Kitchen Garden Forum

A few years back, in a different garden, I grew winter squash tied into netting as space was limited. I'd like to try that again in this new garden, where space is again a problem, but I'm not sure what varieties I used to grow. They need to be small-fruited because of the weight problem, but good flavour. Has anyone got any recommendations?

Festival & Delicata.

We grew Harlequin and Fairy last year both outside and in the polytunnel. The fruits were nice on them both, we still have one Fairy so it also keeps, but we didn't get as many as we would have liked - that might have been down to us.

Another one is Sweet Dumpling, which is slightly larger than a grapefruit, has cream skin with green stripes. It has a delicious flavour when roasted, very much like roast chestnuts. It's a great favourite in our house.

The first recommendations on each of the last three posts are broadly similar in size and shape.

If your structure is strong enough you can grow any squashes / pumpkins upwards! My best Crown Prince was climbing up my neighbour's pallet compost heap, as well as 2 or 3 butternuts!

Westi

Thanks to everyone for what sound like very good suggestions. I'm aware the yield probably won't be as big as it would if the plants were allowed to spread along the ground - that was my experience, too. Also, Westi, the space available is where I've grown sweet peas and climbing beans in the past two years, against a south-facing fence. The 'structure' isn't that strong at the moment, although I dare say it could be.

Rolet is my favourite, closely followed by Delikata. The fruits are small enough for growing over a support, but numerous and ripen well to store successfully. Rolet is a Gem type squash, round and smooth about the size of a tennis ball. I don't know if Jack Be Little is still available. I grew this many years ago and the fruits are perfect miniature pumpkins.

Last year I grew Red Kuri which is a potimarron type up a wigwam of tall canes. It did really well, needed some pinching out and tying in. I'm trying squash festival as well this year.

I can confirm Red Kuri is a good variety, though I've only grown it on the flat in the past. I've decided to go for Sweet Dumpling, partly because every reference to it seems to say good flavour and keeps well, and partly because a review of an RHS squash trial described it as one of the stars. So that's going to be one of the experiments this season...

Ken, I'm sure you won't be disappointed with your Sweet Dumplings because they are so flexible in their use - did you know they make very nice desserts too?. Just cut them into two like a grapefruit, remove the seeds and bake in the oven. You can fill the hollow with Bramley apple purree and sultanas, and serve with a blob of cream or crème fraiche.

Certainly sounds interesting! I'll pass on the idea to Senior Cook. We've always been a bit wary of pumpkin pie as a dessert, but maybe we are wrong...

Pumpkin flesh in my opinion is really insipid and all the big ones, apart from Crown Prince which is the green/grey skinned one with sweet flesh not really worth growing. The smaller varieties seem to be sweeter, I think.

Quite like Queensland Blue for sweet flavour as well Primrose - very similar to Crown Prince in flavour but slightly less watery. Needs a reasonable Summer - oh and a pick axe to get into it as more ribbed!
Still easier than the ones I got seed from the States though - Chicago Warted; needed TNT to get into one of those - but was pretty good, but needless to say experiment over with! Especially as kind of fond of all my fingers & thumbs!

Westi