I've often had trouble finding a squash hidden under all the leaves until it was way too big, so this year I put a tomato cage over one squash plant just to see what would happen.
Hardiness Zone: 3a
Ragteller from Tofield, Alberta Canada
This is a lovely looking squash, and despite the fact that it looks familiar, I can't seem to find any good sources for identifying it. It looks like it has a tougher, slightly "warted" outer skin, which makes me think it's either an edible ornamental gourd or some type of winter squash (all squash are gourds, but not all gourds are squash). Around here, I've seen these in large bins at grocery stores and home improvement stores. Usually they are just lumped in with hundreds of others and labeled "ornamental" of "fancy." Did you grow this or purchase it?
Ellen
This looks like a fancy zucchini to me. I like to get this kind around Halloween and dry them - makes a pretty decoration. Meanwhile, enjoy!
Did you purchase this in a store, or did you grow it yourself? My brother has a vegetable garden and at the end of the season does not pick all of the yellow and zucchini squash, the following year some of them had self seeded and he had a cross between the two.
I BELIEVE IT'S AN ACORN SQUASH
THERE ARE ROUND ZUCHINI AND SEVERAL DIFFERENT VARIETIES. THERE ARE HEIRLOOM VARIETIES YOU HARDLY EVER SEE ANY MORE AND THERE ARE HYBRIDS THAT ARE NEW TO THE MARKET. IF IT TASTE GOOD AND YOU LIKE IT, KEEP SOME OF THE SEED AND SEE IF YOU CAN GROW IT NEXT YEAR.
I've seen gourds that look a lot like that (two-toned). Do you think a gourd and a zucchini inter-pollinated to produce a new variety? I agree that you should save some seeds to see if you can grow them again.
My yellow squash doesn't seen to be producing very much, why?
Thank you.
By Pauline Merry from Highland Springs, VA
The squash vine borer is a very insidious moth that feeds on squash plants. You can tell it attacked your squash when you can see that the stem of the plant itself has been destroyed and gutted out by a disgusting fat white grub.
Why is my yellow squash rotting on the vine when it is halfway to maturity? It is shaded by the corn growing next to it and watered every other day. The summers are hot, always sunny and dry here, (avg. 28 C), so it seems unlikely it could be too much water. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
Hardiness Zone: 9a
By christine from San Remo, Italy
Something is chewing through the roots of my squash plants, just below the surface. The only bugs I've seen are ants and pill bugs. Could one of these be the culprit? What can I do to stop this before all of my plants are gone? Thanks so much.
Hardiness Zone: 9b
By mandy from Brevard County, FL
That would probably be the squash borer beetle. A google search should tell you what to do.
To prevent heavy infestation, rotate crops and use lightweight row covers until flowering. Cultivate soil in autumn to bring overwintering stage to the surface. Remove all crop residues at the end of the growing season, dust the base of the plant regularly with rotenone, inject Bt into the stems, or handpick the caterpillars by cutting open the stem and killing the caterpillar.
Sevin dust will kill them. Any garden supply will carry it. Even Walmart has it. The dust is best and easier to apply than the liquid. Be sure to get it on the backs of the leaves and on the ground. Sounds like squash borer to me too. They are really bad on squash.
How can I battle the squash bugs effectively? I lose my squash, cucumber, and melons to them every year! I try to stay up on the eggs, but it's just not enough. I've tried so many pesticides, but they have done more damage then help. I am hoping to find more of an organic solution.
Why are my crookneck squash rotting at the tips?
Hardiness Zone: 9a
Darlene from Carriere, MS
Hi Darlene - there are 2 possible reasons. One is called BER (blossom end rot) a common problem in the early spring with all fruiting plants and it has several causes including cool wet weather, too much nitrogen fertilizer, or inconsistent soil moisture levels. You can find out much more about it by Googleing BER.
The other possible reason is called "fruit abortion" due to incomplete or inadequate pollination. It is also quite common early in the gardening year and usually resolves itself once the plant matures a bit more and the weather settles. If it doesn't, you can hand pollinate the blooms for better success.
The way to tell which is the problem is by the size of the fruit. BER fruit will be close to normal size but with a rotted blossom end. Aborted fruit is usually much smaller.
Gertie
Choanephora Cucurbitarum :
Symptoms:Soft rotting fungus enters fruit from blossom end, rapidly developing a fluffy mass of fruiting bodies.
Control:Cultural practices that reduce fruit contact with soil, or splashing of infected soil onto fruit are beneficial. Fungicide sprays may be required.
How can I keep pests from eating my summer squash without chemicals?
By garden maid from Clarksville, TN