Posted: 7/24/2010 11:29:53 AM EDT
...from a person who doesn't know how to grow squash. 
Don't plant two varieties in the same garden. I planted butternut and buttercup squash within ten feet of each other. I don't know what's growing out there, but it looks like pumpkins. 
There are a few that are obviously buttercup, because of shape and color. The rest...pumpkins. Nothing that remotely resembles butternut squash. Bright yellow balls that are turning orange. Nice size, but I have no idea what they will taste like. The irony is, only one buttercup plant survived, but there are seven butternut squash plants bearing some strange crossbred fruit. Naturally, being winter squash, the vines are all intermingled and have been growing so prolifically I have to keep going out and chopping them back, or they would be spreading into Missouri by now. 
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Can't happen. I have butternuts, hubbards, acorns, pie pumkins all in the same 1/8 ac and they all look just like they should.
The fruit is formed before the flower even opens to allow pollination. it's DNA is already set Of course I can't plant any seeds from these fruits. |
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Well...now that I think about it, the butternut squash came from seeds I saved from last year. My wife bought some huge butternuts at a farmer's market and we saved the seeds.
I DID mention I knew nothing about growing them.
Maybe they cross pollinated with pumpkins he was growing or something... Whatever they are they look weird. Hope they taste good. |
| This is why you should only buy heirloom seeds, the genetics of hi-breds are questionable past the first generation seeds. If you are in the business of selling seeds its a good idea to make your product produce seeds that are not viable. Thank you Monsanto..... F&ckers... |