Australian Butter Squash

[jayb]

This is another new to me variety for 2015, again this is a variety I bought from Baker Creek seeds, they do have some lovely varieties.

These are making quite robust plants and they are already setting a good amount of fruit from what I can see amongst the leaves. Australian Butter do seem to be growing well here this summer (although it was a slow start for all the squash earlier on) and is quite a bit earlier to start fruiting than Mayoral Blue which has only just started to produce fruit.

I love the shape of these early fruits and the colour is quite intense too.

[Galina]

Quite unusually their stems are yellow too. I am writing from past experience, your pictures reminded me. My own are soooooooooooooo late, only just into male flowers. May not work out. This business of sowing later in order to get around the 'sulking' after planting out stage has not worked out. Both beans and squash are much later than normal. But yours look a picture

[jayb]

I think I sowed mine mid May this year, they seemed to be really slow to start fruit, but a couple of weeks after the first ones set fruit they have romped ahead. I wonder if the black membrane warmed the soil a little to help them get going? The butternuts are still extremely shy with male flowers, I've had a few now thankfully with Sonka. I sowed lots of dwarf beans but I'm afraid I rather had to give up on climbers this year - gutted.

[Galina]

I have a fully mature Tromboncino, just changing colour to yellow storage. However it has not 'bell end' and I suspect there are no seeds inside this one. I will have to take it off. We had lots of female fruits since that did not get pollinated, but since they are the size of courgettes, we ate them as such. now finally I have both types of flower, but not yet exactly on the same day. My tall beans are flowering and we had the first few beans, but peas are still in the majority. Really need to start earlier. Sonka is good news, hope you like the more red colour and slightly different flavour. Pity about your climbing beans. Next year.

[jayb]

I'm glad your Tromboncino are producing something for you, mine are yet to get gong! Can't even follow your tip to eat the un-pollinated ones!

[jayb]

A few fruits have been late aborters, which given the weather is not so much of a surprise. Some of the remaining fruits are starting to ripen, it's looking likely I'll have a few to harvest for winter.

[jayb]

I think these are the same two fruits as above, colour is a bit richer and they can't be far off ready to harvest, maybe before the weather turns next week?

[Galina]

Looking good. They can go in for sure.

[jayb]

Picked today I think 4 maybe 5 from 3 plants, so not brilliant but considering the year, not so bad. One is quite small and won't keep by the look of it. Two are hand pollinated so a chance of seed.

[clumsy]

I've just sown the seeds for this squash today. After reading your post a while ago I thought I would grow this. At the moment I'm going to try and follow nearly everything you've grown. You grow loads of different and interesting varieties.

[jayb]

Glad you are growing this one, it's a lovely squash, hope they do well for you. I've sown quite a lot of different types of squash this year, far more than I need for myself but I want to fill space with something fairly maintenance easy, so once planted they can run wild! Hopefully I'll have a chance to bag some blossoms and save some seed of some and I've a couple of crosses in mind. Have you grown the variety Sibley, it's really one of my top favourites, Jeannine sent me seeds several years back and I've been growing some pretty much ever since.

I never really got to grow much last year, all my squashes and courgette got as far as being hardened off but never planted, fingers crossed for better this year. I'm really looking forward to my Asian round courgette

[jayb]

Thanks Galina

[jayb]

Clumsy, I'm thinking there's still time, especially as I only put my second batch of squash seeds in a few days back! If you pm me your address I'll pop some in the post to you.

[clumsy]

Thank you for the offer Jayb. After I replied to you comment I thought you know what I'll grow it, so I went and brought the seeds. Sorry I should have probably asked you first if you had any spare. Thank you for the kind offer maybe next.

[jayb]

Lol, good for you! I really hope you like them as much as me! Keep us posted

[clumsy]

Well the seeds arrived today. Put all the seeds in the compost now it's a waiting game.

[jayb]

The second batch of seeds squash seeds I sowed have come on really quickly and look to be gaining on the first ones which is good news as I've just sown a couple of late comers too!

[clumsy]

Look what I found under leaves. Sorry about the picture quality.

[Galina]

Great find, Clumsy!