Hybrid Pumpkin

[lasder99]

I hope someone might be able to help.

I'm a newbie who, for various reasons, is lottie'ing on the cheap. To get the plot going ( I've only had it 2 months) I planted up a number of seeds saved from pumpkins my mother grew at her home last year.

She assures me that each type were in their own area and could not have cross-pollinated and my 18 "Halloween" type seem to resemble her photos but my 20 "Small Sugar" have got elongated yellow fruit forming beneath the flowers.

Since she had one "Small Sugar" accidentaly planted in her "Gold Rush" courgette bed I can guess which fruit I've saved the seed of !!

My question is, will the fruit be edible and, if so, should I treat it as a courgette or might it have some sort of shelf life if I grow through to the Autumn ?

As there is so much experience knocking around this site, I'm sure someone must have had the same problem before....or is it just me ?!!

[lasder99]

[saddad]

They are almost certainly edible, as both parents were, and there are thousands of Cucurbit crosses that are.... pleasant eating is another Q altogether, as they say suck it and see!
???

[jennym]

Similar thing for me this year. Grew Crown Prince, Becky, and several courgettes last year. Saved seeds from the Crown Prince from 2 separate fruit as well as still having seeds in the original packet. I had one set of saved seeds that looked almost the same as the packet seeds (whitish) and another set of saved seeds that loked totally different (smaller and pale brown). Will be interesting to see the results (sowed them all and planted out).

I am guessing that you will be able to tell if you can store the fruit by examining the rind, the storable squash types tend to have much thicker, harder skins than those of courgette and marrow.

[dandelion]

Isn't crown prince F1, jennym?

[Curryandchips]

You are right Dandelion, but that doesn't mean you can't save the seed, just that the next crop will not be predictable.

[Squashfan]

That's very good to know. I grew Crown Prince last year and now have the seeds for this year. Plus several others - northern bush, green hokkaido, blue banana, waltham butternut. I tend not to worry too much about cross-pollina tion as I am too lazy to save seed.  ;D

[lasder99]

thanks for your replies -- I will certainly try one if the plants dont die from lack of water first......