This is a comment, rather than a question -- I just cut open a Hubbard squash that has been sitting in our kitchen all winter, and it is still good! Looks like it would have lasted another month easily -- we've raised and stored other varieties of winter squash before, and they've stored pretty well, in our cool attic, but this is phenomenal!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 19, 2000

Answers

I plant a variety from Pinetree seeds called Tetsukabuto. All my other winter squash has gone by, but I still have 1/2 dozen of those left in perfect shape. I have had them last until the following year's crop was ready. I plant them because of this, and they do have a nice flavor. GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), April 19, 2000.

Brad: Did you save any of the seeds unless it is a hybrid, and would you be willing to trade a few for something else? Thanks, Jan

-- Jan B (Janice12@aol.com), April 19, 2000.

We grow a lot of squash,sometimes 15 or more different kinds. Hubbards are really good keepers as long as the stem is intact, and the squash is not bruised,etc. We had a banana squash that lasted an entire year! But I don't think the flavor improves over very long periods of time. Generally, the best squash for taste and keeping qualities are the Cucurbita Maxima type. Some catalogs list which type they are,some don't. Hubbards,buttercups,sweetmeats,marbleheads,are all Maxima type and keep well.They do not cross with zuchinni or acorn,so you can grow one kind of maxima and the zuchinni,acorn,etc, and save the seed from the keeper variety.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), April 19, 2000.

I grow hubbards (the small variety called Blue Ballet) and butternuts - two different species so they don't cross and I can save the seed. I store them in a closet in the bedroom, cool & dry, never freezes, and I commonly have squash into spring. The hubbards keep a little longer than the butternuts. Both gradually lose quality with time. I usually save seed from the ones that keep longest. Incidentally, for summer squash I grow zucchini, a third species so there's still no problem with crossing.

-- Sam in W.Va. (snorris@dnr.state.wv.us), April 21, 2000.