Heirloom Yields?

[FlySammyJ]

I love squashes! The sweeter ones that you could try might be Sweet Dumpling and Delicata. I have actually made a curry soup with Australian Butter (that's my all time favorite though and I make everything with it). Galuex d'Eysines have a super velvety texture. Butternut Waltham was delicious on it's own with some butter, and awesome in a sweet casserole I made. Black Futsu has a hazelnut flavor. It was my veterinarian's favorite squash I gave him! He absolutely raved about it. The White Acorn was very mild compared to other Acorn types. These are all winter squashes. Were you thinking of winter or summer squashes or both?

I'm so glad to hear you like the Australian Butter, I ordered it along with the Thelma Sanders this year. Growing up in the deep south, summer crookneck squash were just everywhere and I have a pretty tasty one that makes the nicest cool summer soups. Do any of you grow multiple varieties of squash and save seed? How do you handle pollination?

 

[Peaches Lee]

I'm so glad to hear you like the Australian Butter, I ordered it along with the Thelma Sanders this year. Growing up in the deep south, summer crookneck squash were just everywhere and I have a pretty tasty one that makes the nicest cool summer soups. Do any of you grow multiple varieties of squash and save seed? How do you handle pollination?

Yes, the Australian Butter is my favorite. It has very firm, thick flesh that is nicely sweet with a great consistency, makes lovely breads. I have also grown the Thelma Sanders. It grew well considering the bad weather, large fruits, hardy, matured faster than most others. It was very mild and frankly no sweet potato taste, but very neat to grow!

I grow many varieties of squash (and peppers and tomatoes). I also plant loads of flowers to try to separate the vegetable beds a bit so maybe instead of a bee going from plant to plant it will go to plant and then flower. I haven't messed with bagging and hand pollination, everything I grow is edible, so if cross-pollination occurs it's no big deal. Perhaps if I have more time I will look into "serious" seed saving LOL!

 

[FarmerJH]

I have some black carrot seed ordered that I'd be willing to share. It's supposed to be black all the way through, not orange in the center like the purple carrots. Also have white carrot seed. I'm sending you the celery seed I have since you showed an interest.

I also have san marzano tomatoes that I have saved and grown for three years now that are amazing producers and the flavor is to die for.

I would love some san marzano seeds if you have any to spare. I have a few varieties of heirloom seeds at home right now, I know I got carrots, beets, some string beans and a couple other things I can't think of off the top of my head if you would like to trade and a bunch of non-heirloom varieties.

 

[mlongworth]

There is a seed swap going on now FarmerJH and anyone else listed. Most of us doing it have either heirloom or open pollinated some great stuff on there. Heres the link

www.backyardchickens.com/t/755856/2013-seed-plant-gardeningswap

 

[FlySammyJ]

Just in case anyone was curious, I did a little research on saving seed from multiple varieties of squash, and it looks super easy! Here's a very nice tutorial with pictures - you just tape closed the blossoms you want to isolate, hand pollinate, and then re-tape so the flowers you use aren't ever exposed to insects! I'm totally doing this this year.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/gourds/msg0611545713356.html

 

[wildflowerrun]

Thanks everyone for the squash recommendations! I'm going to have to make a list to try next year I don't want to push my luck and put thousands of plants in the yard, only to find a very angry boyfriend later LOL

I'm only using the one place to buy seeds this year (I don't know, I'm weird and get attached, I guess) and I need to make my last (Summer?) purchase of the year--I have to promise myself this for real. So am I missing anything or should I be kicking anything off?:

• White acorn squash
• Jarrahdale pumpkin
• Sweet dumpling squash

I also got more kale (though I'm worried it may be too late for it to grow here with this heat we've had) and spinach (the seeds I had mysteriously disappeared, though I think I may have the same problem as with the kale).

I already have too many varieties of tomatoes and peppers (I have 130 seedlings on just ONE SHELF LOL!), cucumbers, beans, lettuce, summer squash, okra, eggplant and corn. Oh, and carrots (I'm going to try planting in between the nightshades).

 

[erinszoo]

Thanks everyone for the squash recommendations! I'm going to have to make a list to try next year I don't want to push my luck and put thousands of plants in the yard, only to find a very angry boyfriend later LOL

I'm only using the one place to buy seeds this year (I don't know, I'm weird and get attached, I guess) and I need to make my last (Summer?) purchase of the year--I have to promise myself this for real. So am I missing anything or should I be kicking anything off?:

• White acorn squash
• Jarrahdale pumpkin
• Sweet dumpling squash

I also got more kale (though I'm worried it may be too late for it to grow here with this heat we've had) and spinach (the seeds I had mysteriously disappeared, though I think I may have the same problem as with the kale).

I already have too many varieties of tomatoes and peppers (I have 130 seedlings on just ONE SHELF LOL!), cucumbers, beans, lettuce, summer squash, okra, eggplant and corn. Oh, and carrots (I'm going to try planting in between the nightshades).

Save your Kale. Plant it in the fall and it will grow all winter for you. I had 150 tomato seedlings when I started this year but I've given some away, lost three due to planting a little too early, and sold a couple of dozen to others. Still have no idea where they are all getting planted and have more seeds on the way. Ha. I may have bitten off more than I can chew ... or plant ... or have time for ... I have a book to write and finish by September as well!! Didn't think this through very well did I?

 

[wildflowerrun]

Save your Kale. Plant it in the fall and it will grow all winter for you. I had 150 tomato seedlings when I started this year but I've given some away, lost three due to planting a little too early, and sold a couple of dozen to others. Still have no idea where they are all getting planted and have more seeds on the way. Ha. I may have bitten off more than I can chew ... or plant ... or have time for ... I have a book to write and finish by September as well!! Didn't think this through very well did I?

Spinach the same as kale? What about the lettuce I haven't put in the ground yet--is it a lost cause? Should I just plant more tomatoes there? I've never done any sort of leaf before so I have no idea when a good time to plant it is--I'll be honest. Everything says "a few weeks before the last frost." Well, it's a few weeks before the last frost date and was 90 degrees today. Whoopsie?

And you make me laugh! You sound like me! I just planted more tomato seeds yesterday *hides*

What's your book about? I need to set aside time to write mine.

 

[erinszoo]

Spinach and lettuce are still good to go and they can do a fall run as well. They don't winter quite as well as kale though. Thomas Jefferson advised to plant a thimble full of lettuce each Monday through June and that still works pretty well as long as late plantings are done in more shady spots. Spinach will bolt once it gets warm. I do it in Feb in the greenhouse then in April outside and again in September and October. I have the gardening bug real bad.

 

[erinszoo]

Oh yeah, my book is a suspense novel. I'm taking a class by William Bernhardt for the next six months so I now have homework and deadlines ... in the middle of gardening season and baby-a-thon season.