I planted Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita pepo squashes today.
For Cucurbita moschata I found my original packet of leftover Tetsukabuto F1 seeds so I planted them today with the other Moschata squashes Guatemalan Green Ayote, Autumn's Choice G3, Lofthouse, and the Grex from Mike that included some cool Thai squash though I let it cross with others as will all of these. Oh, I also planted a small amount of Zuchinni rampicante squash the long thin one. I think my main goals with this grex this year is currently to just retain the banded trait from Autumn's choice, the green flesh from Green Ayote, and get some Tetsukabuto seed pollinated definitively by Moschata squash. Hopefully there will be a lot of mixing.
Then for Cucurbita pepo I planted Zephyr, Goldini, Romanesco Costata, Lofthouse Crookneck, Lofthouse Zucchini, and the early Mandan pepo squash originally from Sandhill that I grew with Lofthouse Croockneck and Lofthouse Zucchini last year in the hopes they would cross. Note: my goal with this grex is sort of a Pepo version of what I imagine is being described in the book Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden, though that could also have been a Maxima squash. I think Carol's Goldini and its parent Romanesco Costata are appropriate as Carol tested the latter and bred the former for good, dried summer squash flavor inspired by the same book. The Mandan Pepo squash might be of three tribes of the upper Missouri origin, it is certainly early! Then Zephyr adds in the banded trait which might be what the book is talking about when it refers to a certain coloration that made good squash dolls. Lofthouse Crookneck has excellent flavor and Lofthous Zucchini has a good deal of diversity. So hopefully it will make a interesting grex. My plan is to continue to save seeds primarily from the Mandan Pepo squash to use it as the cytoplasm mother. It will be interesting to see this year if there are any obvious hybrids from last year.
I need to rototill a spot better for the Maxima squash.
