Sicilian snake seeds please

[bugs]

I'm sorry, this isn't really relevant to the seed swap, but I've got a mixed pack of squash seeds from Seeds of Italy, one of which is Serpente di Sicilia. I've been examining the seeds with the aim of picking out roughly similar varieties to grow together, and one type is quite differently shaped to the others - thicker, and darker than a normal squash family. I know cucuzzi is a slightly different variety and wondered if anyone here could tell me do these seeds match my description (I can do a photo sometime if that helps!)

many thanks
Me

[mandyballantyne]

a photo would be great, I have some snakes of scilly on the go just now. Some in pots, on paper and still to be sown so should be able to help.

Mandy

[bugs]

a photo would be great, I have some snakes of scilly on the go just now. Some in pots, on paper and still to be sown so should be able to help.

Mandy

Thanks Mandy - sorry it took so long to reply! Lesley Jay has kindly split the post for me so I've put a pic in the new thread which I hope will help!

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ead.php?t=6730

[tinyvine]

[QUOTE=Don Vincenzo;79137]

Hello Tinyvine
I would wait till the 1st April to sow them, but just treat them as any courgettes. Find attached photo of Snakes of Sicily....I hope they will survive this cold spell as i moved them to my cold greenhouse.
My best regards
Don Vincenzo

Yo Don
Forgot to say, they are up and in the greenhouse, sorry no picture, the smaller seeds did better than the bigger ones with 100% germination, they look fab. I've put them in the bigger plastic greenhouse which I hope they'll like as it usually manages an average temperature of 30. I've got to try and sort the camera out so maybe when they get outdoors I'll be able to shoot 'em.

[wellie]

Well Hang Out The Flags....!

Don V,

Don't faint, but I have two whole Cucutzi seedlings as of this morning!
I am SO thrilled! I shall treat them tenderly and grow only those two that have first germinated, being the strongest from the seed. The first to germinate was the 'lighter' coloured seed, then the 'browner' coloured seed.

Thank you once again for sending me the fresh seed...

[Don Vincenzo]

Don V,

Don't faint, but I have two whole Cucutzi seedlings as of this morning!
I am SO thrilled! I shall treat them tenderly and grow only those two that have first germinated, being the strongest from the seed. The first to germinate was the 'lighter' coloured seed, then the 'browner' coloured seed.

Thank you once again for sending me the fresh seed...

Hi Wellie
just to let you know that the darker seeds are of a thinner and longer variety the lighter one a bit shorter but fatter. Both taste the same.
Regards
Don Vincenzo

[mandyballantyne]

Hi All,

I am having real trouble germinating these, what am I doing wrong?

Tried direct in pots without luck then paper/poly bag they seemed to start to germinate then nothing. Am i just too impatiant?

Thanks, Mandy

[wellie]

Thanks for that Don Vincenzo....

[DirtDobber]

Hi everyone...I'm peeking in here and enjoying the posts...I'm curious if anyone has a squash you can compare the taste of the cucuzzi with...I wanted to grow some Italian squash and I bought Costata Romanesca and Cocozelle....anyone have tasted this two that might compare them with the Cucuzzi...I never met a squash I didn't like so I am curious about the taste...

PS...wellie...I loved your blog...you are so ambitious...Just loved your garden.....and can so appreciate the work that you have put into it...

[Don Vincenzo]

Hi All,

I am having real trouble germinating these, what am I doing wrong?

Tried direct in pots without luck then paper/poly bag they seemed to start to germinate then nothing. Am i just too impatiant?

Thanks, Mandy

Hello Mandy
I am starting to believe that there was something wrong with the seeds I send to quite a few people, maybe they were a bit old. However I have a different batch of the same variety and hopefully late this year I hope to go to Sicily and get fresher seeds for next year. Wellie managed to germinate some of them, so did I. I will do my best to post some photo but at the moment my veg growing season is an a mess due to the suddendly death of a dear friend of my and also an allotment holder who lived for her plants, vegs and nature.
My best regards
Don Vincenzo

[tinyvine]

Sorry to hear about your friend Don.

The smaller seeds germinated 100 % for me, the other variety was probably my fault as I don't think they were quite laying down properly in the propagator! I only sowed 3 and one of them came up. So i don't think thats fair statistically speaking, for me to rate, as I probably should have sowed more but am running out of space. They were up very quickly anyway and are healthy plants.

Take care Don x

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Don,

So sorry to hear about your friend, I hope you and friends and family get through this difficult time.

Thanks for the germination info, I will try a smaller seed and see how I get on.

Take care, Mandy x

[wellie]

Oh Don V, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I am confident that, in her love of her plants and the land, that she is being cared for now with equal tenderness.
My best wishes to you and those that loved her.
Shelley and Paul

[Snadger]

Just to resurrect this interesting thread.....

One of the guys at our allotments went to Alicante for his hols about a month ago and brought back two lots of seed. One lot was a large cantaloupe melon, about twice the normal. The other was a packet of seeds which I think are the Sicilian Snakes. They had serpent in the packet heading.He told me he had eaten some in Alicante and they had a mild cucumber taste. They looked to me to have a slightly 'fluted' skin and were'nt all straight, some were twisted, in fact quite snake like!

Anyway the melons germinated quite easily but the 'serpents' I germinated fell off the car seat when I was taking them to lottie and broke!
He has kindly given me another that he germinated and another has sprouted in the same pot!
I plan to grow two serpents and two large melons!

Maybe we can all compare notes at a later date!

[Flummery]

Just to resurrect this interesting thread.....

I plan to grow two serpents and two large melons!

Maybe we can all compare notes at a later date!

Sounds a bit Adam and Eve! The big snake and the melons - maybe I'm just rude? It has been said before. Glad to hear you've got another chance with them - I never give up an a pot that's been knocked over. You often get a straggler to save the day.