Vining Yellow Crookneck Squash

[Diane Whitehead]

Well, I haven't found a vining crookneck yet, but just found a climbing zucchini from Pennard Plants in the U.K.  I've done a quick Google search and it is available from a lot of English seedhouses, but not in North America that I could see.

Here is its description:  Courgette , Climbing , Black Forest 'Patio' Cucurbita pepo , A new RARE (F1) hybrid with a unique climbing habit, Courgette 'Black Forest' makes a great space saving variety for growing in containers on the patio. The long stems will need tying onto a trellis or netting to gently train them upwards. Courgette Black Forest will produce heavy yields of dark green, smooth, cylindrical 15cm (6") courgettes if picked regularly throughout the summer. Height: 120cm (48"). Spread: 60cm (24"). Best Container Grown as it favours a very rich, well-drained soil. ,

[Ryan M Miller]

Here is my latest update on the vining yellow crookneck project. This year, I grew out some seeds from @Esoteric Agriculture from his 2019 grow out. So far, I have obe promising seed fruit. I plan on setting aside some space next year for my F1 squash seeds as well. Below is a link to a video update on the project on Bitchute. I look forward to the next video update on the project from Esoteric Agriculture.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/HKnxelyPJg0b/

[Lauren]

I'm thinking this might be what you're looking for, but I can't tell if it's pepo until (if) I get it to mature seeds. The immature fruit are definitely crookneck. I got it in a mixed batch of random squash seeds last spring so I have no idea what it's called.

[Ryan M Miller]

It's been two years since my last update on this project due to a poor year for squash last year. I've had much better results this year although I still only got four fruits out of more than twelve plants. Thankfully I had one plant that yielded the correct pear-shaped fruit and climbing vines. I saved seeds from both squash fruits in this picture (not just the pear-shaped one) since both fruits were fertilized with the same male parents.

[William Schlegel]

So I finally made a pepo summer squash grex starting last year in 2021. Pictured in 2022 in the F1 or G1. The squash on the extreme left front is a Lofthouse crookneck. The squash closest to it are Mandan x Lofthouse crookneck.

Clear to me that the warts are dominant, the yellow is dominant. Stripes can be variable. Zucchini length and pumpkin shape both contribute to an intermediate form. Mandan x Crookneck is more like mandan in shape but there is a slight contribution there too- and size is increased in both hybrids.

A new 2022 parent is in the back Zephyr F1 and you see when fully mature there is a slight crook to it. Also true of some Goldini. There is one Lofthouse zucchini center, two Mandan squash to the left of the Lofthouse zucchini, and one one stray Tetuskabuto F1 to the left of those- very dark green. Squash on the right are Mandan x Lofthouse Zucchini. In 2023 there will be segregates and crosses of crosses and some selfing or crosses to the same cross so we should see a much wider array of possible phenotypes including possibly some large pumpkin shapes from Zucchini size plus Mandan shape, a return to crookneck, a return to zucchini, and who knows what all! The F2 next year should be a lot of fun.

[Ryan M Miller]

Sorry I didn't see William's reply until now. I also purchased some Maycock landrace seeds this year that I might select to add genetic diversity. I mainly got the seeds to help rematriate them, but I could use any favorable genetics that can restore the vining trait into yellow crookneck squash as well as scalop and pattypan squash.

[William Schlegel]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1402973086/30-diverse-zucchini-squash-mix-seeds

My wife is selling some of my excess pepo grex