what are your favorite winter squast?

i cant find a thread on this..so here goes..
ive grown many varieties of hybrid winter squash over they
years.. i have a friend that grows some wonderful heirloom
winter squash..so i asked her..what are you growing..and what
would you wished to grow this yr..and i'll grow the ones you dont
and we can trade..:)
so..what are favorite winter squash.. successes.. best growing
practices, whatever ya all wanna chat about on winter squash
i would like thoughts on these varieties..im going to grow this
2014 season..
queensland blue, australian butter,greek sweet red,and sweet meat
hope to see others thoughts on this..
and MERRY CHRISTMAS to ya all !!!!! :)

mm.oops on the typing for title of thread..
sigh..
what are your favorite winter SQUASH..
lol

I like Carnival, a colorful acorn squash. Tastes good, and just the right size for two people.

Butternut. Waltham Butternut. Tough against diseases and pests, stores a long time and tastes like squash should!

After all the various winter squash (OP) I have grown, I keep coming back to Waltham Butternut as the most reliable, tastiest and longest keeper. I usually plant 1-2 others just for fun (last year it was Red Kuri), but I depend on butternuts to feed me over the winter.

One butternut is aplenty for 1-2 people and if I'm serving more folks, I just increase how many I'm cooking, whether soup or roasted. Big squash like the tasty Hubbards largely go to waste unless I have enough freezer space.

size of the squash is one thing im sure taking in consideration..
one yr i planted a butternut squash.. end of season i had over 80 squash..
lol..what was i to do..my son and i sure had alot of squash that winter..LOL
it did store well though.. i dug a pit in garden..lined with peat moss..filled with the
squash and covered with straw..
i do think id like to save some and freeze.. nothing like squash soup in jan.. mmm
tasty..

must say Waltham Butternut works well for me too. But there are so many tempting pretty ones out there. I don't have the room to play with a variety of vining things.

Waltham Butternut, I like an acorn once in a while. I've grown Table Queen, Table Queen, White Acorn and Table Gold Acorn. I liked eating them all. Table Queen was the most productive but grew large vines. The others are more or less bush plants.

For a bigger squash I like blue hubbard and true green hubbard. I've grown pink banana and didn't like it as well as others so I'm not inclined to grow it again.

I vote for Waltham butternut too. I use them for savory eating and in pies. Though blue hubbards are fantastic they are huge. Like others, I've played around with different varieties but WBs are a mainstay. We harvest between October and November when the vines turn brown. The squashes store on the counter through March. Every other variety I've tried starts to rot way before then. Delicata is very short lived.

Waltham butternuts are good, but they are rather big for a family of two. Are there any smaller butternut varieties? I only know of one: Metro (from Johnny's).

I've grown Honey Nut and Nutterbutter.

My notes for Honey Nut said: "4-6" long, bright orange. Plant neither productive nor disease/pest resistant. Flavor inferior to Waltham. Flesh drier than Waltham.

As I recall, I got hardly anything off the vines because they were so et up with problems, so I didn't test storage characteristics.

I grew Nutterbutter last year. Notes: "5-7" long mostly slender fruit. Good variety. Not as tough or productive as Waltham. Heavy pickleworm losses. 14 lbs. harvested."

Nutterbutter is storing as well as Waltham so far, and tastes very similar to me. I lost about 50% to pickleworm. By comparison last year I has the same losses with Waltham and harvested 33 lbs.

If you want a small fruited version of Waltham (the vines are just as big), Nutterbutter was a pretty fair tradeoff.

Waltham is a great squash. If some of you feel it is to big it freezes well after cooked. Mywife just puts it in zip lock bags.

Smaller butternut squashes than Waltham:

Hunter (Territorial Seed Co.) - hybrid, fruits 1.5 - 2 lbs (compared to 3 - 6 lbs for Waltham), shorter vines
Early Butternut Hybrid (Vermont Bean) - hybrid, 2 lbs average, slightly shorter vines
Metro (Johnny's) - hybrid, 2.5 - 3.5 lbs, powdery mildew resistant, shorter vines
JWS 6823 (Johnny's ) - hybrid 3 - 4 lbs, powdery mildew resistant, shorter vines
Butterfly (Harris) - hybrid, average 3.5 lbs, powdery mildew resistance, shorter vines
Butterbush (Jung) - hybrid, 2 - 3 lbs, bush plant, bred in the UK, apparently not the same as:
Burpee's Butterbush (Burpee) - open pollinated (as per Fedco who also sells), approx 1.5 lbs, shorter vines

I've grown the Burpee's Butterbush and have had good results when grown in good soil (in nearly pure clay soil, I got tennis ball sized hollow gourds, but in my garden plot from the same seed, got wonderful 2-3 lb squash), that stored a long time, and I ended up cooking and freezing the remaining squash.

I don't know what you are putting in your garden, Cyber, but average weight for Walthams is two to three pounds. In fact, Walthams are known and grown as a smaller butternut weight crop. There is some ability to control the weight depending on how many fertile fruits you leave on the vines and clipping runners once a limited quantity of fruit sets. If a grower is aiming for small then let as many fruits set as possible. Though I do some of each I find the smaller fruits don't store as long and use them first.

Maypop, my Waltham's are larger as well, mostly in the 4 lb. range, and I let plants set as many fruit as they will. Perhaps there are multiple strains? Mine came from Seed Savers Exchange originally.

I weighed all five remaining squash today and have nothing over two pounds. Mine are small because I don't cut vines but still...maybe it's when you weigh? Winter squash should be cured and will continue to loose water over the season. Can you show pics of your squash size and weight? I can.

http://www.newenglandvfc.org/2003_conference/proceedings_03/cucurbits/high_plant_populations_plasticulture_technique_increase_winter_squash.pdf

http://www.gethsemanegardens.com/category_s/172.htm

http://www.gurneys.com/product/waltham_butternut_winter_squash_/squash-seed

Apparently there are variable opinions on fruit size. A weight debate was not the topic, just an aside comment based on personal experience. Not worth quotation.

Maypop,

The weights I listed are all taken from the seed catalog descriptions.

EDIT: The Burpee's Butterbush is the only squash in the above list that I've actually grown. The year I grew the Burpee's Butterbush that went crazy, I didn't do anything special. But I ended up with over 20 squash per plant, many over 2 pounds each, and squash literally growing on top of each other in the small space they were growing in. And if I tried to duplicate it, I'd never be able to.

This message was edited Dec 31, 2013 12:34 PM

It might be safe to say the average weight of winter squash is relative to the time of harvest and/or curing time as well as storage time and methods. Perhaps my squash would weigh more with better culture. I get, on average, six to eight per plant and generally do not tip vines. I also do nothing, beyond original soil prep, to enhance growth. Though summer squash is a challenge in regards to insect problems, winter squash is fool proof for me. Put the seed in the ground and let it grow. My Walthams were harvested approximately early November, as I recall. I leave them in the garden until vines are long dead and gone and bring them in before freeze. I rely on Waltham squash for Thanksgiving pies, handmade ravioli, roasted squash and onion dishes and many other recipes. I've been growing and enjoying them since the 1980's. Maybe mine are not up to par but they fit the bill.

This has been an informative thread, I appreciate your experience. I'm going to try Waltham and Delicata this year as well as Carnival. Depending on results, next year I may try NutterButter.

Don, Delicata is good but does not store well. After growing it a couple of times, and trying to figure out why, I ran across information indicating it has more the qualities of an overgrown summer squash. It is thin skinned so if you grow it be sure to use it first.

I found a few photos of squashes past. The close up on the counter is the year I saved seed and went with whatever happened. Interesting experiment but once was enough.

i am anxious for growing season.. ive only grown butternut..this yr i have
4 heirloom winter squash im going to grow.. i just know im going to be giving
alot away come oct..LOL...
its what we all love though isnt it.. just growing things, harvesting fresh,tasty vegys/fruits
and the learning we get along the way..
much thanks to posters.. hope will follow up during 2014 growing season..with pics
how all our plants are doing..

Im envious of your success. I've had my garden for 2 years so I'm still a beginner & I'm looking for some help. I've tried growing spaghetti squash, acorn squash (golden something?), butternut squash (nutterbutter), buttercup, sweet dumpling, zuchini (black beauty), yellow crookneck, & yellow straight neck. Know how many squash I've harvested? 1. it was about 4" long. It was a yellow straightneck. I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I'd really like to successfully grown these squash. My kids love them. I live in Central Florida so the soil is less than ideal but I add organic matter & potting soil & compost. I feed the plants weekly. Any ideas or suggestions?? The squash plants usually grow well & look healthy. They get blooms. Then nothing happens. Ive tried self pollinating but even that only worked the 1 time. Any ideas would be welcome. Thanks guys.

Homestead grows much of the country's summer squash in winter but I've never seen winter squash grown in S. or S. Central FL.. I'm originally from S. FL.. Maybe someone else knows differently. Sandy, fast draining soils and high pH present challenges. Nematodes too. Squash likes a steady water supply. I'd consider container growing and doing some research on best soil mixes. We have been progressively under siege from stink bugs each year. I use row covers, inject stems for vine borers, plant earlier, plant later and chant anti-bug mantras. Winter squash is okay but summer squash barely makes it through two weeks harvest.

I will try containers. I even added flowers last season thinking that maybe the blooms weren't getting fertilized. It didn't help. All my other plants produce wonderfully. It's just the squash that refuses to produce. But I will try the containers & maybe some covers for the Containers?? Hopefully that will help. Thanks MayPop.

Brown thumb, you say plants are healthy and blooming, but no squash? Two causes I can think of. 1) No pollinators. You can hand pollinate. 2) By the time you get blooms, its too hot to set fruit. I've never heard of this happening with squash, tho.

And 3) You are over fertilizing.

The followup question is whether you get *female* blossoms, or all male ones?

Well on the yellow crookneck & straightneck & also the zuchini I see the female blossoms ( they have the squash in the stem under the blossom so I can tell its female) on the others I'm not sure. i've never seen anything in the stem under the blossoms, just the flowers on the vine. Also, I have hand pollinated, thats how I got the 1 yellow squash. The others I have hand pollinated will seem like they pollinated but then just rot & fall off... As far as fertilizing, I have sand, not soil here in central Florida, so I use a combination of Miracle Gro Fruit & Vegetable soil, composted manure, compost I've made, a package of micro nutrients I get at the local nursery, & my original sand-soil. I mix all these in a wheel barrel, then work it into my garden about a week before planting. After planting I mulch with either eucalyptus or pine mulch. Then the only thing I do is use liquafeed by miracle gro every other week & some of the above mentioned micro nutrients every other week. My sand-soil is so fast draining that my local extension office recommended this schedule. I also have to water daily because of how fast the soil drains. All my other plants have produced very well. It's just the squash that refuse to bear fruit. Its so frustrating because on the yellow squash & zuchini I can see the little squash under the blossom all ready to grow but even when hand pollinating, they just die. I really want to successfully grow squash. I added 3 merigold plants, 2 pentas, a geranium, & 2 other purple bell looking flower plants whose name I don't remember, thinking that would attract bees & such to help with pollination but the same thing just keeps happening. The plants grow, they look healthy, they blossom, I try to pollinate or let nature pollinate, then the blossom dies & falls off. Then the whole cycle repeats. Do you think any of what I'm doing is causing this? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated as this is the only crop I have had this much problem with. O & also, I started using bt on the plants once they produce blooms because 2 tries ago, I found little green worms with a white stripe on their back in the vines of my zuchini. But I apply the bt as directed & don't overdo it. So ??

Try skipping watering every day. squash love a dry heat. they should even wait 2 days tween watering so they do.t trust theyll get water everyday and start trying to hold their blooms.

Make sure you hand pollinate in the am. Squash blosoms don't remain viable very long.

Good info guys. Thanks!

My problem is usually after they get so big, that black mold hits em, then they quit. If you have a way, do a drip line drip feed and try to keep it off the plants...

i know u all down in tx will be able to plant soon..sigh.. alot of cold
snow here still.. of course..
that doesnt stop me from making growing season plans.. :) i think its
half the fun.. the planning,new ideas..etc..
im going to plant 4 long 60 ft rows.. i will start the seed inside in peat pots
then transplant peat pot and all right into the soil.. i have row covers worked out..
so..until nite temps get ok..the seedlings will be ok.. for here thats usually
1st part of june.. but.. weather..ya just got to go with what comes.. :)
looking foward to this yr... hope others post pics of there successes..things
they would have liked to have done different..
i learn so much from others here.. very grateful !!!!!

I recalled another winter squash that was a great favorite called Long Pie pumpkin. It's an open pollinated New England heirloom that did gangbusters for me down South; the elongated, smooth orange one in photo three. Several favorite seed purveyors listed by you all have it. Made the best pies and flans ever.

Mom & I keep coming back to Butternut, too. Mom prefers Waltham, I am going to try something more compact. I also like Buttercup (Burgess is the old standard variety) because it is easy to clean the seed cavity, and then I can use it as a casserole dish.

I tried a lemon squash that was new to me, but the darn worms keep at it until I finally gave it up and pull it. Maybe I'll try again and ad the covers to see if I can get some. Thanks for the info.

Jan

Row covers are only good until you have female flowers. Then you need to either remove the covers and prepare to use something preventative or hand pollinate. You could live on the edge and get up early a.m. (in the dark), pull the covers, and re-cover a few hours after sunrise. Bad bugs get up early too. From a totally non-scientific perspective here it seems female flowers come on later and are less prolific with the covers. I also think my pollination is not as good as indicated by a lot of aborted fruit. Perhaps it's because the population of pollinators has not been built up during the male flowering period.

interesting info

I also have a preference for butternut type squashes. Dicks pick from Jung Seeds is a larger squash that has much more flesh vs seeds. http://www.jungseed.com/dp.asp?pID=03615&c=147&p=Dick%27S+Pick+Hybrid+Butternut+Squash

I have had good luck with that variety and I still have several in my basement. They make a great ingredient for vegetable purees. You can cut only the part u need and the remainder keeps well in the fridge.
http://www.gurneys.com/product/argonaut_hybrid_butternut_winter_squash_
This year I am going to try Argonaut.