Signs of Hallowe'en :)

I like your Grey Ghost!! LOLOL I had to check twice to see him pajaritomt. :) By any chance are you ordering more squash/pumpkin seeds? I've got quite a few varieties on order (but missed those ghostly ones above).

I ordered seed a while back, but not this one. I will taste it before I decide for sure. I just picked these today. Will have them or the Red Kuri tonight. I will let you know what I think of them.
I didn't see the dog either until I was posting the photo.

Thank you.....I'll be watching for your post. :)

Have you tried your Galeux d'Eysines yet? I have quite a few and am eager to know what you think of them. I have read that they are fabulous.

No one gets to taste them til after Hallowe'en (they are just too pretty to cut yet). Nor wiil I be carving them/putting a candle in them (I just want them for decorations first ;) Did you plant yours near any other squash/pumpkins?

This message was edited Oct 5, 2006 8:06 PM

Lilypon,
Alas, I did plant all my squash near each other. My total growing area is only slightly over 1/4 acre. I would save seed for people, but it would definitely be pot luck what they got. We love butternut squash of all kinds, but I decided to try some of the squashes from Amy Goldman's book, The Compleat Squash. I haven't cut into any winter squash yet, and may not be able to wait until Halloween to cut into some of them, but I have enough for the entire winter and will one by one let everyone know how we liked them. I have a lots of Galeuse d' Eycienes which I will post a photo of when I harvest them. I have also Triamble and Marina de Chioggia and Sucrine du Berry and lots of butternut and a few Delicias. We will definitely get our Vitamin A this winter! Will post as I try each one.

Pajaritomt please keep me in mind (re saving seeds) when you decide to eat your Grey Ghost (hopefully I'll have something you will be interested in). I've also ordered the Triamble and Marina de Chioggia and am really looking forward to seeing pictures of yours.:) I know I'm going to have to rent another plot to grow all these unusual beauties in. ;)

This message was edited Oct 5, 2006 11:09 PM

I would happily send you seed, but I fear crosses with my other squash. Or is that what you are looking for -- new and interesting crosses. I am in the process of picking and posting pictures and will continue to do so. I am trying to leave Sucrine du Berry in the sun a while longer to see if it will turn ripen a little more -- get some orange and buff on it. But it will freeze soon and have to come in before then. Next year I am definitely plant those long necked butternut squash. You can just slice the necks and not worry about seeds. Farmerdill says they are really good and I like the idea of a lot of little circles of squash to make a gratin. I also want to grow snake gourd next year. In Asia, they love eating it when it is young. They do the same with the bottle gourds. They are quite delicious when they are young.
I got my Grey Ghost as a young plant from my local nursery which seems suddenly interested in heirlooms. Seed can be ordered from Stokes and probably others. But with the warning about other squash planted near by, I am happy to save seed for you. Stokes lists it as a Vegetable of Merit -- see bottom of home page for link to their Vegetables of Merit page.
http://www.stokeseeds.com/cgi-bin/StokesSeeds.storefront
I will also report on flavor as I try the different ones I have grown.

Pajaritomt armed with the above link you provided I'll go with their seeds (but would've gladly tried yours if your supplier had quit carrying them).

Thank you for the information re bottle gourd and snake gourd (I eyed pics of them just yesterday but thought with my shorter season it might be iffy re them making it to maturity).......but now that I know they can be eaten when immature I prolly will give them a try. :)

This message was edited Oct 7, 2006 11:46 AM

I haven't grown them and eaten them, but I tasted them in California when I took a Thai cooking class. They are wonderful. What they really need is heat. Does it get pretty hot in the summers of Sk as it does in Alaska? I am thinking that that might do the trick. I will show you one of my favorite sources.

http://www.evergreenseeds.com/sngosgo.html

Luffa squash are good when eaten young. I have tasted them as well.

It is probably best to start your gourds indoors then put them out when it really warms up.

It gets pretty warm here (most summers anyways).......we averaged around 90 F for the months of June/July/Aug this year (sometimes our April and May can be frost free and in the mid 80's but no guarantees there). We just had a somewhat hard frost 2 weeks ago (late for this location) and today we were in the mid 70's.......if I had covered my squash they could be still growing (or be frozen solid if we have winter sneak up unexpectedly ;). My pumpkins/squashes(most) were direct sowed and they loved this summer (Butternuts, watermelon, muskmelon threw an awful lot of male flowers before the smartened up (my whispering frost was gunna get their babies might have helped.......some were too late tho :( ).

I'll be following your suggestion and will put a reminder note in my journal to start the gourds under the lights (I tried warty ones years ago and had no luck......direct sowing definitely isn't the way to go with them).

Thank you so much for the above link (I love collecting those :). As well as recipes (I just found Gary's and I see I won't have to direct you there ;).

What are your summers usually like? On the longest day of the year when is your sunrise/sunset?


This message was edited Oct 6, 2006 10:01 PM

Our summers are very cool but very sunny. Since we are at 7300 ft. the sun is very strong. I am afraid I don't know the length of the day at the Summer Solstice and can no longer find the link that used to give that info. Do you have a source of theat?

Galeux d'Eysines Squash

This message was edited Oct 8, 2006 7:15 AM

Oops I forgot the picture! Galeux d'Eysines Squash

Lovely pumpkins and picture pajaritomt!!! Ü I can tell you were able to leave yours on the vine much longer than mine (yours have more lovely warts).

That's good to know esp for growing pumpkins. We used to have summers that were regularily in the 70's/80's but we are certainly getting much warmer ones now. Old Farmer's Almanac predicts a colder winter for us, earlier spring (warmer) but a cooler summer next year. Environment Canada says they are wrong since an El Nino has formed (that usually means a much kinder winter here). Either way I'm glad to see that Galeux d'Eysines grows well in both temperature ranges (as long as I don't get late frost in the spring/early frost in the fall).

I'll have to look for stats on your location. Our longest day has sunset around 10:00 pm and sunrise around 4:00 in the am.

Wow, that is a long day! And, as I understand it, plants grow faster in longer days because they have more time to photosynthesize. I am guessing that you could grow bottle and snake gourds there. Another one that is really yummy when young but worthless after it gets a hard skin is cucuzzi ( lagenaria longissima). The neighborhood kids asked me if they could have the ones that got hard and I told them they could. They made penguins and various other animals, painting them and decorating them. It was great fun to watch. They sort of look like a baseball bat when they get old.
Yes our summers are warmer here than they used to be. We got into the 90's a few days in June, but the days cooled down when our monsoon season started around the middle of July. It was in the nick of time. Our forests were incredibly dry.
Do the warts come from more sunshine? Then that explains why my Marina di Chioggia was not as warty as some. They got just a bit of shade from a nearby ponderosa pine. See below:

I'll give them a try.......I tried direct sowing the bottle gourd this year but must have had dud seeds because I never had any germinate. I've never seen any of the ones you listed above growing here (or anywhere) so will be tickled pink to have success with them.

We were really dry here too this year. In the winter we had minimal precip (actually more rain than snow) and this summer was pretty scary until a *few* good cells from the States made their way up here. So I was very grateful for the plot we had rented. Unlimited water came with the cost of the rent and was provided from the river that flowed just a few feet away from the garden (so we could flood it every couple of days :).

I'm not sure about your Marina di Chioggia but I did read that the warts on Galeux d'Eysines continue to develop and grow the longer it is left on the vine (the vender that wrote that encouraged people to keep an eye on the warts and pick when you liked it's looks.....he said they could get too warty if left too long). http://www.seedsavers.org/prodinfo.asp?number=973 Only a guess here but I would imagine Marina di Chioggia would be pretty similar and I think you're right re sunshine (I've only seen pumpkins do well when their vines are receiving sun from dawn to dusk). They look pretty good to me tho. I know my Jarrahdale was picked a bit early (it should have more grey/blue in it but I love the colour it has right now).

This message was edited Oct 9, 2006 3:58 AM

Here's an interesting write-up on your Marina di Chioggia: http://www.revolutionseeds.net/2006Catalogue.pdf#search=%22Marina%20di%20Chioggia%20%2B%20warts%22 The vendor gets into politics first (?) but he eventually starts listing the varieties he has for sale (you'll have to scroll down a bit.....it is listed on page 14).

This message was edited Oct 9, 2006 4:11 AM

An interesting article I found when looking for more information:


Heirloom Pumpkins & Squashes.
Organic Gardening (Emmaus, PA) 51.6 (Oct-Nov 2004): p31.
Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2004 Rodale Press, Inc.

Byline: Goldman, Amy

Set your table with the most colorful, flavorful, nutritious fruits of fall, fresh from the vine. I'm a devotee of pumpkins and squashes-so much so that my house is a shrine to the almighty Cucurbita. Mammoth pumpkins greet me at the front door in October. Pumpkins and ornamental gourds adorn the mantel and line the hallways. Plates of drying seeds for next year's crop are scattered throughout the house. Bronze sculptures and photographs of my prizewinners form a portrait gallery, a veritable who's who of the squashes in my life. In my basement storehouse lie hundreds of them, awaiting preparation: Pumpkin is, of course, always on the menu. Squashes are the edible members of any of the five domesticated species of Cucurbita, a New World genus that consists of 12 or 13 species or species groups. Pumpkins are simply edible round-fruited squashes, and can have orange, white, green, brown, or blue rinds, with ribs, grooves, stripes, or mottled color patterns. I love pumpkins and squashes mainly for their good looks, secondarily for their good carbs. My "cucurbit craze" started 15 years ago when I became enraptured by the sight of blue 'Triamble' and bumpy red 'Warren' while on a trip to New Zealand and Australia. The varieties that are ubiquitous in America-the familiar orange pie and field pumpkins grown for Halloween and Thanksgiving, as well as the Acorns and Butternuts (often harvested when immature and tasteless)-don't begin to describe the world of squash. There are squashes that look like talking heads, cavorting sea lions, or even confetti effervescing; others that taste like candied chestnuts, have titillating "naked" seeds (hull-less seeds that can be eaten raw), or are reminiscent of milk chocolate. These are remarkable heirlooms.

Winter Keepers Winter squashes of Cucurbita maxima generally have the best flavor and consistency. Although Hubbards and Buttercups are the best-known varieties of this species, there are many surprises. 'Red Warty Thing' is something old made new again: a reintroduction of the 19th-century 'Victor', courtesy of seedsman Roger Rupp-and a real rib-sticker. Cushaw pumpkins (Cucurbita argyrosperma) similar to 'Green Striped Cushaw' or 'Hopi Cushaw' have a venerable 7,000-year history. Warm-Weather Winners Where tropical conditions reign (or rain), Cucurbita moschatas do best; they cannot tolerate cold as well as C. maximas can. Moschatas' brilliant orange carotenoid-rich flesh may be somewhat coarse and stringy, but when roasted, moschatas are absolved of this quality, and as good as the maximas. The familiar long-lasting buff-rinded Cheese Pumpkin and Butternut belong to this species. 'Lunga di Napoli,' popular in southern Italy, is like a molto grande Butternut. 'Yokohama' is a bewitching, bluish black, and blistery Japanese heirloom; if you're looking for table quality rather than style in the Japonicas, however, 'Futsu' and 'Chirimen' are a cut above. If I had to choose only one moschata to grow, it would be the 'Seminole'. The vine is irrepressible; the taste sublime. But be forewarned: You may need an axe to crack one open. Most Reliable Flavor Cucurbita pepo is the most popular and diverse species of all. It is home to the Ornamental Gourd group as well as eight edible-fruited cultivar groups: Acorn, Cocozelle, Crookneck, Pumpkin, Scallop, Straightneck, Vegetable Marrow, and Zucchini. A hundred years ago, in the days before Zucchini, Scallops (also known as Pattypans) and Summer Crooknecks were America's favorite summer squashes. And there's more to Acorn squashes than the dark green 'Table Queen': 'Thelma Sanders' and 'Fordhook' are both buff and handsome, though I prefer 'Thelma' for her sweetness. If you haven't already tried the finely netted 'Winter Luxury Pie', introduced in 1893, then you must grow it for pie stock-you'll never use canned pumpkin again. Although the Ornamental Gourds are bitter or bland, never sugary, they are an essential fall home decoration and bring holiday cheer. Of the 150 heirloom squashes I cultivate in my garden, only a few are known to the general public. Farmers and gardeners need only grow the unusual and fine-flavored varieties to combat the plague of sameness in the supermarket and ensure that open-pollinated heirlooms-as opposed to hybrids-do not vanish. Seeds are, thankfully, available from small seed purveyors and the nonprofit Seed Savers Exchange, which maintains hundreds of rare squash varieties. Kent Whealy, executive director of Seed Savers Exchange, makes it his mission to ensure that "the great dinner plate of life" is a banquet: of good old-fashioned food. Squash diversity is astonishing. Use them for everything from soup to nuts, early on as immature squashes and then right through the fall as they mature into winter squashes. Amy Goldman's newest book is The Compleat Squash: A Passionate Grower's Guide to Pumpkins, Squash, and Ornamental Gourds (Artisan, 2004). For information, visit www.rareforms.com. Find out the best time to start squashes in the Archives at OrganicGardening.com. Sources 'Cheese Pumpkin' or 'Long Island Cheese' 1, 2, 5, 6 'Fordhook Acorn' 1, 4, 6 'Green Striped Cushaw' or 'Hopi Cushaw' 3, 4, 5 'Lunga di Napoli' (a.k.a. 'Long of Naples', 'Zuccardi Piena Napoli', carpetbag gourd) 1, 5 Ornamental Gourds 1, 2, 3, 6 'Red Warty Thing' and 'Yokohama' 1 'Seminole' 1, 4 'Summer Crookneck' 1, 3, 4, 5 'Thelma Sanders' ('Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato' squash) 6 'White Bush Scallop' 1, 3, 4 'Winter Luxury Pie' 4, 5 'Yellow Bush Scallop' 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Mansfield, MO; 417-924-8917, www.rareseeds.com 2. Fedco Seeds, Waterville, ME; 207-873-7333, www.fedcoseeds.com 3. D. Landreth Seed Co., Baltimore, MD; 800-654-2407, www.landrethseeds.com 4. Revolution Seeds, Homer, IL; 217-896-3267, www.walkinginplace.org/seeds 5. Sand Hill Preservation Center, Calamus, IA; 563-246-2299, www.sandhillpreservation.com 6. Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah, IA; 563-382-5990, www.seedsavers.org

Amy's Pumpkin Primer * Plant in 70[degrees]F soil after danger of frost has passed. * Plant in full sun, in well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. * Leave plenty of room for vine sprawl (6 feet for bush types and 10 to 12 feet between vining sorts). * Cultivate and weed until the vines sprawl. * Irrigate with 1 inch of water a week in midseason. For best yield and less work: * Rotate crops each season * Cover your patch with black plastic mulch or silver mulch (lessens aphid damage and disease), staked down. Direct-seed or place the plants in 2-foot holes. * Fend off predators with polyester row covers (remove for pollination), diatomaceous earth, and BTK (Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki) for vine borers. * Foil vine-borer larvae by placing aluminum foil around each stem at the plant's base.

* Remove spent vines and debris (pests can overwinter). Vital Statistics The bright orange hue is a dead giveaway: Pumpkins are a great source of beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A (yes, even when they're baked into a pie). Winter squashes and pumpkins-and their flowers-are also good sources of vitamins C and B6 and potassium. A cup of cooked pumpkin weighs in at fewer than 50 calories. Even the seeds boast health benefits: They're high in fiber and phosphorus. Opposite: A garden friend holds 'Lunga di Napoli'-called the carpetbag gourd-aloft. This page, clockwise from left: Scallops and Pattypans are tasty; 'Red Warty Thing' is a showstopper; Cheese Pumpkin, 'Yokohama', and 'Winter Luxury Pie' are decorative. Clockwise from top left: An axe may be needed to crack open the tasty 'Seminole'; squash blossoms are an edible delicacy; store 'Green Striped Cushaw' in a cool, dry place and enjoy it all winter. Enjoy eating Crooknecks young, then let a few grow into ornamental gourds. They thrive in cool climates.

Source Citation: "Heirloom Pumpkins & Squashes." Organic Gardening (Emmaus, PA) 51.6 (Oct-Nov 2004): 31. General Reference Center Gold. Thomson Gale. SASKATCHEWAN PROVINCIAL LIBRARY. 9 Oct. 2006
.


This message was edited Oct 9, 2006 12:17 PM

Thanks for the info. I bet it wouldn't surprise you that I own that book. I have really used it this summer. I hope I didn't leave my Galeux d'Eysines Squash out in the sun too long for good taste. I am struggling with squash maturity and suspect it may be a matter of experience. I have not yet picked all my winter squash, but will have to in the next few days because frost will come any day now. When I get them all picked I will pile them up and post a picture.
Squashes make you feel like such a great gardener! I am jealous of your water supply. I live in high desert. I just put in an expensive drip irrigation system, to save water. I live in fear that they will start limiting my water use, though we have a good supply, because all the surrounding towns have limits.
I have really enjoyed growing the squash. I now hope to enjoy eating them. I will post taste results. We may start tonight!

Ü Will be watching for it. We had our Thanksgiving supper yesterday (it's really today but the kids will be heading off to their respective colleges shortly) and oh did they love the pumpkins that are decorating our house. :)

Looks like cooler weather is better for squash (it may be that the extreme heat we had really affected the butternuts I grew.......but the river water certainly saved my pumpkins). Hopefully it will be a better summer for all of us next year.

The Great Pumpkin Shortage.(Notebook)(Brief article). Carolyn Sayre.
Time 168.14 (Oct 2, 2006): p17.


Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2006 Time, Inc.

Byline: Carolyn Sayre

There will be no Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown--not this Halloween. The spring's severe rains and the summer's extreme heat have devastated the 2006 pumpkin crop in the East and much of the Midwest. "There is a real pumpkin shortage," says Jim Geohegan, owner of Sunshine Farm in Sherborn, Mass., who estimates his harvest will be just 12 tons of pumpkins this year, down from the typical 70. Pumpkin prices are up all over the country--in some places as much as 50% higher than they were last fall. And some farmers who run pick-your-own patches are even importing pumpkins and placing them in the fields to ensure customers will have something to "harvest" and carve before Oct. 31. Of course, as every kid can tell you, a lack of jack-o'-lanterns can't kill the true Halloween spirit. After all, there's no shortage of chocolate or candy corn.

Source Citation: Sayre, Carolyn. "The Great Pumpkin Shortage.(Notebook)(Brief article)." Time 168.14 (Oct 2, 2006): 17. General Reference Center Gold. Thomson Gale. SASKATCHEWAN PROVINCIAL LIBRARY. 9 Oct. 2006

I haven't seen Amy's The Compleat Squash: A Passionate Grower's Guide to Pumpkins, Squash, and Ornamental Gourds yet but I have put through a library order request for it. I have a feeling it will be in my collection soon as well (Santa will be hearing about it;)

This message was edited Oct 9, 2006 1:58 PM

Oh, I just realized your first quote was from
Heirloom Pumpkins & Squashes.
Organic Gardening (Emmaus, PA) 51.6 (Oct-Nov 2004.

I don't have that one. I have Amy Goldman's The Compleat Squash. That has been my bible this summer. I will have to look into the Heirloom Pumpkins and Squashes as well. Santa would be wise to buy it for you. I got mine from. You might mention to Santa that at http://www.bookfinder.com/ one can purchase new books for much less than at main bookstores. I got my Amy Goldman, brand new, that way. Maybe as a librarian you already know that.
Luckily, for me, there will be no shortage of pumpkins at my house.

I have but others following this thread may not of. I have found Amazon, Bookfinder, Alibris, etc to be very usefull........at work however we most often use Global Books In Print http://www.globalbooksinprint.com/bip/ that lists all the sources that are carrying a particular book so it has made our lives much easier when trying to track down a good deal. Edited to say libraries also get books at a rate much lower than what is available to the general public (and for a long time staff could also put their orders in with the library's).

Yep going by the above article we should be very thankful for the pumpkins/squash that we did harvest.



This message was edited Oct 9, 2006 6:44 PM

I should make note that the two sources I cited above are from periodical articles (not quotations from books).

Thanks for that great url. I am glad to find an on-line Books in Print. The weather here has suddenly come wet and cold. I will probably have to bring in all of my squash tomorrow. Alas. it is always sad to see summer end. I will try to get a few last photos though. Soon I will begin the gourmet squash taste test! I will pass the results along.

Unfortunately it is by subsciption only (I should've mentioned that above). It's getting pretty chilly here now too. We are dropping from the mid 70's down to the 40's tomorrow (the nights I'm not even going to think about ;).

In the last two days we have had about 1.5 inches of rain -- a veritable monsoon for us. Luckily it was mostly in a drizzle. Tonight temperatures are supposed to hit 33 F so I have to bring in everything I don't trust their accuracy to risk my precious plants and veggies on their not being off a degree or two. That is night time temp. Today when the clouds lifted our ski area was white. That will make a lot of people happy. Skiing has been especially bad here the last 2 years of drought. So off to a busy day of picking and plant moving.

We are coming very close to a hard frost tonight and I decided to bring it anything that could freeze. Here are the winter squashes.

Good Lookin' squash/pumpkins!

Pajaritomt what a wonderful (and colourful :) bounty! Ü And they look marvelous piled in your wheelbarrow.

Even my husband, who doesn't care much about botanical beauty, had to admit it was an attractive haul. He may not ever notice flowers or plants, but he certainly does notice good food. I think he noticed that wheelbarrow full of squash would soon be his dinner.
I don't know when I have had so much fun experimenting with a plant. Squash are great fun to grow and fun to eat afterwards.
I will grow my favorites next year and perhaps some new ones.

pajaritomt so taste wise which one is your favourite?

Lilypon,
Don't know yet. We have only eaten one butternut. It was yummy. But this is no surprise. I always grow butternut, usually Waltham. It may have been a little green, but still quite good.
I can only get away with about 1 squash a week around here with just the 2 of us. Even slow it lasts 2 or 3 nights. Will keep you posted
Betty

Never thought of that....should've tho since we are now down to two as well. The acorns are just the right size but will prolly be freezing larger portions of the others. ;)

I just store them in my garage which is cool, but doesn't freeze. Most winter squash store a really long time. Butternut a year, triamble, up to 2 years.

Good to know re: storing time. :) esp since I've got Triamble on order now.

In my post above I meant freezing after cooking (wasn't very clear there ;). In the back of my mind I was picturing how large Galeux d'Eysines is and I know I'll have to freeze some the leftover portions of it after making GrammysGarden's recipes.

Oh, that makes since! I will probably have to do some freezing myself. Galeux and some of the others are rather large. More than enough for 2 people for several nights. Kind of like the old joke that the definition of eternity is two people and a ham.

LOL Betty.....re two people and a ham! (sorry somehow this thread became unwatched). Temperatures have dropped here (snowing and well below freezing) so I think I'll be bringing my *special* pumpkins in from the porch (the heater is struggling to keep it warm now....esp with all the ghouls making the rounds).

Have you sampled any of your more unusual ones yet?

Lilypon and pajaritomt - I'd love to buy or trade some seeds for your gorgeous pumpkins and squash! I grew "Cheese Pumpkins" this year along with the Jarrahdale pumpkin, swan neck gourds and bird house gourds. If none of these interest you, I'd be more than willing to send a SASE. Just let me know.

Thanks so much!!
Jeannine

Jeannine mine weren't grown in isolation (or bagged) so I don't think you'd want them (chances are very high that they crossed). The only seeds I'd feel safe in trading are those that were purchased (then you know they will grow true to name and that the space they took up in the garden wouldn't be wasted).

Gardengirl1204,
Would have answered sooner, but I have been on vacation in Mexico. I am in the same boat as Lilypon -- my squashes weren't bagged or isolated. They are very likely to have crossed. And as for the ones in the purchased packages being true to their labels, I even found that not 100% reliable. This year I planted a musquee de Provance, but it turned out to be a red Kuri.

Lilipon,
I haven't tried any exotic ones yet, but I should be starting now that I am home. I will keep you posted. Have you tried your galeux?
Betty