Long Storage Squash

[digitS']

See,

the difficult circumstances are weather-related. Days-to-maturity are really just constructed, pie-in-the-sky. Lois Hole referred to them as "perfect" days. (Imagine gardening and advising gardeners in Edmonton Alberta.)

Commercial seed growers for some crops provide information on Growing Degree Days. Heck's Fire, the US Weather Service does it for us and bases the numbers on temperatures and the growing of corn.

Plants are not machines and they perform differently in different locations. Weather is far from static. We cannot know precisely when a variety will be ready for harvest but relying on results from one location is a problem.

All this is why I should make that trip to the mountains northern Spain, the Lake District of Argentina, and the hill country of Tasmania where growing season weather is similar to here. Of course, I might get lost and have trouble finding my way home ...

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

...
All this is why I should make that trip to the mountains northern Spain, the Lake District of Argentina, and the hill country of Tasmania where growing season weather is similar to here. Of course, I might get lost and have trouble finding my way home ...

Steve

don't worry, i'll send up a flare!

 

[MinnesotaGardening]

I have two sweet meat squashes from last year still sitting downstairs in a cool little room tucked under the basement stairs (not a proper root cellar, but not directly heated). They look perfect. I ate another one about 2-3 weeks ago and it was perfect inside and tasted great. I harvested them on October 3rd, so they are going on a little over 7 months of storage now.

 

[ducks4you]

Plants are not machines and they perform differently in different locations. Weather is far from static. We cannot know precisely when a variety will be ready for harvest but relying on results from one location is a problem.

All this is why I should make that trip to the mountains northern Spain, the Lake District of Argentina, and the hill country of Tasmania where growing season weather is similar to here. Of course, I might get lost and have trouble finding my way home ...

Steve

Every day I beat myself up for Not planting, and the weather would have killed what I DIDN'T plant. Even some of my 41 potatoes have a few shriveled leaves.
DD is right...we get a solid winter, a solid summer, and 6 days total in between pretending to be Spring and Fall.

 

[digitS']

@MinnesotaGardening ,

I grew Sweet Meat, I think it was, 2 seasons. It did pretty dang well!

Winter squash, one of my favorite veggies ... DW has a tendency to put too much butter and brown sugar on them. But, what can you do ?

I was able to save a Rock Star jack o'lantern pumpkin right through winter. There was not a single blemish on the rind. Inside, it was stringy and bland. No more of that nonsense!

I have Cinnamon Girl pie pumpkins coming up as starts in the greenhouse . I hope that they have some good vigor!

Steve
Bodily vigor is good, and vigor of intellect is even better, but far above both is character. ~ T Roosevelt

 

[MinnesotaGardening]

@MinnesotaGardening ,

Winter squash, one of my favorite veggies ...

I was able to save a Rock Star jack o'lantern pumpkin right through winter. There was not a single blemish on the rind. Inside, it was stringy and bland. No more of that nonsense!

I have Cinnamon Girl pie pumpkins coming up as starts in the greenhouse .

I typically use squash for anything that calls for pumpkin in a recipe. Do you know any pumpkins that are worth growing for their flavor (better than a good squash)?

 

[digitS']

No!

This will be first pie pumpkin that I have ever grown. Storage is important to me and I recognized that all those in this group of "pie" were too late in maturing. This was also true of the ones that were not C. pepo but called pumpkins, none the less.

I may have said in this thread that 2019 was the first year that Burgess Buttercup failed. I'm not really sure, and there would be a few years when I didn't have a garden, but growing Buttercup in my garden may go all the way back to the 1970's. I've tried related varieties including the Kabochas and had misses. Finally, I thought that I had a winner with Cha Cha. Last year almost did those in, also.

There is but a small chance that 2020 will defeat those 2, just based on past performance. However, growing the things are one of the most important reasons for me to have a garden! I need backups! (So that I'm not left pouting on the end of the bench, again.)

Steve

 

[MinnesotaGardening]

No!

This will be first pie pumpkin that I have ever grown. Storage is important to me and I recognized that all those in this group of "pie" were too late in maturing. This was also true of the ones that were not C. pepo but called pumpkins, none the less.

I may have said in this thread that 2019 was the first year that Burgess Buttercup failed. I'm not really sure, and there would be a few years when I didn't have a garden, but growing Buttercup in my garden may go all the way back to the 1970's. I've tried related varieties including the Kabochas and had misses. Finally, I thought that I had a winner with Cha Cha. Last year almost did those in, also.

There is but a small chance that 2020 will defeat those 2, just based on past performance. However, growing the things are one of the most important reasons for me to have a garden! I need backups! (So that I'm not left pouting on the end of the bench, again.)

Steve

haha Yes we don't want you left pouting! I bet that this year has to be better than last year. At least I'm sure hoping that's the case for me, because last year was one big mud puddle of a garden. I do try to grow a variety of squash for that reason, but I'm spoiled and have the space. Plus, I'm quite partial to my favorites and would still sulk if certain varieties failed. I tried long island cheese pumpkin last year (not sure if its a true pumpkin) but wasn't super impressed with the texture or storage.

 

[seedcorn]

Is this a v

haha Yes we don't want you left pouting! I bet that this year has to be better than last year. At least I'm sure hoping that's the case for me, because last year was one big mud puddle of a garden. I do try to grow a variety of squash for that reason, but I'm spoiled and have the space. Plus, I'm quite partial to my favorites and would still sulk if certain varieties failed. I tried long island cheese pumpkin last year (not sure if its a true pumpkin) but wasn't super impressed with the texture or storage.

Is this a variety that you can keep the seeds? Always grown butternut but this sounds interesting-for a large squash.

 

[digitS']

@seedcorn

If you are asking about Sweet Meat, Territorial Seed describes it as "One of the heirloom treasures of the Northwest." Where I bought the seed, it was listed as Oregon Homestead.

If these varieties that we plant are different species, seed from several squashes can be saved each year. I was in trouble with La Madera because it immediately crossed with others. (Those bumblebees do a job on squash.) The seed company stopped offering the variety.

Steve