Beginning Seed Saving for the Home Gardener by James Ulager;

Author:James Ulager;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781771423151
Publisher: Lightning Source Inc. (Tier 3)
Published: 2019-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

A. The Squash Family

The squash family is a large group of plants that includes pumpkins, gourds, zucchini, summer squash, winter squash, spaghetti squash, and butternuts. These names we give speak mostly to appearance and culinary use. Biologically speaking, there are five different kinds of squash, though here we will only cover three, as these constitute the bulk of squash grown for food and decor.

Cucurbita pepo — Perhaps the largest species, this includes zucchini and summer squash like yellow crookneck and patty pan. (The term “summer squash” is really a culinary term for squash we eat in their tender, immature state.) This also includes winter squash like spaghettis, acorns, and delicatas, as well as pumpkins like New England Pie and Howden.

Cucurbita maxima — These are buttercups, kabochas, hubbards, and some pumpkins, like Big Max and Cinderella pumpkin (Rouge Vif d’Etampes).

Cucurbita moschata — This includes butternut squash as well as some less commonly grown squashes such as cheese pumpkin and a tear-drop-shaped variety named “Seminole.” These are my personal favorites, not only for their delicately sweet flavor but also because they are resistant to squash vine borers — the demon feared by all squash.

The practical result of this confusing categorization is important: you can grow one pepo, one maxima, and one moschata right next to each other in the garden and there will be no crossing. Grow two pepos next to each other, however, and they see each other not as different veggies (or fruits, rather), but as partners in reproduction. Sex partners. We should be reassured, however, by two things: 1) there are some easy techniques to avoid unintended crossings, and 2) this apparent lack of discrimination between two individuals that looks so different on the surface is just the kind of thing the world needs more of these days.

Let’s look at three different techniques for growing these seeds out without unintended crossing.

Squash Family

Vegetative or Sexual Propagation?

Sexual

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