2012 Seed Choices, Part 4

The main list is here, Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here. 

And now, the cucurbits: cucumbers, melons and squash. Oh, squash - my favourite thing to grow (other than tomatoes, of course!). And yet, it remains my number one crop failure: a handful of zuchinni zucchinni zucchini each for the last two year, and a few spaghetti squash the first year.

That's it.

But, I am determined to try, try again. This year, I'll resort to row covers, even though that means excluding the pollinators along with the pests. Which means hand pollinating - oh, joy! Of course, that also means I can attempt to save seeds...

Squash is one of those crops which makes me long for a larger yard. I really do get carried away with the number of varieties I plant, considering the limited space I have. Of course, trellising helps, and this year, I might try some summer squash and cucumbers in planters, leaving more room for the larger winter squash in the actual garden.

I have a few seeds left from two years ago, but I didn't get great germination last year, so I bought a few new varieties this year. And I actually limited myself to one zuchinni zucchinni zucchini. As much as I like zuchinni zucchinni zucchini, I really don't eat enough of it to justify more than one plant, and it's one of the rare vegetables I do NOT like preserved in any manner - like asparagus. Eat it fresh, or don't eat it.

So, one variety of zuchinni zucchinni zucchini, two of cucumbers (one pickling, one eating), one spaghetti squash, and three winter squash.

But I still have those old seeds, and can't bring myself to just throw them out. So, I'll see if they germinate, and if so, I'll find room for them somewhere!

The final cucurbit tally:  7 new varieties, 7 old, which may or may not grow, for a total of 14. Yikes! But not too bad, considering how much squash I'd grow if I had more room....