I live in the UK, and have had an allotment for nearly a year now. The experience has been great and we have grown loads of stuff. Sadly I didn't write down the name of all the seeds I planted ......... and I have grown these strange things that look like pumpkins in shape, but they are pale green in colour. People in the UK don't tend to grow many squashes so noone locally can help me.......any ideas? Unfortunately I don't have a digital camera so I can't post any photos.
Hmmmm, do you remember any of the seeds you planted? A pic whould really help, Shaped like a small pumpkin makes me think squash, Cut one open and taste it. Thick wall or thin wall fruit?
Yea, like he said, "HMmmmm ". How about the size of the fruit, shape of the leafs, growth habit (vine, bush, etc), how many fruits per plant (one, many, etc.) ? Also, if you cut one open, what is the size and shape of the seeds? Most veggies & fruit of each family have the same shape seeds (at least that's my experience). Peace, poor_old_dad
Okay lots of hmmms, so here is some more info There are four surviving fruits, about the size of a honeydew melon, but pumpkin shaped. The fruits are ridged, two are pale grey/green, two are striped pale/darker green. They are heavy and ribbed like a traditional pumpkin. I looked at a lot of pumpkin sites on google today and the plant itself seems to fit in well with the pumpkin plants they show. The plant itself died with the first frost last week. The seeds I think it came from looked like pumpkin seeds, however I can't be sure as when I started my allotment everyone who grows things blessed me with their random seed envelopes.......... I am going to cut one open tonight and will let you know what it looks like inside, I guess I am slightly concerned about eating it as I know people do grow ornamental gourds.......but these things are definitely pumpkiny.
http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:T9x8XVWjWgkJ:www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/assets/sqsweetdump.jpg Some of my favorite Sweet Baby Dumpling Squash....is this it??? another closer pic..
No....but they are absolutely beautiful....thanks for trying to help Looking at them again, the stripes on the stripey ones aren't that pronounced it's just like a darker shading of green on the ridges. Okay so I just went and cut it open! Outside skin is tough but not that thick and inside it is full of bright orange solid flesh save for the centre which is full of what look like pumpkin seeds! So do you think we can eat it?
All the ornamental gourds I've been exposed to are rather small in size, about the size of your fist and smaller. I'll bet that your goverment would not give out seeds to ornamental veggies probably only one's you could eat. I would definately give it a go. I got those picks by going to google images then typed in dumpling squash...there are more on there, some gree, some orange and pale yellow. Wish I could help more....MMMMM squash....I love it.
I'm going to try cooking and eating some tomorrow, so if you don't see Moominmamma about anymore you know they were definitely not edible! Thanks for trying to help Teepi....if that's your artwork on your sig it's really good
Well, don't eat much. We can't do without Moominmamma. I'd try a real small bit raw. Also, pumpkins/gourds/squash can cross pollinate. I'd save some of the seeds and plant them next year, just to see what you get. Try these: http://www.cookingvillage.com/cv/re...t/0,1555,sLang=us&iObj=6001&iImg=87400,00.jpg http://www.uhhealthsmart.com/tools2/vegetable/images/winter_squash.gif http://www.grantfarms.com/GrantImage/winter_squash1.jpg http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/assets/sqsweetdump.jpg Does the inside look like: http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/gardenerscorner/summary/images/squash2.jpg http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/acatalog/dsqu-2938.jpg This one may not help, but it's a big beautiful picture: http://www.rodonifarms.com/gourds.jpg Peace, poor_old_dad
Well to tell the truth I don't personally know whether it was good or not.....because the next day my friend who is a violin teacher came round and said "Nice squash you have there"....so I gave her the mystery vegetable in exchange for a violin lesson There are two more left though.....so I will some day soon discover what they taste like......this thread could go on for some time
Yea, amen. The violin lessons for squash story is one you'll be telling, "around the campfire" for a long time. Peace, poor_old_dad
Squashes can cross polinate with other members of the curcubit family, like pumpkins, zucchinni and even types of cucumbers. The fruits of the first generation will be normal, but the seeds will produce some VERY ODD children. They are usually inedible, but not always.
That's really interesting, I'm going to save some of the seed and grow them to see what happens....but this time I will write a note on the envelope that I save them in along the lines of "DANGER could produce strange offspring"....hmmmmm makes me think about my own family a bit
