How much winter squash does everyone grow?

I wanna grow some dipper gourds, but have never tried anything but pumpkins in the past I have no marrows (winter squash) this year.

I just planted some Beung karn Thai squash. I got from Wintersown. I know very little about these but I love squash and with the size and colors of winter squash the little kiddies dig them. I got some Kabocha from Wintersown as well but I didn't want to mix as I have already planted some pumpkins and I think they are both Curbit Maxima?SP.

Debby I grew some sweet dumpling squashes in between my corn rows this year and they really struggled to get some light. But that could be a result of how close my rows were as in too close.

My chickens must be spoiled for they won't eat pumkin or butternut squash. i even microwaved the squash and they still didn't eat it.

digitS' said:

HiDelight said:

. . . I planted an entire package of each but only have 4 plants of a Japanese winter squash (I can not remember the name but it begins with a "K" ) . . .

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Kabocha, HiDelight?

I really like most winter squash but many do not fully mature here and, therefore, don't have good storage life. The safest bet for me is Burgess Buttercup and it has a real good flavor.

Kabocha is related but didn't work. I love sweet potato types but discovered that I'd only get a storage crop 1 year out of 3. Acorns are fine but they don't seem to have a good flavor coming out of my garden . . . ? I even gave them to someone once who had the nerve to tell me so - honest, anyway . Maybe it's the make up of the soil.

A fully-mature buttercup will last until March on a basement shelf. And most importantly, it will make the bestest pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas !!

Steve

PS: Pumpkins are used for jack o'lanterns then cut up, steamed, and frozen for the chickens. They seem to like the smoky flavor of the wax candle .

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it is not Kabocha good guess ..it is another "K" argh I will try to find the name it is different

so are the half black half orange pumpkins I figured I had not luck with common squash and pumpkins so I thought that maybe I would try something I had never seen or heard of

I consider winter squash as absolutely necessary as spring asparagus and summer tomatoes . I do whatever it takes to get a good crop, including picking stink bugs off all summer. I've been growing the huge heirloom squash/pumpkins to get loads of meat for freezing and using all year long in muffins, cookies, bread, waffles, pancakes, soups, etc.

BTW, for the person who mentioned tastless acorns, try Thelma Sander's sweet potato squash (an heirloom acorn). It's the best acorn I have ever tasted! It is really prolific--I got something like 100 squash from a packet of 20 seeds. I got the seeds from Seed Saver's Exchange. It grows really nicely, does not attract the squash and cucumber beetles, and really is tasty for an acorn squash.

We are still thinking of planting some winter squash. We'll see if we get around to it. It would have to be one of the smaller varieties. We have lots of volunteers growing in the millet and broomcorn and we are looking forward to finding out what they'll look and taste like. So we'll have something, even though we didn't plant any.

i planted a full package of it - figured what i dont eat or freeze or dehydrate - i'll feed my chickens... lol - thats how i've planned most of my garden. what i dont eat - they will. out of 20 chicks - one of them will like it

plus i love to dehydrate squash in slices - makes a great "diet" chippy type of snack

I'm glad you brought this old thread back up, Naughty - altho' we will probably never find out what HiD grew in 2009 !

We had a difficult start to the growing season last year but my buttercup did okay. What also did good was . . .

Cha Cha Kabocha!

I actually had 2 types of Kabocha last year. One was a little thing and thin-walled so I'm sure you will forgive me that I can't remember its name.

Cha Cha did as well as the Burgess Buttercup for me! It had been recommended by a Colorado gardener who lives in an even more seriously winter squash-challenged area, I suppose. The thing I like about the Kabocha vs. the Buttercup is that the Kabocha doesn't have that big button on the blossom end! That whole part of the fruit is unusable in the kitchen.

Anyway, I want to relate that after another year trying some alternative to the one I've grown for 30+ years -- I may have found a nice choice in Cha Cha .

Steve
who has Cha Cha out there in garden right now - beside the Buttercup ,

edited to add: squash chips, eh? i've got a dehydrator that has never been used! maybe that would be a good one to start with!

Please more info on chips.

I've got 4 hills of butternuts. They usually give me more than enough for my family.

I picked up a couple of buttercup squash plants. Despite the squirrels digging them up at one point, they seem to be doing well. I also planted some organic blue pumpkin. Those are getting big.

Because hard winter squash can store for so long I don't really think there is such a thing as "too much". Especially if you have poultry. Even my ducks will eat pumpkin. Once they get soft, just split one open and let them at it!