The squash is toast. Madman was pulling vines when I got home from work. Here's the heap:
Hello, compost...We'd picked some of the squash earlier. Here are some of the delicatas we grew, and a butternut, just for fun. We loved the delicata we grew last year so much, that we planted lots of them this year, from seed we'd saved. These delicatas grew true-to-type:
But a funny thing had happened to our squash seed. These squash are apparently a cross between delicata and acorn. The shape is acorn, but those are unmistakable delicata markings. (The delicata-coloring gene is apparently a force to be reckoned with.)
And things got weirder yet. This is the big haul - all the squash from the deceased vines.
In the foreground, you can see even more of the acorn/delicatas, with a few delicata mixed in. At center left is a Jarrahdale (the blue-green thing) - the only one we got. Immediately behind the Jarrahdale are some buttercups (dark green) and some butternuts. So far, so good. But the very back couple of rows is apparently a cross between delicata and pumpkin. We didn't grow any pumpkins last year, so that cross means pollen-on-the-wind, or far-ranging bees. They've got the delicata markings, but definitely are pumpkin shaped and sized.
I sure hope they taste good, because we've got a lot of them.
Though with enough butter and brown sugar, even sawdust would taste good...
That is some of the coooooolest seed-saving yet.
ReplyDeleteSomeone told me, after I planted, that my peppers would cross-breed and I wouldn't get any of the specifics I'd planted. (My sister corrected this and told me not to save the seeds.) And this is why I'm afraid to save my own seed.
But your squashes are this in action - and so visibly! Let us know how they taste.
Nature's genetic engineering!
ReplyDeleteMMmmmm, just thinking about squash with butter and brown sugar makes me feel a little warmer. I'm freezing!
ReplyDeleteWe've escaped the frost so far. I've probably just jinxed myself.
ReplyDeleteThat's a LOTTA SQUASH!!! I have a total of five left. They'd better be good. And I forgot to grow pie pumpkins this year. Damn.
Fascinating genetic experiment. But I don't see what I normally think of as delicatas anywhere.
ReplyDeleteGotta love a garden full of little freaks.
ReplyDeleteI canNOT believe you have frost already!
I love the acorn/delicatas. You'll have to tell us how they turn out. All those different shapes with delicata coloring are just marvelous!
ReplyDeletePlease let us know how the acorn/delicas taste. I'm curious.
ReplyDeleteThey're certainly pretty! I hope they taste as good as they look!
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