Summer squash turning into ... gourds?? Help?

Hi. New to this group but very excited to be here. Last year, we bought seedlings that were supposed to be yellow summer squash. But ... they quickly showed themselves to be gourds! Bumpy and everything.
Well we tried again this year, and ... same thing! At first, it looked like a summer squash, nice, smooth and yellow but in a few days there were bumps on it. What's up? Did I just not pick it in time? Were they squash that mutated or what? We have two mounds of these things and if they are all gonna be gourds, I will pull them up (don't want gourds). But if there is some way to save them ... I want to!
Thanks for any help you might have
Carla

Ornamental gourds are summer squash, just not very good ones. In your case tho I expect that you planted Summer Crookneck an old variety from the 19th century. It is quite warty but has excellent flavor when picked young ( less than 5 inches). It is still quite popular especially among those who are into "heirlooms". Actually if you let them mature, you can use them as ornamental gourds. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/49972/

I think some vegetables like squash, cukes, melons, etc. are better grown by planting seeds directly in the soil than by buying and transplanting seedlings. Those are all so quick to sprout, you can have seedlings of the same size in a very short time - already in place where you want them and with no transplant issues.

Seeds are a lot cheaper, and there are many more varieties of seeds available than there are seedlings from nurseries. Even more important, when you buy a pack of seeds you're normally growing exactly what you think you are.

I see customers in nurseries looking at seedlings, and they take the little label spikes out of the containers and read them (I do the same thing). Then they put the labels back - hopefully back in the right plants. Sometimes not, though - I've bought seedlings at nurseries that turned out to be entirely different from the variety I thought I was buying.

If you don't raise your own tomatoes, peppers, and such from seeds under indoor lights, then some occasional nursery label mix-ups with seedlings are unavoidable. With veggies that are so easy to grow directly in the ground from seeds, like squash, there's not much reason to buy seedlings in the first place.

I planted yellow crookneck for the first time this year. Like yours, they started out smooth and then got bumpy, very bumpy. Since this is the first time I have grown yellow crookneck I didn't know what to expect. I figured the bumps were normal. I don't know if you have the same kind, but I cut mine up, saute with a little butter and/or olive oil,salt and pepper and cook until just softened and browning on the edges.... delicious. Try cooking a couple of yours and see what you think. It might be terrible or you might be happily surprised.

Around here, south Georgia, we stir-fry our yellow squash with Vidalia onions and bacon grease. "It don't get no better'n that!"

Ohhhh ... ok so I should try eating them! And yes they are yellow crookneck. My husband got them ... probably because I told him NOT to get zucchini! I will try to fry some up. A good thing I checked this, was getting ready to pull them all up!

hey ... had a crookneck squash with dinner last night and it was delicious!! thank you all!

Glad they weren't sent to veggie heaven too soon :)

I grew a second crop of yellow crookneck this year. Man it was tough! I replanted some area's at least two or three times. I didn't write down the exact date but I believe I planted somewhere around early to mid august. I think the heat messed them up in several different ways. The last bunch I planted finally started getting water from the sky instead of the hose 'and' the temps dropped down to around ninety or less. Then there were the insects..,

Just wanted to try it out just so I'll have the experience. Right now the last bunch is just showing off. I think we've canned over 150 quart jars of squash this summer. I done 21 quarts day before yesterday. Been dealing with the mosiac virus as well.

The real problem with eating the warty summer squash is 30 days after eating them warts form on your nose. LOL

My son planted Crookneck also. If you get them med to small, they are tender and are delicious (especially stir-fried).

When they get bigger, they get very hard and become gourds that are impossible to cut unless you use a very sharp big knife.

Phyllis