Barbara F1 Butternut

[jayb]

I did start this project last year but think I must have chucked the saved seeds out

Here we go again....This variety I've found over the last few years to be the most productive and reliable for my garden. It stores pretty well and taste is great, plus it is a looker with stripes. But unless I spot seeds on offer they are generally pricey often around the £4 mark for a few seeds. With this in mind I'm going to be aiming to save seed from my plants this year and see how they go over the next few years. I bought a few packs of seed when they were on offer so have been able to sow more than I would normally. Wish us luck and if successful happy to share seeds later in the year (or now if you'd like some F1 seeds)

[Jang]

Hope this goes well, jayb. I presume you're hoping to dehybridise it. I'm growing Hunter F1 which does quite well so perhaps could try the same. But a striped skin butternut sounds much more interesting. Do you know what its parents were?

The standard recommended non-F1 variety seems to be Waltham Butternut. Have you by any chance compared the two for flavour, productivity, storage?

[Hector1]

Also growing Harrier- did well for me last season, Waltham less successful .

[jayb]

I presume you're hoping to dehybridise it.

Yes just that.

Do you know what its parents were?

Thanks for mentioning that, I didn't give it a thought and have never looked into the breeding of it, I wonder if any information is available?

Waltham Butternut is pants here, I've never quite got the hang of why so many raves over them! Barbara orbit them on all fronts in my opinion, though that just be my gardens growing soil/location etc. But Barbara really does stand out here, the only other butternut to do well here is Sonka, again a really attractive fruit and the foliage is quite lovely, unfortunately, I'm not in love with the texture of the fruit flesh (reminds me of my aversion to trifle sponge!) If I could get past that I'd grow it every year as in all other ways it is super. I've grown quite a few of the 'bred for British conditions' etc and never had anything that comes close to these two.

[Hector1]

JayB not wishing to go off topic ( so unlike me) have you seen this huge green striped squash. Have seen references regards its texture not being to persons taste.
https://www.growitalian.com/winter-s...napoli-145-12/

[jayb]

Yes thanks for the link, that looks so similar to the inside of Sonka! Striped skin too. I'm sure I've grown these at some point, I know I had seeds, but I can't think how they tasted, perhaps one that didn't do very well here. I wonder if they are related at all!