I don't know if I would tie blossoms shut. I read some where that when the
baby squash turn yellow and rot on the vine, it was caused when the blossom
was not visited by enough pollinators. Let us know how your "XYZ BOB"
summer or winter squash turns out.

Dwayne

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
(notice the followup header to r.g.e.)

How mature does a squash need to be for you to sucessfully save the seeds?
I let a volunteer squash vine grow in my garden this year (actually I
transplanted it from a path to a big bed where it could run) and it turned
out to be an odd variety that I've never grown before but like very much.
It's probably a cross between a Tatume that I grew a few years ago and a
yellow straightneck or crookneck. The vines run and branch like a pumpkin
vine (like the Tatume), but stay relatively short.

While I was out of town for 3 weeks, it set its first few fruits, and I
picked the big hard-shelled squash when I got back. The seeds are
full-sized, but the shell of the squash was still soft enough I could
scratch it with my thumbnail, barely. The plant has started bearing good
again, and I don't really want to let another fruit mature on the vine and
have the plant shut down again.

I still have one of those 4 big fruits that I haven't cut yet if the seeds
will continue to ripen off the vine fruit. It has been sitting on the
kitchen counter for 2 weeks and shows no signs of rotting, if that's any
indication how mature it is.

I suppose I could test the germination of the seeds that I saved, but I
don't know if they need a few months dormancy before they will sprout.

Thanks, regards,
Bob