Mars Squash

Starlight · February 9, 2015

Does anybody happen to know anything about this squash? I received a few seeds of this squash and they are older. The packaging looks like at some point it might have come from someplace like Park's or T&M since it came in a little white package with the name Mars Squash typed on the outside of it.

Now I have googled and googled, but I can't find a squash named Mars. I did find a pumpkin named Mars, but I don't think it is the same thing as if it was a pumpkin, wouldn't the company have typed pumpkin instead of squash.

The seed looks to me like a squash, but than I am not all that familiar with a lot of the pumpkin types and all my pumpkin seed are bigger and not half near as fat as these Mars seed are.

I would love to find out a bit more about this squash , if anybody happens to know about it. I plan to grow a few seeds out, but would be nice to know for sure it is a squash a head of time for planting room. Would hate to have a pumpkin all all over the squash plants.

Redbaron · February 9, 2015

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/150498/#b

I just googled it, I haven't grown it.

Starlight · February 9, 2015

Thank you for the link. I went to it and in the title it says pumpkin, winter squash.

Dumb question here, but how can it be a pumpkin and a squash at the same time?

I also heard, and have no idea if it is true or not, that if you plant pumpkin next to your squash, that they will become like a pumpkin and be hard and I think stringy is the other word the person used.

So I still not sure what I have and where to plant it. I have some new cultivars to try this year of squash. New for me anyways and I sure don't want to have them turn into pumpkins. I want fresh, good tasting squash this year if possible, not a Cinderella coach.

Darren Abbey · February 10, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starlight

Dumb question here, but how can it be a pumpkin and a squash at the same time?

Botanically there is no distinction between a 'pumpkin' and a 'squash'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starlight

I also heard, and have no idea if it is true or not, that if you plant pumpkin next to your squash, that they will become like a pumpkin and be hard and I think stringy is the other word the person used.

What you heard is an erroneous mutation of what really happens. If you grow a pumpkin and a squash together, pollen from one will fertilize the other. This will have no impact at all on the fruit produced by both plants. It will impact the children of both plants, but this is only a factor if you're saving seeds for growing next year.

Starlight · February 10, 2015

Thank you Darren! That sure helps a lot.

Glad to know what I heard is not true. I feel so much better now. I'm just starting to grow different cultivars of the squashes and pumpkins and I know I have a lot to learn about them yet.

I appreciate all the help.

Darren Abbey · February 11, 2015

It is surprising how often I hear the same myth/mistake.

There's lots of diversity around. If you do want to save seeds from your fruit, you'll have to take some extra measures to ensure the flower wasn't pollinated by some other plant. Squash are very... promiscuous... with the help of bees and other insects.

February 9, 2015	#1
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	Mars Squash Does anybody happen to know anything about this squash? I received a few seeds of this squash and they are older. The packaging looks like at some point it might have come from someplace like Park's or T&M since it came in a little white package with the name Mars Squash typed on the outside of it. Now I have googled and googled, but I can't find a squash named Mars. I did find a pumpkin named Mars, but I don't think it is the same thing as if it was a pumpkin, wouldn't the company have typed pumpkin instead of squash. The seed looks to me like a squash, but than I am not all that familiar with a lot of the pumpkin types and all my pumpkin seed are bigger and not half near as fat as these Mars seed are. I would love to find out a bit more about this squash , if anybody happens to know about it. I plan to grow a few seeds out, but would be nice to know for sure it is a squash a head of time for planting room. Would hate to have a pumpkin all all over the squash plants.

February 9, 2015	#2
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/150498/#b I just googled it, I haven't grown it. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

February 11, 2015	#6
Darren Abbey Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 586	It is surprising how often I hear the same myth/mistake. There's lots of diversity around. If you do want to save seeds from your fruit, you'll have to take some extra measures to ensure the flower wasn't pollinated by some other plant. Squash are very... promiscuous... with the help of bees and other insects. __________________ http://the-biologist-is-in.blogspot.com

February 10, 2015	#5
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	Thank you Darren! That sure helps a lot. Glad to know what I heard is not true. I feel so much better now. I'm just starting to grow different cultivars of the squashes and pumpkins and I know I have a lot to learn about them yet. I appreciate all the help.