Pumpkin/Squash Advice from seedaholics please

[Small pumpkin]

Where has the best range / selection of squash and pumpkin seeds?
Starting to think about next years crops and would like to get from one or two places rather than lots of places like I normally do

Thank you

[Guest]

The VSP although I haven't seen Sparrow about for a while if it is true indulgent seedy experience then bakers creek. I seem to pick odd packs up here and there otherwise

[Cadalot]

Sparrow is you girl for all things squash like! She may pop in or may be to busy playing with horses at the moment

[Guest]

Sorry, just having a belated brain wave Pennard plants have a good range and I have never had issues with seeds or service. http://www.pennardplants.com/products.php?cat=153

[Small pumpkin]

Thanks NG. They are both brilliant.

[Chris11]

Another vote here for Sparrow and the VSP.

The various parts of the VSP are obviously not as active as we'd like and and there are lots of seeds that deserve a chance to be grown before they get too old and not viable.

[veggiechicken]

As I understand it, the VSP will reopen later this year in time for next year's sowing season.
Its a voluntary thing and its up to those who run the different VSP sections to decide how much of their time they are prepared to give up. I've been there and done it and know how much work it can be.

[sparrow100]

*waves furiously*

Hi! I am still here. It's just I have been a bit distracted by Horse. He's been poorly.

As NG says, Baker Creek is the bees knees for squashes. Their range is eye-wateringly vast but the only stock open-pollinated varieties. KCB Samen is a Swiss site, stocks F1s and has the second-best list in terms of variety - in my eyes at least. Bobby Seeds is a German site and comes a close third for their squash lists. For UK sites Pennards and Thomas Etty are both great, plus Real Seeds.

I keep a list of seed suppliers on my blog as an easy reference point: https://mudandgluts.com/seeds-and-se...unusual-seeds/

But the VSP is closest to home and has masses of seeds in it. 28 varieties of squashes and pumpkins...open from 01 November for a month, and then January-April next year.

[Small pumpkin]

Thank you sparrow, I'll have a look at those links and probably want another 30 varieties, I don't actually have space for
Hope your little man (horse) is feeling better.

[burnie]

We've taken to butternut squash in soups, are they easy to grow, any recommended varieties ?

[Small pumpkin]

We've taken to butternut squash in soups, are they easy to grow, any recommended varieties ?

After a couple days squash & pumpkin hunting. I've found butternut squash hunter very tempting apparently early maturing and can cope with our uk climate. But I've never tried it. I attempt to grow waltham butternut squash a few years ago. It didn't do well here! It produced nothing, but the plant grew well if I remember correctly.

[veggiechicken]

I grew some butternut squash last year. Can't remember the varieties - Hunter & Waltham were in the mix.
Didn't have lots of fruit, but I don't mollycoddle them. However, they store very well - I still have one in the fruit bowl, in perfect condition. Probably need a chain saw to cut through the skin but it hasn't rotted.
I'm growing more this year but its been a bad year for all things cucurbit - even the courgettes are thin on the ground.

[SelkirkAlex]

grew hunter this year, vigorous green growth, no fruit forming as yet, was thinking of binning it

[Zelenina]

Butternuts are Cucurbita moschata which are more fussy about having long hot summers than the other species. There are some newer varieties bred to be more tolerant of UK conditions, including Hunter. But in Scotland it's always going to be chancy.

I suggest you try C. maxima varieties instead which are less fussy. They make good soup too, although they have a slightly different taste from butternuts ( I like them better). Some good ones are Blue Kuri, Hokkaido/Red Kuri and Crown Prince.

C. pepo varieties are also relatively easy to grow but not always great to eat. Some that are known for good flavour are Small Sugar, Winter Luxury and Sweet Dumpling.

[Snoop Puss]

You could try Barbara as a butternut. We have a hot but very short growing season here and they did surprisingly well. I've grown Hunter this year. Not very successful.