What kinds of squash?
I planted spaghetti squash seeds and got some spaghetti squash but also some that is not that, and I can't find a picture online that looks like what I have. Could you please identify what they are so I can learn how best to use them for food? Thanks. Jane
Marion County Oregon fruits and vegetables horticulture
1 Response
Jane,
Thank you for using Ask an Expert for help identifying your mystery squash plants.
There is great variation in the squash family. Zucchini and other summer squash can be long and thin or oval or even round. It may be that the green squash is a runaway summer squash that happened into your spaghetti seed packet. It might also be an unripe spaghetti squash—they do take around 90 days to mature. Check out this seed catalog for lots of photos of this group. https://www.edenbrothers.com/
As for the other image, it may be too early to tell. Some winter squash will turn color as they mature, so the color it is today may not be its final color. The bright green stem suggests a ways to go before complete ripening. It could also be a gourd. They are such a diverse group that anything may happen.
Another avenue we could go down is the cross-pollination route. Last season, bees may have moved pollen around from summer squash to winter squash to gourds in your garden or from a neighbor’s garden. The impact would not have been seen last year. However, if the seeds from one of those crossed squash fell to the ground and “volunteered” this season amongst the planted seeds, well, something different from either parent appears. Might be tasty, might not.
Give them time, testing for ripeness. Here’s how: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/node/81651
Have a good gardening year,
