The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Lesley Silvester on August 05, 2014, 10:48:06 am
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Beeducked gave me a squash called Buffy Ball which is taking over my garden but is covered in fruit. Apparently one plant will produce in excess of 25 tennis ball size squashes. Mine is going to easily to do that. I harvested the first three on Sunday and they were wonderful - very delicate flavour. I cut them in half to roast in their skins. One person can easily eat one squash. I will certainly grow them again.
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I think it must be a good squah year, I have some winter squash wandering about the veg patch, they have many fruit in already, so I can see lots of squash based meals over the winter, with added runner and French beans!
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I have some Buffy Ball growing too. I don't have as many fruits as you do though Lesley but I put that down to the fact that we are quite high up here and the weather can be harsher. Still, I am very pleased with them. Can't wait until they are ready to harvest.
Apparently they keep for about 6 months too :thumbsup:
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I planted "honey Bear" last year and it was the tastiest squash I have ever had. Sadly, this year, none of them germinated but I am hopeful that some of my other varieties will be as nice. Will try Buffy Ball next year on that review. Are they courgette-like, or orange?
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I planted some butternut squash last month which I know is really late in the season so I'm not sure if I'll actually get any squashes or not. :fc:
I found that the seeds I planted directly into a bed in the greenhouse didn't germinate but the ones I planted in toilet tubes for later transplanting all germinated.
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I think you might be unlucky Clarebell, unless we have a long Indian Summer. Butternut is the one type of squash which doesn't get going quickly. I start mine back in about March, in a propagator, and I still don't have any mature squashes on them yet - lots of baby ones though, so even if that's all you get I'm sure you could eat them like courgettes.
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Yes, I am kind of expecting that to be honest. We only moved here in April so by the time I was up and running the growing season was well underway! I have a few other bits that are way behind, peppers, cucumber and some other bits. I'll be better prepared next year!
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I planted "honey Bear" last year and it was the tastiest squash I have ever had. Sadly, this year, none of them germinated but I am hopeful that some of my other varieties will be as nice. Will try Buffy Ball next year on that review. Are they courgette-like, or orange?
Buffy Ball are, as you might expect, ball shaped. They are described as tennis ball sized but mine are a little bigger than that. They start off a pale green colour and turn cream which is when they are ready to harvest. Took four more today, two for my daughter to take home and two for me.
I also have a Honey Bear squash in the bed somewhere but, with eight squash plants in the one bed and the Buffy Ball taking over the entire garden, its difficult to find them. What shape are they? I have spotted some fruits under all the foliage. ;D
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Kind of round to leaf shaped, very dark green skin, but a really orangey centre. I have looked up Buffy Ball and am definitely going to give them a go next season.
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Ah, I've spotted something with very dark green skin in there somewhere and I think they're the shape you describe. I'll have to risk my arms and try to find out. :D
If you grow Buffy Ball, make sure you have plenty of space round it. Next year I am growing one in the manure heap and it can climb the fence as much as it likes.