In article ,
"Zootal" wrote:

"Billy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Zootal" wrote:

"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
My 20x20 garden is strange this year. I am having a bumper crop of
volunteer butternut squash!

Doing well: peppers, stawberries, potatoes, parsley
Not doing well: tomatoes, radishes
OK: cucumbers

I planted zuchinni and have none.



http://zootal.no-ip.info/stuff/2009/...s/DSCF5935.JPG
http://zootal.no-ip.info/stuff/2009/...s/DSCF5979.JPG

This grew out of the compost pile back under the tree. the main vine you
see
growing towards the camera grows about six inches a day. The side vines,
which you can't see very well in this pic, grow faster. This was a week
ago - today it's taken over half of the bed you see to the right. I have
no
idea how big this monster is going to get. I can't wait to see what kind
of
fruit it grows - there is no telling what it is crossed with, as I grew
about ten types of squash last year, including 2 different pumpkins and
an
Atlantic monster squash of some sort.

Looks like pumpkin to me.
--

- Billy


It's just now starting to set fruit, and they do indeed look like pumpkin,
maybe with a touch of zuchinni. I wasn't sure what the fruit would look
like, as I tossed a lot of scrap into the compost pile last year. A few
years ago I planted seeds from an acorn squash, and while they grew nice
long vines, the fruit was varied and weird. Tasty, but strangly shaped. This
monster is half again as big as it was when I took the pics. I am amazed at
how fast it grows! The side runners grow 10-12 inches a day! The main runner
keeps heading deeper and deeper into the garden, with no sign of slowing
down. It's huge!

Reminds me of Tahitian Squash. Great keeper and sort of like a very
big carrot. Don't have enough sun these days here but worth a look.

http://www.specialtyproduce.com/index.php?item=3934

I've stored them under my bed for about six months. Tough and tasty.

Bill

--

Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

http://prototype.nytimes.com/gst/articleSkimmer/