Time to Plant Squash Seeds. 5.5.2022

 It's been uniformly warm for a week or two, and the soil temperature is running in the 50s and 60s.  I want to give the squash seeds a couple of extra weeks, so I'm planting them indoors for now, to set outside late in the month or in early June.

This year, I think I won't plant Pink Banana squash, despite the sentimental value, or Illinois Squash.  Both grow so large, it's difficult to use one in one butchering, which means extra work and too much freezer space.  I think smaller size squashes are more convenient, depending on size, and might keep as well or better.  I still have some Red Kuri and Costata Romanesca that look good, which seems kind of remarkable.  I read somewhere that Burgess Buttercup can keep nearly a year, if in a cool space.

So, I decided to add two varieties known for excellent flavor and long keeping properties, that are moderate size. They are open pollinated, so I can save seeds.  Those are "Uncle Dave's Dakota Dessert Squash", a family-developed Buttercup-like squash from N. Dakota, and Burgess Buttercup, an heirloom variety also from N. Dakota.  Burgess Buttercup was developed for the short season of N. Dakota, as a substitute crop for Sweet Potatoes.  A neighbor also gave me seeds for a small size Butternut x Buttercup variety, called Honeynut, which I will also try.

For another neighbor, I'm starting seeds of a hybrid zucchini and a yellow summer squash (Saffron).  For my summer squash, I'll also grow the yellow Saffron, as well as my saved seeds for Costata Romanesca, which is really good but is a huge plant, and Fordhook, an heirloom zucchini.  I'll also grow more Galeux d'Eysines pumpkin, which is my personal favorite and does not grow as large as Pink Banana or Illinois.  I may add a couple of others as I think about it or if these don't grow.

The Honeynut sound interesting,  The package states they are a cross between Buttercup and Butternut.  That would be a cross between species, C. moschata and C. maxima.  They were developed in Upstate NY, so maybe the high latitude here won't be a problem.  Moschata type are more of a challenge for me here in SW WA, but maybe having some  C. maxima genes will help with that.  Also, the developers were more interested in flavor than size or yield.  The seeds looked a little odd, with a tough coat, different from my other squashes.  It will be interesting to see how they do.

All of the new varieties that I am trying are open pollinated.  If I like them, I can save my own seeds for next year.