favorite winter squash?

[tjg911]

i only grow butternut for 2 reasons - they are immune to the squash vine borer due to having solid stems and they store until april. i have tried many hollow stemmed varieties but the svb just kills them.

i had problems with zucchini and yellow squash as they also are hollow stemmed but since they produce fruits so fast that while the svb often did kill them i would get a lot of eating before it happend. i discovered a few years ago that if you plant out your zucchini and yellow squash after the svb has laid it's eggs (here that is july 4th) that you can have zucchini and yellow squash plants that don't die as all the eggs have been laid and the svb life cycle is over.

so this year i planted delicata squash but it has a typically long winter squash maturity (about 100 days) so waiting until the 4th of july is impossible so i covered them with floating row covers and will remove them on july 4th. i expect to have healthy plants and get squash in september. i never considered this when planting other hollow stemmed winter squashes!

what are your favorite winter squash? i am interested in flavor and storage.

thanks,

tom

[Jeannine Anne]

Potimarron, most of the Aussie blues and anything from the Delicata family

XX Jeannine

[carolyn137]

Any Buttercup
Any Delicata type, but they don't store well
Any Butternut type

I've grown lots of different winter squash varieties from Triamble to the warty one from France whose name I can't remember to spell, as well as the Cinderella one from France whose name I can't remember to spell without looking it up as well as some winter squash varieties from various Indian tribes, seeds from Native Seeds/Search and the above three general groups of winter squash are still my favorites.

Maybe I should have added acorn varieties to the above general groups as well, but for me they're pretty limitied in how you can use the flesh b/c it does lean to the stringy side sometimes, so I just half the squash, put some butter in the center, perhaps a dollop of maple syrup, sometimes some sausage, and just bake it.

Tom, we don't live that far apart and I never, but never have had problems with borers. I wonder why?

[OmahaJB]

Tom,

I'm attempting to grow Amish Pie & Musquee de Provence this year. Will see how it goes and report back in this thread if I'm successful. They both sound like great ones. AP can get over 60 lbs. according to Baker Creek's catalog while MdP can get up to 20 lbs.

Baker Creek's description says Amish Pie is an excellent long-keeper, and SSE's description of Musquee de Provence says it's a good keeper. Maybe others can comment on these two who have actually grown them. I wanted MdP based on the looks and description of the flavor. AP I wanted because of the flavor and size indicated in the blurb.

And of course, if I'm successful growing them I'll save seeds to offer anyone interested.

Carolyn,

The warted French variety you mentioned might be Galeux D'Eysines, although there's another one I believe that gets warts like that I've seen in the seed catalogs.

Jeff

[carolyn137]

Carolyn,

The warted French variety you mentioned might be Galeux D'Eysines, although there's another one I believe that gets warts like that I've seen in the seed catalogs

****

Correct Jeff, and as I said I have to look up the spellings for many varieties, be they squash, tomatoes, whatever.

I get as far as:

Shaka, or whatever, that's the green when ripe one, I call it Malachite Box.

Vjerino_____________, that's the pink heart.

Well you get my drift.

And while I'm here, no sign of any germination of the daylily seeds that were sowed outside last Fall, as I always do with daylily seeds, but I also know that sometimes it takes two years to get something up, so fingers crossed. Freda reports back to me so that's second hand information. But quite disturbing is also the fact that a local daylily hybridizer named a variety after me, got it registered and all that, and Craig brought two plants last Fall, and they haven't appeared again either. My place is awash with daylilies, some moved here from my previous place, some newly purchased, and all of those are doing very well.

I know, I should have PMed this info to you but I'm lazy and have you here now, so that's that.

[OmahaJB]

Carolyn,

Just for the record I had to look in the seed catalogs that were handy and type the names out from them. Speaking French must be a real tongue twisting affair as I have enough trouble with reading and sounding out the names in my head!

Sorry to hear the daylily seeds haven't yet germinated for you. I had started mine indoors with success, but I realize outdoors directly seeded it may take longer. Maybe you'll see them when it warms up a little more. I know here it's supposed to get in the high 80's this week, and today in the low 90's actually.

Tom,

While Carolyn was replying to my post I looked on GW for 'Best Keepers', and found a thread titled 'Best Winter Squash'. Glad I did because I learned alot in a short time. For instance the c. maxima types are more susceptible to the vine borers, which you obviously already knew, since you have been growing other types because of them.

Anyway, here are a couple comments I found interesting that may help, although I know some are the c. maxima types. One of the comments I didn't write down mentioned they only grow Musquee de Provence for looks because they like other varieties much better. So scratch that from my original reply.

One of the posters from WI, or a couple people actually really like Amish Pie, which is the other I'm growing. They said: "All-time favorite. Excellent flavor, texture, and storage qualities." I believe that was the person who offered seeds for it in March. Said he had hundreds of seeds.

Another raved about Sweet Meat: "Dense, flavorful, and and an amazing keeper. Stores easily until March/April."

Someone from England wrote: "Best for storage and flavor are Buttercup, Kabocha, and the varieties from Australia & New Zealand, Jarrahdale, Queensland Blue, and Whangaparoa Crown."

I'm curious if sevin dust would help with the vine borers. I've never used it for anything so don't know but did see it mentioned for another type of insect while reading a couple of the threads over there.

[carolyn137]

Someone from England wrote: "Best for storage and flavor are Buttercup, Kabocha, and the varieties from Australia & New Zealand, Jarrahdale, Queensland Blue, and Whangaparoa Crown."


****

Kabocha and buttercups are essentially the same kind of squash except for the placement or lack of it of the belly button.

I've also grown Jarrahdale and Queensland Blue and with the addotion of Kabocha varieties will stick to my original list of faves.

[Jeannine Anne]

Squash is my passion, I currently have a seed collection of about 600 varieties.

Triamble which is one of the best Aussie blues is an excellent keeper and it's flavour is very good. The taste of Jarradale on the other hand which is also an Aussie blue is poor in my opinion.

I grow many squash and pumpkins for their decorative value too.

If you can tell me what size of squash you are looking for I can help you better with taste and keepability.

XX Jeannine

[Farmette]

I am growing Galeux D'Eysines, Jarrahdale and Blue Magic squash for the first time. After reading this, I wish I had planted a buttercup or butternut.

[Jeannine Anne]

Farmette, your Blue Magic is a a very good squash, it is a scaled down version of a Blue Hubbard,it is especially useful in small gardens as it's growth is quite compact so won't take over , it will only grow to about 5/6 lbs but ther flesh is sweet and firm ad it will get sweeter in storage, so don't be in a hurry to eat it, 4 months or so and it will be at it's best for sweetness, but it will store longer.I am growing this one again..fairly regular one for me.

Jarradale is not a poor squash, but compared to the other Aussie blues it isn't as flavourful, however it will do well in soups etc, and is better than most pumpkins for that, so don't worry. I rate my squash and pumpkins by the taste and texture they have when just steamed or baked and without extra flavourings, if they stand alone then I rate them high.Some will be more than fine when they have additional extras, roasted round a cut of meat eg will do it and Jarradale will fit in there too. It is a good looking squash too about 6lb

Your Galeuse d'Eysines is a stunning squash to look at ,warts and all, squat and wide and an impressive 15 lb or so, will be quite acceptable for table use if you add butter and saute or roast it, or make it into soups ,as a stand alone it is watery.

X Jeannine

[OmahaJB]

Jeannine,

How do you rate Amish Pie and Sweet Meat compared to other varieties? And do you consider Musquee de Provence more an ornamental, or is the taste ok too?

Thanks, Jeff

[Jeannine Anne]

Just re read... I have grown Musquee e Provence many times although my notes show smaller weights of 11/12lbs Stunning to look at and one of the few cheese types that ae flavouful it has good texture so has a place on the dinner table and very decorative too.

Amish Pie,-I prefer Small Sugar baking as the size is much smaller and the texture and flavour is excellent .

I agree with Carolyn regarding the good keepers except that I find the delicatas store store better than their reputation if stored well, thin skinned compared to most others which is the reason, but I could get through to March which is OK for me.

Spaghetti types are the poorest storers I have found.

Sweetmeat is another that I grow quite regularly,another blue , an excellent storer and the flavour is good,a decent size at about 15 lbs with a bigsprawling vine.

Most of the buttercups ahve a good flavour and store well, I particularly like Red Kuri,and the Kabochas eg Autumn Cup at about 4lbs.

XX Jeannine

PS sorry for the typhos,I can spell I just can't type!!!

XX Jeannine

[OmahaJB]

Thanks for taking time to explain, Jeannine. Glad to hear Musquee de Provence is more than just a decoration. My first year for growing squash and it's interesting watching how prolific the Amish Pie vines in particular are. MdP is starting off a little slower.

[Farmette]

Jeannine:
It is wonderful that you are able to give us such firsthand knowledge of the squash varieties. Now I am looking forward to those I have planted, especially the Blue Magic!
Thanks so much!

[tjg911]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Tom, we don't live that far apart and I never, but never have had problems with borers. I wonder why?

because i have them all here