Disappointing Winter Squash

[Colin Miles]

In 2006 I had a good crop of Orange Dawn Winter Squash - this was the first time I had grown Winter Squash. Since then things have gone downhill with fewer and fewer fruit each year. Last year, I planted the allegedly suitable Hunter in amongst the Sweet Corn and noted that only the ones on the 'outside' produced any fruit. So this year I gave them all the space to themselves - with 4 Hunter, 3 Invincible (Crown Prince) and 7 Waltham. Hunter seems to have produced just 2 small fruits and Waltham maybe a couple as well. Invincible (Marshalls version Crown Prince), which I chose after reading all the advice on the forum, has produced 4 fruits, 2 of them very large. What baffles me is that they all seem to have produced masses of male flowers and few female ones. And many of the female ones have, if pollinated (sometimes by hand), simply rotted and turned brown. Oh, and at least 2 Hunter were eaten by slugs.

Anyone any thoughts and advice?

[peter]

Here its not yet really harvesting time for winter squash yet.

Thus far though I think it has not been a good squash year, but I have six ripe butternut allegedly curing in the sun on a garden chair out back, though they seem to be having a good wash right now.

[Nature's Babe]

Smiling here, the whole garden is getting drenched, maybe next year we will get rain when things need it to grow and sun when its time for ripening and drying ! I planted 2 squash in my garden that are doing reasonably but another turks turban squash self seeded from the compost that I spread and is very happy where it landed, spreading and fruiting like mad, 5 huge squash and lots more forming.

[Johnboy]

Hi NB,
When I was in France many moons ago I was invited to stay with a French family for a weekend and the lady of the house used an enormous Turks Turban to make her fruit salad in for Saturday nights celebration.
She cut down at 45 degrees around the top and the Turban came out like a circular wedge, she then scooped out the pith and seeds and the fruit salad in there. It was so big it held enough for 20 people. Not wanting to waste anything the following Sunday lunch was a Barbecue and she cut the whole of the Turks Turban into wedges which she roasted and with all the juice of the fruit salad infused in it the taste was fantastic.
BTW the Turks Turban was about 24" in Diameter and full of fruit salad it had to be on a trolley and wheeled in because it weighed so heavy to lift!
JB.

[Nature's Babe]

She sounds a very creative cook Johnboy,thank you, I will have to try that !
I will take a tape measure to the squash too!