[surbie100]

I'd love to grow more unusual squash this season - any recommendations and tips on where to get good seed?

I have turk's turban, patty pan, uchiki kuri, vif d'etampes and 1 spaghetti squash seed (many thanks to whoever put those in the veg seed parcel!) but I'd like some more varieties - particularly of the smaller kind as 2 of us struggle to get through enormous things...

[mumofstig]

I can thoroughly recommend Tromba d'Albegna from Seeds of Italy
http://www.seedsofitaly.com/SQUASH_TROMBA_OF_ALBENGA/p1834925_8313519.aspx

I grew it this year up a strong wigwam and will grow it again this year. It can be used small as a courgette but makes a good storing squash as well.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=87600.msg1091169#msg1091169

Their shape as they were growing was a talking point on the plot, and also with children who, with more innocent minds, thought they looked like snakes ; )

For easier kitchen use, although not at all unusual, Celebration makes wonderful eating for 2 people, if you like sweeter fleshed squash. They're the 2 small round ones at the front of my pic above. Premier seeds direct have the seeds this year
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280929441849?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

[angelavdavis]

Hi Surbie,

A vote for winter festival and sweet dumpling, both have attractive green speckled skins, one on a cream background and the other on a golden background.  They grow to a nice size and I like to hollow them out, back the outer shell in the oven and serve squash soup made from the flesh in them.  Nice nutty flavour - not too sweet.

[JayG]

I can endorse Angela's recommendation for Winter Festival which I grew successfully for about 3 years on the trot.

Wouldn't agree with the linked Fothergills' description of them as "compact vine" though (unless you call rampaging across the plot in all four compass directions compact, although they can be tamed by pruning or training into a coil shape.) 

[compostqueen]

I agree with Winter Festival and Uchiki,  but for cooking I think Turks Turban and Veg Spagetti are poor choices. I like Crown Prince and Muscade de Provence.  Sweet Mama is a good tasting squash too

[mumofstig]

Celebration, Festival, Harlequin, Carnival, and Sweet Lightning are all small high-sugar types developed from Sweet Dumpling - so they're fairly interchangeable.

You can even get a mixed packet - oh T&M seem to have stopped selling the mix   still some on ebaythough

[BabbyAnn]

Burgess Vine buttercup http://realseeds.co.uk/wintersquash.html - tasty dense orange flesh, green skin with a blue "button"

Bon Bon http://www.kingsseeds.com/vegetable_seeds/Winter%20Squash%20F1/P-12311 - a lot sweeter than expected

Gold Nugget (bush type) http://www.kingsseeds.com/Ko-Bespoke/Winter%20Squash%20Gold/P-12302 with smallish fruits - I think Kings are a bit optimistic with their 1kg fruit suggestion as I've yet to get one that size LOL

I can thoroughly recommend Tromba d'Albegna from Seeds of Italy
http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/555
It can be used small as a courgette but makes a good storing squash as well.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=87600.msg1091169#msg1091169

I grew these last year too - what I really liked about them is the cylindrical shape which made it easier to lop a bit off at a time like a big sausage (if you didn't want to cook the whole squash at once) and it was seed free with only a small cavity in the bulbous bit.  Not the best tasting compared to others but was quite easy to grow and a great standby.

I also rate Uchiki/Red Kuri and Potimarron http://www.thompson-morgan.com/vegetables/vegetable-seeds/pumpkin-squash-and-courgette-seeds/squash-potimarron-winter/547TM (same/similar squash) high on my list too  

[compostqueen]

I'd forgotten about Potimarron. It's an easy one to grow too

[sunshineband]

Shows how tastes vary -- we loved turk's turban and it kept really well into April too

Tromba d'Albegna was huge succes although I grew mine along the ground... the unusual shaped fruits were a talking point at the Harvest Festival 

[BabbyAnn]

I've just remembered another interesting squash I've grown in the past - admittedly a little on the large size but you don't eat the flesh but grow them for the seeds:  Lady Godiver http://www.organiccatalogue.com/p1925/SQUASH-Lady-Godiva/product_info.html - the seeds are huskless so you can eat them raw or toasted.  I haven't grown this variety so cannot comment but Kakai are supposed to be similar and you can roast the smaller fruits as well as eat hull-less seeds http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item.php?id=1363G

[pdblake]

It's been a while since I grew it (but I've got some seed for this year), but I can recommend Thelma Sander's from Realseeds. It's an acorn squash, interestingly shaped, medium sized fruits and, when I last grew it, quite a heavy cropper.

[surbie100]

Brilliant! Thank you all for the comments - I think I am now sorted for the next few years for ideas!

I'm going for Winter Festival, Trompa d'Albegna and Potimarron or Celebration - can't quite make up my mind on that one. Thelma Sanders sounds really good too, but probably for next year as otherwise all I'll grow on my half plot are squashes!

Thanks again - looking forward to a squash-filled year...

[compostqueen]

Thelma Sanders is a beauty. It has skin like alabaster 

[Ema]

Hi surbie I have a few winter squash seeds Queen, Kabocha, Harlequin, Butternut Hunter F1 and Sweet Dumpling. I would happily send you a couple if each for some patty pan of you wanted to do a swap?

[surbie100]

Hi Ema, thanks, that's really kind - my squash cup runneth over!   :blink:

I'd love to try any of the harlequin, butternut or sweet dumpling as a swap & will PM you my address.

The 1 seed I sowed last year turned into a fairly massive bush, which I wasn't expecting...be warned they are prolific on a courgette scale!