[MoreWhisky]

Just to go off topic slightly did u eat them DD?

[DD.]

To save my typing finger:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=34582.msg414278#msg414278

[zazen999]

stompy you need seeds tthat are not f1 if you want to save seeds because  seeds that are kept from f1 will not breed true to form because the are new varieties

He knows that, he put it in his first post.

I'm hoping he changes his mind and tries growing Non F1s and saving them. 

[JohnB47]

Having never grown Butternut Squash (or indeed any Squash) I have decided that 2010 is now time. I believe that the seed is grown very similar to marrow??? But, that's it!!!! I have noticed that there are both summer and winter variety. What is the difference? How are the fruit stored? An idiot's guide on Butternut Squash would be much appreciated. Anybody got any paticular favourite variety?
Thanks.

Hi.

I'm going to have a go at growing squash this year too. Crown Prince has been recommended by a friend and I'll try a Butternut type too. As regards Summer/Winter differences, I Googled and found this on Wiki:

"Summer squashes, including young vegetable marrows (such as zucchini [also known as courgette], pattypan and yellow crookneck) are harvested during the growing season, while the skin is still soft and the fruit rather small; they are eaten almost immediately and require little to no cooking.

Winter squashes (such as butternut, Hubbard, buttercup, ambercup, acorn, spaghetti squash and pumpkin) are harvested at maturity, generally the end of summer, cured to further harden the skin, and stored in a cool place for eating later. They generally require longer cooking time than summer squashes."

Here is the site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_%28fruit%29

I would also be interested in others suggestions - eg any particular Butternut better than others for a reliable crop and taste?

Cheers.

[Trillium]

I grow a very lovely winter squash which has several names: Red Kuri, uchiki, and Potimarron (French). It almost resembles a pumpkin but has a pointy top. Just checked my cold storage room and they're all doing just fine. I expect them to stay in excellent shape for another 4 months at least. It's also prolific and open pollinated. As it's the only winter squash I grow, there's no problem. I don't like chestnuts but I don't find this squash leans too much towards that taste. When I make soup, I just add a bit of fresh lime juice, a clove of garlic and some chicken broth and whizz the works. YUMMM.

Here's what my supplier says:
Potimarron: (85-95 days) (C. maxima) This famous French heirloom squash is very aromatic and has meaty flesh whose taste is a combination of squash and chestnut. Indeed, its name is derived from “potiron” (pumpkin) and “marron” (chestnut). The 3-4 lb fruits are excellent for baking and roasting, and store incredibly well (in fact, they get sweeter and have a higher vitamin content as they age!)

One caution: give this squash lots of room as it travels. I put 3 seeds to a well manured hill and let it grow.

[Stripey_cat]

A couple of points:

1) It's quite easy to stop insect pollination as someone described earlier.  Personally, I find elastic bands over the tip of the flower easier than tying string, but YMMV.

2) Make sure you get a variety that's meant for our climate: American strains are developed for much lower latitudes and don't ripen very well here.  In practice, this means relatively few of the old-fashioned open-pollinated strains are suitable.  There are exceptions, though, as some small developers work on early strains of older varieties (I believe the real seed company has a reselection of "Waltham" that's meant to be good in Britain).

3) To whoever was asking about summer v. winter squash - courgettes and marrows (and stuff that you use in the same way like the ones that look like flying saucers) are summer squash, and winter squash are the storage varieties that you pick at maturity and can keep for months or years.  Winter squash need a longer season and more sun to ripen fully (you can eat them immature, but they won't store), which can be awkward this far north; although, that said, I had a respectable crop last summer notwithstanding the grey skies.  Neither is particularly difficult to grow so long as you keep them fed and watered, don't put them out until well after the frosts, and don't have really rotten luck (July hail or three weeks of fog so everything rots!).

[fatbelly]

I wash my squashes in really hot water when i get them home, it's that hot that i have to wear my marigolds (blue not pink) 
This kills off most of the bacteria on the surface of the skin, so mine tend to rot from the inside.
I still had one in may last year from the previous year, it was still absolutely fine and would have lasted even longer if we hadn't eaten it.

I've seen one called winter waltham, not sure if this one will have cross pollination problems?

My BNS were seeds from Wilkos and were really tasty but only kept for about 6 weeks. They went mouldy at the stalk.

This year after harvesting I intend to wipe the BNS with a cloth dipped in a diluted solution of Milton fluid (the stuff you disinfect a baby's bottle with) and then wipe them very couple of weeks in the same manner. Milton is food safe and should kill any bacteria that might hasten rotting.

[Trillium]

Must admit that I haven't done a thing with my squash at all other than wipe the initial mud off them when they came inside and let them dry in the laundry room a few weeks before they went downstairs to the storage cellar. The skins of my squash are very tough.