I'd like to try to grow some pumpkins this year, but I haven't tried
it before.

Can anyone recommend orange varieties that have a good success rate?
(I'd rather get several decent pumpkins than go for size.) I'd
appreciate any other tips.

Thanks.

"Adam Funk" wrote ...
I'd like to try to grow some pumpkins this year, but I haven't tried
it before.

Can anyone recommend orange varieties that have a good success rate?
(I'd rather get several decent pumpkins than go for size.) I'd
appreciate any other tips.

We personally find Butternut Squash much more useful, and more tasty.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"Adam Funk" wrote in message
...
I'd like to try to grow some pumpkins this year, but I haven't tried
it before.

Can anyone recommend orange varieties that have a good success rate?
(I'd rather get several decent pumpkins than go for size.) I'd
appreciate any other tips.

Depends what you want them for. If for Hallowe'en, Baby Moon was quite
good. Pumpkins in general are quite watery, but OK for pies and cakes if
you cook them and squeeze the water out. I still have a couple left from
last year, but they're not good keepers and are starting to think about
rotting.

Bob H. is right that a harder-fleshed winter squash like butternut is much
better for eating. If you want a red one, go for uchiki-kuri, an orange
onion-shaped squash about 3 lbs in weight. Or you might like to try the
steel-grey Crown Prince, which can weigh about 10 lbs. We grew about 40
lbs of them last year.

Sorry, I got diverted: orange pumpkins - Connecticut Field, Atlantic Giant,
Spooky.

Aldi or Lidl often have good pumpkin seeds that are quite inexpensive. At
the risk of being accused of promoting a company, nevertheless I have to say
that Simpsons Seeds near Longleat have a good selection of both pumpkin and
squash seeds and we have had lots of success with them.

someone

Adam Funk wrote:
Can anyone recommend orange varieties that have a good success rate?
(I'd rather get several decent pumpkins than go for size.) I'd
appreciate any other tips.

I grew some medium sized quite dark orange ones last year that were quite
tasty. But as another poster said, butternut squash are tastier.

If you'd like a selection of seeds, I have literally hundreds. The dark
orange ones, plus some older ones from giant (but watery tasting, tbh) paler
varieties, and maybe some others. Drop me an email with your address and
I'll be happy to send some on.

If you want to eat it, I'd suggest growing an eating type, not a hallowe'en pumpkin. Even in the USA, "pumpkin pie" is more often made from butternut. But eating squash doesn't have to be butternut, butternut is actually a different species from the majority of "winter squash" species in cultivation. ("Winter squash" simply means it can be stored, unlike, say courgette and pattypan type squashes, which are called summer squashes.) A lot of the seeds you'll come across are best for a climate like you'd get in the south of France. So I'd have a look at some of these, they are selected for growing in a British climate. I think the Hubbard-type squashes are my favourite. But they also have an early butternut. http://www.realseeds.co.uk/wintersquash.html

On 2010-03-19, Bob Hobden wrote:



"Adam Funk" wrote ...
I'd like to try to grow some pumpkins this year, but I haven't tried
it before.

Can anyone recommend orange varieties that have a good success rate?
(I'd rather get several decent pumpkins than go for size.) I'd
appreciate any other tips.

We personally find Butternut Squash much more useful, and more tasty.

I like that too, but I'm after something festive for Halloween (and
edible if possible).

On 2010-03-20, someone wrote:


"Adam Funk" wrote in message
...
I'd like to try to grow some pumpkins this year, but I haven't tried
it before.

Can anyone recommend orange varieties that have a good success rate?
(I'd rather get several decent pumpkins than go for size.) I'd
appreciate any other tips.

Depends what you want them for. If for Hallowe'en, Baby Moon was quite
good. Pumpkins in general are quite watery, but OK for pies and cakes if
you cook them and squeeze the water out. I still have a couple left from
last year, but they're not good keepers and are starting to think about
rotting.

Bob H. is right that a harder-fleshed winter squash like butternut is much
better for eating. If you want a red one, go for uchiki-kuri, an orange
onion-shaped squash about 3 lbs in weight. Or you might like to try the
steel-grey Crown Prince, which can weigh about 10 lbs. We grew about 40
lbs of them last year.

Sorry, I got diverted: orange pumpkins - Connecticut Field, Atlantic Giant,
Spooky.

Aldi or Lidl often have good pumpkin seeds that are quite inexpensive. At
the risk of being accused of promoting a company, nevertheless I have to say
that Simpsons Seeds near Longleat have a good selection of both pumpkin and
squash seeds and we have had lots of success with them.

Interesting, thanks.