Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

I will share some Mike Gilbert gave me 2 squash . He got them from Don Cable years ago . Lost or forgot the name . Recent Festal pumpkin discussion put me onto what I have . I will plant mostly these next year . Dickinson is good Cushaw is better and Golden Delicious is the best . No wonder Festal had such huge fans . I see that the Festal had a shelf life of three years . So the ones being sold are the remaining stock . So better grow your own . There is one seller on eBay selling Golden Delicious seed .

Thanks. I will have to pollinate these so the line stay pure. The bumblebee will lose out on them.

 

[KlopKlop]

I will share some  Mike Gilbert gave me 2 squash . He got them from Don Cable years ago . Lost or forgot the name . Recent Festal pumpkin discussion put me onto what I have . I will plant mostly these next year . Dickinson is good Cushaw is better and Golden Delicious is the best . No wonder Festal had such huge fans . I see that the Festal had a shelf life of three years . So the ones being sold are the remaining stock . So better grow your own . There is one seller on eBay selling Golden Delicious seed .

I didn't think of old stock Festal. That could be. I remember the one article I linked the other day said something about the expiration date now that you say that.

I grow a nice sized butternut that I get from an inlaw uncle that I like. May try pie pumpkins too this year now that I have field space. May keep a portion of my new pasture un planted to make a new pumpkin and sunflower patch.

I would also like to grow some nice acorn squash. I've had poor luck ending up with baseball sized or less in my sad garden.

 

[KlopKlop]

Thanks. I will have to pollinate these so the line stay pure. The bumblebee will lose out on them.

wha pollination method do you use?

 

[duluthralphie]

wha pollination method do you use?

I will use cue tips and cover the female flowers .

 

[KlopKlop]

I will use cue tips and cover the female flowers .

Neat. I have hear of people using electric toothbrushes too

 

[duluthralphie]

Neat. I have hear of people using electric toothbrushes too

I have heard of people just picking the male flower and rubbing it on the female too, then covering with a paper bag.

 

[jerryse]

I have heard of people just picking the male flower and rubbing it on the female too, then covering with a paper bag.

Probably no need to hand pollinate these if you are remote enough from neighbors . These are in the C. Maxima group . C. Pepo is what most people grow . Check out Sandhill Preservation or Baker Creek and of course Seed Savers Exchange . Maxmia includes the giant pumpkins , Hubbard and others . Will not cross with C Pepo types like ornamental gourds , acorn , zuke , spaghetti , jack-o-lantern .

 

[Bogtown Chick]

That looks so good . Do you grow squash ? If so you should really try the Golden Delicious squash / pumpkin . That is the one Festal grew . Really the best I ever tasted .

I have done it once before...but garden space did not allow for it many times. IDK...why I didn't do it more. I tried the 3 sisters method that year. And it worked. Kinda. My gardens are a mess of weeds. Summer is a hopping time of year for work and such. Good intentions falling on the wayside with the gardens. You all are making me want to get that squash/pumpkin growing up here!

I find it real hard to get excited about a dish with squash and kale in it...............

oh Good Morning!!!

Where do I find the "golden delicious" seeds? I love growing squash, Judy eats them, I insist they be pie. sold or chicken feed.

Ralphie...you'd be surprised. Squash and kale run sub-par with my meat and potato family. But the Pork brings it all around.

Mine are friendly as long as you don't bother them on the nest! You really can get an earful and a sharp little peck to warn you off

Oh yeah! Rosie was the friendliest until she was on a nest! LOL. She would deliver pecks if on a nest. I had forgot that about her. Friendly all other times! Hahahaha. I've heard the roosters are quite protective as well....

I will use cue tips and cover the female flowers .

This is the method I have heard about as well.

We are sharing winter storm war stories right now at work. I would say this was the worst winter storm event we've had at least in the last 15 years. DH bent his nurf bar (step rail) on his truck sliding down the edge of a road and a popple tree pushed in that step rail. I guess it was lucky that it wasn't the whole side of his truck. It was out at the in-laws and FIL had to Block and Tackle him out of it. What a mess. What a mess. Big chunks of ice stuck on the county roads. You feel like you're driving in a lumber wagon down the road.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Probably no need to hand pollinate these if you are remote enough from neighbors . These are in the C. Maxima group . C. Pepo is what most people grow . Check out Sandhill Preservation or Baker Creek and of course Seed Savers Exchange . Maxmia includes the giant pumpkins , Hubbard and others . Will not cross with C Pepo types like ornamental gourds , acorn , zuke , spaghetti , jack-o-lantern .

That's good to know. DH loves zucchini and it's a must in the garden every year.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

20-35 seeds are $2.25 on this site. Not too bad for that number of seeds. I know sometimes I'll get pumpkin seeds at the store and there will be 12-15 seeds and 1/2 are moth/grub/borer eaten. And the packet cost 1.50-2.00 a packet. This squash is on my radar. FIL has been growing squash on a little hill he has. Nothing else...just squash. LOL. I think he's had success with it so much that he keeps doing it. Will put him onto this variety for sure.

http://www.rareseeds.com/golden-delicious-s/