so many squash

this is a follow-up to post "Is this a lemon cucumber?". It wasn't. I planted spaghetti squash, some from seed, some plants from the nursery, and some from a community college sale. I love spaghetti squash and had NO idea how enthusiastic these plants would be. And I have squash: some cream-yellow like any self-respecting spaghetti squash is, some light green (not just immature), some dark green, some green striped and some are round. All mixed up in my squash patch. I harvested a striped green one (the one pictured in the lemon cucumber post). It seemed to have stopped growing, it sure looks like a spaghetti squash inside, and tasts like it too, but it was very immature. A baby.
What is going on here?
And how do I know when to harvest the green ones? Do they need direct sunlight to mature, cause the leaves are so abundant that the squash are always in shadow.
First picture is a squash that is BIG, then pictured is my variety.
Linda

Squash are bad- really bad! To cross pollinate with other squash- they take on each others types, but usually stop producing when they do, the plants need separated by looong distances in your plots to remain true to their types, winter squash also take longer to ripen than summer squash, the stem can tell you a LOT about the ripeness. I would guess you planted several var of the same plant, just didn't know what they would grow up to be... Glad it tasted good!

lindasch100 - all those leaves are there to protect the fruit from the sun, so don't remove any of them. They grow well in full sun, but should also do well in partial-shade.

I've never grown winter squash, so can't help you with identification. However, if you like the taste of what you've grown, just enjoy them!

kittriana, I've looked for info on the stem, could not find it. Could you say more about stem and ripeness or point me to the info?
Thanks, Linda

Thank heavens for Ask.com! ESP when my eyes are closing, chuckl, here goes. The winter squash should have it's full color when ripe, the skin should be hard enuff to not dent with a fingernail, and the stem will begin to shrivel and die, for storing thru the winter leave abt a 1/2" I think of stem, and CUT the stem away, they are fine until first frost in the field, but frost will make storage life shorter, so bring them in before then. That help? Cuz I gotta get up at 2am and I can't keep my eyes open now? Chuckl. Enjoy

Bee-you are growing winter squash, the pumpkin I sent you. lol

MOST summer squash grows as a bush, and suppsedly if they x pollinate it will not be evident in this year's fruit, but will be carried in the seeds to the next generation.

Spaghetti squash is a winter squash because it can be stored. At least thats what Ive read. The only time you would need to isolate them is if you plan on saving seeds.

Lisa - I didn't know pumpkin was a winter squash (duh) LOL

The seeds you sent are putting out vines, but no flowers. Is this the way it should be? Our first frost can come around the beginning of October. The seeds were sown indoors under lights on March 24th and the transplants were probably set out around the end of April or beginning of May.

That does seem like a long time. Not all winter squash are pumpkins, I dont know what the difference is. You might try some phosphorus. Or start a thread on the Veggie Forum, Ive never had that problem.

Winter squashes have harder skins, thicker 'meat' you know winter squashes by names like 'Acorn, Butternut, Spaghetti,Turban, Hubbard, Banana, Delicata, Cushaw, Buttercup( like a small green pumpkin). Then there are the pumpkins... And they can take all season to grow, just let em grow- it probably got too hot yet for em to make...

The seeds Bee is growing are a Thai type. They may not set but they should bloom, and they have always set for me. They are a Thai Variety so they love the heat. If they don't set soon they won't have time to ripen. Pumpkin usually have a DTM of about 100 days. So they had been in the ground plenty of time. I direct sowed them in August 2010 and I had pumpkins for Halloween.

Bee why don't you start another thread? Now you have me wondering. Ive had too many obligations out of state to put the time into my garden that is needed.

more on my variable squash patch. To recap:I got spaghetti squash from three diff sources, some of it apparently wasn't Sp squash. Cross pollination, Now I have many diff looking squash. So here is the latest interesting development. BIG dark green squash, not cylindrical, more round, see first picture. In the last 5 days it has become even bigger, lighter and developed gold spots. It looks vaguely familiar, but I can't place it. Anyone have any ideas?

It looks like a pumpkin to me. I realize that isn't helping at all. Lol

Looks like a Buttercup