It's this Delicata squash.

Seems like there is more than one type delicate squash. I'mtrying to buy seeds for the delicata everyone thinks is so good. So, all who mean this one:
1.


Or this
2.
Moo


Or this
3.




Please vote. Songofjoy, does yours taste like pumpkin? Where did you get the seeds?

Cornell Bush Delicata - http://www.territorialseed.com...
Original Delicata - http://www.rareseeds.com/delic...
Sweet Dumplin -http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-548-delicata-squash-sweet-dumpling.aspx
Carnival- http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-5...
Honeyboat - http://www.rareseeds.com/honey...

Farmerdill - thanks for the links. That was very informative. What I planted looked like the original delicata.

I got my 'Sweet Dumpling' Delicata at the grocery store and saved seeds. The others were sent to me in a swap.

I grew #1 and love it!

I like Dickinson's Field Pumpkin and Red Kuri

I don't like pumpkin, so I try to avoid anything that looks pumpkinish

Question, I believe this to be winter squash, but I've never seen a blossom "head" like this on any squash.


Its from a variety pack of winter squash seed. Anyone recognize what type squash it might be?

I'm saving seeds from my best Mrs. Aquillard winter squash. The darker seeds are plump, and look fertile. The lighter seeds are flat, and look infertile. Is this correct?

These are the blossoms from the winter squash seedhead shown in post #663031 above. Anyone recognize the type of squash yet? I never seen the blossoms grow in clusters like these.

>> The darker seeds are plump, and look fertile. The lighter seeds are flat, and look infertile. Is this correct?

I don't know about squash, but I've been wrong often enough that when I clean seeds, I save some of anything that might be a fertile seed. I found "chaff" from alyssum that had 100% germination rates.

I also save some big seeds (expecting them to have more food stored and make more viable seedlings. But I also save some small ones, in case the "big seeds" were actually infected with something and swelled up before dieing and drying.

My rule of thumb is that whatever the plant produced in the greatest quantity, all looking similar, is probably what a normal seed should look like.

Before I throw away the "sterile ones" or the "maybe chaff", I set up some small, stacking glass bowls with part of a coffee filter in each one. I write the description on the filter or a scrap of mini-blind slat in the bowl, and drop a bunch of maybe-seeds into each bowl and leave them until they sprout or rot.

Usually the ones that look like seeds, are seeds. But sometimes, the ones that look wonky sprout better.

If you have enough squash seeds, I would germination-test 10 of each kind.

And if you were planning the throw any of them away, like the small ones, why not test-germinate 30-50? If they germinate well, you can save and trade them, and even include a germination test report: "80% germination on 7/23/2014".

Well, thanks! That was very helpful.

I appreciate that.

It might be better if I knew anything about squash seeds!

Another general rule of thumb is to save at least a few seeds from the commerical packet, and compare what I save to what I bought.

But I like like "try them both", because that way you will find any seed type that germinates better for you, even if "normal" or "average" looks different.

Well, its been two weeks since I started my germination test. Results:
Skinny flat seeds rotted.
Fat seeds are still inactive

Maybe they need a dry period first?

Favorite so far is Carnival, an Acorn squash.
But I'm growing Waltham Butternut this year, and they are looking good. (They look good to the chipmunks, too, and I'm having to cover them up to prevent little munches in the rind.)
I tried Delicata also, but none of the flowers set. I'll have to try hand pollinating next year.

You might soak slow seeds in diluted hydrogen peroxide to encourage sprouting and discourage rot.

1-2 ounces of drugstore hydrogen peroxide in 1 quart of water.
Or 1.5 to 3 teaspoons in one cup.

Since drugstore H2O2 is around 3%, this dilution gives 0.1 to 0.2%.

"Food Service Hydrogen peroxide" is around 20%, so be careful if that's your starting point!

For how long long Rick? Do you think that would help with other seeds that I have a hard time getting to germinate, such as peas, sweet peas, or moonflower?

I wouldn't actually SOAK seeds in a dish of water or peroxide for more than a day or much less than overnight, just because I haven't read about other people soaking them for days.

Someone suggested it to me for old salvia seeds, and it made a big difference.

I was actually thinking to keep the germination medium damp with weak peroxide , as some people suggest chamomile tea or cinnamon. But peroxide actually seems to get some seeds to "pop" faster.

But peroxide ought to supply a little extra oxygen, and discourage some decay organisms, either during an overnight deep soak or while sitting on coffee filters or in sterile seed-starting mix.

I usually killed seeds by drowning them until I started using very fast-draining mix.

I also mitigate my overwatering compulsion by keeping an absorbent pad under my tray of cells, so I can bottom-water without flooding anything. I just keep the pad damp, and that keeps the bottom layer of soil mix damp in every cell.

http://garden.org/ideas/view/R...

P.S. Have you ever tried starting peas in a length of guttering, maybe in a greenhouse or under plastic film? That gets them going earlier, and you can push the pea seedlings out of the guttering into a trench 8-16 inches at a time.

Thanks for the info, rick. I'll try peroxide next time. Never tried the gutters, but it sounds great!