Next is Uncle Dave's Dakota Dessert. This is a buttercup type. I was really disappointed in this squash. It was extremely dry. almost flakey. Not what I expected in a buttercup. Maybe I will try the Burgess strain. Anyone have any comments on this type squash?

Next is Sibley and I can see why the woman in Mo. raised this for over 50 years. This is an excellent squash. It cooks up perfectly for my taste, is an excellent keeper and is one of my favorite maximas, along with Lakota, which I did not grow this year.

Next is Futtsu. Very good squash, prolific and is keeping well.

This next is Guatamala Blue Banana. Excellent producer and cooks up well but you will need an ax to cut it. I could not cut it with a knife without the aid of a wooden mallet.

The bottom row left puzzles me as I bought this as Amish Pie Pumpkin but it does not look like any picture I have seen of APP. The large one is 35 lbs but a grey-green instead of a buff-orange. Any thoughts as to what this might be?

The next is Greek Sweet Red. This was a late setting squash and about one third came loose from the stem before maturing and they are not keeping very well.

This next group of 8 squash in 3 shapes is Seminole. I did not know there was so much variation. I thought they all looked like the small tear shaped squash in Amy Goldman's book. The large ones are not keeping well as they are starting to spoil from the stem end. They did set late so maybe they were not quite mature.

Next is Potimarron. A smaller squash that I have not tried yet. Not too prolific for me but I lost 2 plants.

Next is Canada Crookneck. this is a great squash. Excellent texture and tastes great. Very prolific but a few did have split necks but I think that was from too much water this summer.

Last is Mrs. Amerson's. Later setting and the one I tried was not as good as a few of the others but will try another later. Keeping well.

Thats it for this year. Next year I will probably plant Warsaw and Canada Crookneck for moschata and Sibley for a maxima. I possibly will try a Kobacha.

We did make a trip to The Great Pumpkin Patch at Arthur, IL this fall and we picked up a Dickinson squash and my wife made the best pumpkin pie I have had so I will probably get some of those seeds from Sand Hill.

Jack

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

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

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

Silvia

Steve

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.

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.

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.

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)

Silvia

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.