Help! Play 'name that squash' with me!!

I grew some squash plants from seed this year. well, i have three young children. they help a lot. they rearranged my unlabeled seeds that i started and as a result, had no idea what sprouted. . .

so i ended up with the 'i don't have a clue garden' garden against my fence. *grin*

I have been able to figure out some of the varieties on my own (we have baby pumpkins - jack be little growing, as well as green squash/zucchini)

but THIS:



https://i.servimg.com/u/f64/14/94/66/74/june2010.jpg



https://i.servimg.com/u/f64/14/94/66/74/june2011.jpg

I haven't a clue - thinking maybe it might be a black table queen? doesn't really look like acorn squash but i don't know - never grew/ate or saw any of them before, lol.

pls offer any ideas you might have - i will research all suggestions because i really do want to know, AND i don't want to let a squash go to waste if it's ripe. . . it's good sized that's for sure = both of them!

Did you start round zucchini at all? Gorgeous, whatever it is.

i don't think i seed started round zucchini - i know i had some yellow and green zucchini ( i think the yellow got eaten by a bug). . .

i just get the feeling this veg needs more growing time - don't know why i keep thinking that but it's a niggling feeling that it's not ripe yet - even though it's good sized. . . it's like ribs are starting to form on it - slight bumps around the fruit. .

i know i have 2 and could sacrifice one, but dno't want to. 'sides, the family still haven't eaten all our green zucchini we've recnetly harvested, lol.

i did try seed starting some egg gourd and some snake gourd. neither appeared to have survived. . . 'sides it's awful huge for an egg gourd i would think (not that i have any experience in it, though having never seen any of these things in 'real life')

I think either a type of pumpkin or a squash although I can't think of a round squash.

i did seed start pie pumpkins, as well as black table queen. . .could be a pie pumpkin! - i have never seen a pumpkin growing before so i don't know what it starts out looking like!

and i went out and pollinated some more of the squash blossoms so hopefully i'll get some more fruit!

it's weird - one plant has male blossoms, and another plant has a female blossom (single female blossom) so i took some pollin (using my trusty artist paintbrush) from the male (even though it's different) and put it on the female blossom.

if i understand pollination correctly, i will not be able to harvest the seeds (creating a hybrid) but teh fruit will grow and taste normal =- whatever it is. . .

As a general rule, pumpkin blossoms have a more rounded petal than squash blossoms. So...

Do the blossoms look like more like this (pumpkin):

Or this (squash):




Like I said previously, it is a general rule, but with all the varieties and hybrids, it's still a guessing game!

Patti

definitely more squash like.

the upper blossom looks just like the canteloupe/watermelon blossoms (only those are kind of small - not huge like a squash).

amazes me how big the squash blossoms are every time they open. just gorgeous. absolutely gorgeous! (and now i like the color yellow because of them, lol).

looks like a pumpkin too me!

Its a SURPRISE! Just wait and see. I dont think it is ready yet myself.

The blossom in your second picture... is that on the same plant? That looks more like a pumpkin blossom than a squash... I vote for pumpkin!

.. though, wouldn't winter squash be more pumpkin-like, since actually pumpkin IS a winter squash? .... hmmmmmmmm

it really seems too round to be black table queen squash.

It looks like the picture of the "Stripetta" spaghetti squash I planted. The plant got temporarily overgrown by the more vigorous neighboring zucchini, so I don't have anything that size yet. Did you plant a spaghetti squash?

here's what i planted from seed - so it's gotta be one of these (unless the seed manufacturer put wrong seed in packet - which has happened to me in past - helps add to the mystery, lol)

cucumber - pickling type
cucumber - tendergreen
gourd - nest egg
gourd - snake
pumpkin - early sweet sugar pie
pumpkin - jack be little
squash - black table queen
squash - summer yellow
zucchini - dark green

and i'm going to cross out the ones i think can be eliminated:


cucumber - pickling type
cucumber - tendergreen
gourd - nest egg
gourd - snake
pumpkin - early sweet sugar pie
pumpkin - jack be little
squash - black table queen
squash - summer yellow
zucchini - dark green

so it really is narrowed down to either a pumpkin or squash, lol.

according to seed packet the squash is 70-90 days; the pumpkin is 90 days. these were seed started in may (i think). maybe as early as march. . . but they were small little plants when transplanted in end of may. . .

depending on when to figure harvest dates - this first harvest could be anywhere from July 19 - August 18

I vote for the Early Sugar Pie pumpkin. See the images on this www.yougrowgirl.com forum:

http://yougrowgirl.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=90043&sid=cd07aed657ae50993928357b91eb6614


Patti

when i see more blossoms on that plant i will photograph them - but that blossom that was open when i took the pic this morning is now closed up. . .

i will also try to remember to take pics of them as they grow - since i'm sure i'm not the only one confused about plants and what they look like as they grow . . .

boy am i glad i took my paintbrush to those blossoms though before they closed! i want a bumper crop of fruits/veg!

bettyann

I guess you'll just have to wait to be surprised.
I had that problem this year but can't blame it on the grandkids.
I knocked my labels out of a tray when I bumped into it and I haven't the vaguest idea on several transplants....among them zucchinis, peppers, broccoli, and cauliflowers so I'll also be surprised. But what fun!

Have you grown squash in previous years? Could this be a cross-breed volunteer?

I vote pumpkin! Sure resembles a pie pumpkin so far. It is still green so it still have some growing/ripening to do. With this early spring and headstart it may be ealier than usual.

megan - never grew squash of any kind til this year.

Happyfrog:

It sure looks like a pumpkin to me - unless you planted watermelon.

Keep us posted!

Happy Gardening Everyone....

I vote pumpkin, too. It's definitely not a watermelon - your leaves aren't lobed and the blossoms are way too big.

I've grown acorn squash and they develop the deep grooves while still very young, plus the shape and color isn't quite right for any acorn squash I ever grew. One end is usually sort of pointed.