Very nice, thanks for sharing! You're inspiring me to find some space for winter squash next year. The one buttercup I tried to grow this year was done in by squash bugs shortly after setting fruit. The Sibley sounds really intriguing. I need to figure out how to get my husband to start eating squash. Sometimes I'll make squash for me and a potato for him, but still don't eat it near as often as if he liked it, too.

Great harvest, and nice reviews on all of these. Thanks!

lantanascape

I know what you mean. My wife loves summer squash but will not touch winter squash unless made into pumpkin pie. My grown children and I love it. We just steam or bake it and mash it up like mashed potatoes and sometimes put some brown sugar on but the Sibley does not need anything. I told my wife to just mix some pumpkin pie spice in it but no go.

Jack

Beautiful set of winter squash, thanks for the lesson. Can you give a source for Futtsu and Sibley?

I will like to grow them in the future based on your wonderful review.

Silvia

What a great display, and thanks for the ideas for next year. Regarding the Amish Pie Pumpkin. I have grown it for several years, saving the seed each year. What originally attracted me to it was that blusih coloring. Some years they are, some years they aren't, this year in sounthern WI, Madison area, mine were as buff / orange as your pictured Mrs. Amersons. That's half the fun of saving seed, you never quite know what you are going to get. It could also be cultural, mine are in a bed that used to be shaded by 40 yr old spruce trees and the soil is still fairly acidic. Maybe they are bluer in more alkaline soil?

Steve

OMG, 400-500#s from three hills?!? That's amazing. And your wife doesn't like squash!

How many plants to a hill? How much space do the vines take up? How far apart are the hills?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get a handle on that.

I was thinking the same thing. 400 lbs!!!
Tell us more!

Me, three! Four hundred pounds from three hills?! Amazing! I'm growing that one next year. I'm with Mauirose in wanting to know how big the vines get so I know how much room to give it.

Thank you for posting that spread with all the descriptions, Jack. Very informative, and beautiful as well. I see three I want to grow next year ~ Warsaw, Sibley and Amish Pie. The Amish sounds like it might be a "pH plant" like hydrangeas. That'd be a hoot if it is.

I think you may have had some other seed mixed in with your Seminole pumpkins. I believe that the bottom three and right two are Seminole but the left three large ones that you say aren't storing well look more like 'La Estrella'

{{gwi:133393}}

Though the image is kind of small and not the best for identification.

Sorry for not responding sooner but our internet connection has been down soon after I posted this. Dial up goes down when it rains or snows much and we just finished a big snowstorm.

Silvia

I got the Futtsu from Sand Hill and the Sibley from Baker Creek. I also saw Sibley at Fedco but not Futtsu.

I saw a post by you last year and you had a squash that I think you called Seminole and it looks like my 3 Seminole to the left of my group of 8. Weirdtrev says they look like a squash called 'La Estrella'. What do you think and where did you get your seed?

My problem is that I had Seminole seed from 3 sources. Sand Hill, Fedco, and Baker Creek. I had opened all 3 packs over the past 2 years but none matured in 08 so I don't know which one was which. I had one hill of about 4 seeds of the one that looks like La Estrella and harvested 20 squash at 12-17 lbs each so it was a good producer but most did set late.

Steve

You may be right about the ph. My soil runs about 6-6.3 but I thought Amish Pie was more strawberry shaped and mine was more flattened but not as much as a Long Island Cheese.

Mauirose

I planted 2 hills about 10 feet apart and had about 4 plants per hill. I had one other hill about 500 feet away as I don't like them together due to bug problems here. They spread out about 25 feet but if they get too close to something else I just prune them back.

Mailman22

I just had a good year I guess. We also have fertile soil here being in the heart of the corn belt( I am a farmer also). The ground I used this year has not had a crop of any kind for 10 years also.

Knittlin

Maybe I will try Amish Pie from another seed source and see if I get the same thing.

I got my Warsaw seed from George McLaughlin(AKA Macmex)
I think George also named the squash.

I also have some seed as I hand pollinated several squash but I don't have many of the round ones like he has.

Weirdtrev

Thanks for the input on the Seminole. I didn't think there would be that much variation.

What information can you give me on the 'La Estrella'? I have not heard of that one. I think I know where my seed came from so I may contact them to see if anyone has had the same results.

Hi Festus

Thank you for the info on the winter squash varieties. I am a lifetime eater of winter squash and had sample a lot of varieties. As far as growing them, I am fairly new.

My first try was when I moved to Florida 2 years ago. And I saved the seeds and share them friends here, nobody was aware about this squash. A lot of people tried it this past season and got the same thing that I got. At that time, it was my only squash growing.

Real seminole or not, made some good eatings, just baked, in soups or breads.:o)

{{gwi:133394}}

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: seminole pumpkin source

I have one similar to the one in the bottom left of the picture
There is a link to the picture
I grew a giant pumpkin and a Acorn Squash showed up on it's own and I tossed it into the compost pile and this is what grew out this year

Here is a link that might be useful: Any Idea What This Is ?

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/archive/index.php/t-330221.html FORUM
Woodchuck: "Fruit is variable in form; may be nearly round, oblate, oval, oblong or pear-shaped, sometimes with a curved neck; ranges in size from 5 in. wide or long, to 1 ft. or more in width or length. Some specimens are more or less distinctly ribbed. Fruits of different form may occur on the same plant. Large fruits weigh 6 to 8 lbs. Skin color is usually yellow-buff or dull-orange, often with pale or whitish spots or streaks; some fruits are partly or largely striped with green or green-and-white. Flesh is thick, orange to reddish-orange, succulent, usually of rich, winter-squash flavor, varying in sweetness. Seeds are white with a distinct, yellowish margin when dry; oval, nearly flat, 5/8 in. long."

I would like to try Mrs.Amerson winter squash for this year's garden. Any comments on this variety for growing ,taste an keeping?

markwv
I did not care too much for the Mrs Amerson but I only grew it one year and it could do well in your area. I got my seed from Sand Hill. Does not keep as well as a maxima.

My favorite so far is Canada Crookneck for a moschata and Sibley for a maxima but maximas are harder to grow here in the midwest. I only got three last year before the SVB got them. The others that set did not mature.

Our other favorite is Dickenson, a Moschata that I believe Libby used for their pumpkin. That is what we use it for; pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkin bread, etc. Seed from Sand Hill. There is also a hybrid called Buckskin but I only see it from NE Seed. I usually try one or two new varieties each year so might try Sunshine this year and maybe Bucksin, but we really like the Dickenson.

I am really getting spring fever as this has been a cold snowy winter. Monday will be -20 and more snow tomorrow. Lp prices have skyrocketed.

DKH2

Looks similar to sweat meat but that is a maxima and your pumpkin-acorn squash would be c pepo more than likely. I had a cross with my Sibley last year so must isolate or hand pollinate.