UK gardening - The Best seeds?

Author

The Best seeds?

Mervyn Thomas

2006-11-22, 9:25 am

I have been saving seeds from butternut squash and notice that different
fruits have widely different sizes of seeds. Does anyone know whether the
size of seen has any bearing on the suitability for planting or should only
the biggest seeds be used?

Mike Lyle

2006-11-22, 9:25 am

Mervyn Thomas wrote:
> I have been saving seeds from butternut squash and notice that different
> fruits have widely different sizes of seeds. Does anyone know whether the
> size of seen has any bearing on the suitability for planting or should only
> the biggest seeds be used?

Size as such may not matter, but I'd choose only the plumpest ones:
like many fruits used as food, these things are harvested before they
reach maturity, and a lot of the seeds will be undeveloped. You'll have
so many that you could try testing a selection for germination right
away: this won't give you usable plants with our winter coming on, but
would be interesting.

I think the consensus is that you'll be lucky if you get a useful crop
of butternut squashes in British conditions: I managed OK many years
ago, during a heatwave ('76, I think it was), but the fruits weren't
supermarket size, and, as far as I remember, I've never tried again.

--
Mike.

Janet Galpin

2006-11-22, 9:25 am

The message <1164196178.765360.241730@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>
from "Mike Lyle" <mike_lyle_uk@yahoo.co.uk> contains these words:

> Mervyn Thomas wrote:
[color=darkred]
> Size as such may not matter, but I'd choose only the plumpest ones:
> like many fruits used as food, these things are harvested before they
> reach maturity, and a lot of the seeds will be undeveloped. You'll have
> so many that you could try testing a selection for germination right
> away: this won't give you usable plants with our winter coming on, but
> would be interesting.

> I think the consensus is that you'll be lucky if you get a useful crop
> of butternut squashes in British conditions: I managed OK many years
> ago, during a heatwave ('76, I think it was), but the fruits weren't
> supermarket size, and, as far as I remember, I've never tried again.

> --
> Mike.

It's quite easy to get a good crop here (in South Lincolnshire) or at
least it was this year. I grew them in my polytunnel and also outside
and got abpout 30 squashes. The yield was just about as good out of
doors as under cover.
I think perhaps some varieties have been developed for a shorter growing
season. I grew 'Sprinter' aand 'Waltham Butternut' as well as straight
forward Butternut. Unfortunately I didn't keep tabs on which did best.

Obviously if Mervyn is saving seed from supermarket squashes, the
results might be less certain.

Janet G

LinkBot