Squash Success
I'm growing squash plants in the middle of my yard during the pandemic/lockdown/societal collapse, and FINALLY have some success to report!
I've documented this garden's progress from before it began, right here on the blockchain, most recently here, where I was hopeful my squash plants were finally producing a viable fruit. I was right!
I'm not even sure what variety I'm growing, looks like a hard-skinned acorn type, but we'll soon know for sure. The genetics are heirloom, and I'll be gathering seeds from this plant to be used again next year.
It's not huge (yet), but it's 200% organic (nothing but air, light, water, and soil), and it's going to be delicious (and it will make great healthy baby food for my little guy).
That's 2 of the 3 plants. I put them where the grass wasn't currently growing, and the vines can be shifted around to mow the lawn under them. It has worked fairly well, and now that a female flower has successfully pollinated, it feels like the tactic is paying off.
What worked? Patience! Yes, I've been hand-pollinating the female flowers with the male flowers, which is often enough to solve under-producing squash vines. In my case, I also needed to wait - perhaps for the plant to grow in overall size enough to sustain a fruit. Now, there are a couple other contenders I've got my eye on.
I'll update the final results of this fruit, and of the squash plants in general, in my upcoming garden posts and photo albums.
Grow in peace!
DRutter
I've been thinking about doing the polonating on my squash. It does look like the acorn type, though I've not really ever grown squash to know much about them.
They take a lot of area ground, but aren't too difficult. I was never a huge squash lover as a kid, but as an adult I appreciate how nutritious they are, and as a gardener, I'm glad I've become more serious about growing them. I wasn't aware that pumpkins are just a variety of squash, no different genetically than the rest. It's just one of the rounder and more orange types of squash out there. I always thought of pumpkins as toys and decorations, not food, but they're exactly the same taste and nutrition as the other squashes. Funny how we judge things by their appearance eh?!
But yeah I do recommend squash. If you need some heirloom seeds for spring let me know, I'll be saving some from this crop.