed back on Kikuza, Futsu and Yokohama when I give them away. Many varieties of or supposedly of Japanese origin tend to be sweet and nutty and all of these are good keepers.
I'll be honest all I do with Red Kuri is cut them into segments and steam or boil them until cooked and eat myself stupid on it. I don't use any seasoning as they to me are a good balance of sweet, nutty and tender.

I almost forgot, Red Kuri is a shorter season squash and yes they can be started indoors as long as you are careful to give them extra root room and not disturb the roots at planting time. Growth can be sped up outside by using a manure hot bed and/or black/red plastic.
I can explain the manure hot bed if your able to get fresh horse manure and are interested.

 

[digitS']

Okay, I'm going to say something about these recommendations not because I know anything . . . just because I'm excitable . . !

Thistle' what do you think of Libby's canned pumpkin? And, have you tried Butternut? I don't know if it makes much difference but 3 of Hal's recommendations (Kikuza, Futsu and Yokohama) are Cucurbita moschata. (Now folks, we have to encourage Thistle', maybe she once had some pumpkin muffins or something that she liked and the "pumpkin" came from a can.)

Yokohama is really an interesting looking squash! I remember thinking the same about "Black" Futsu when I have seen the pictures. Despite that name . . . I might try the earlier Futsu someday. DW isn't too "sold" on Butternut flavor but, Good Heavens, these don't look like a Butternut( a C. moschata)!

I was so surprised that these are listed as C. moschata, looks or not, that I went back and checked on Red Kuri. No, a maxima. Generally, I like the flavor of the Japanese veggies I've grown! The Red Kuri has been grown around here, Thistle'. I know some folks in Deer Park who have grown it. The only thing "bad" I've heard was a Utah gardener who said he wasn't impressed with it's flavor, while showing us a gorgoues Red Kuri. He usually grows hubbards, I'm quite sure but I wouldn't expect this to be a lot different.

I'd be delighted to recommend a little Kabocha because I like the flavor too but I just can't seem to get them very far along in this climate.

Steve

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

I'm thinking about giving "Cream of the Crop" a shot next year. It's a white acorn type squash. I found it listed as 55 days until maturity at Baker's Seed. It has some pretty nice reviews.

With that kind of earliness you could have ripe squash weeks before the rest of the town.

 

[digitS']

The only predictable winter squash I grow is acorn squash. It is just the size for one or two meals per squash with no leftovers. It is true that the soil plays a big factor in squash taste. . .

And, that was my problem with acorn. They did not have a good flavor. Three different varieties - 3 seasons, no good.

I blame the soil. I had grown tasty acorns in another garden.

Steve