[Carl f k]

Just got one from asda don't know what I gonna do with it, but can I use the seeds to grow my own?and how do I do it... Anyone know??

[Sylvia]

It may well be an F1 hybrid in which case you may get something other than the one you have. Seeds of Italy have a lovely selection and not too expensive (you can sell surplus plants too!)
One way to cook them is this. Prod it a few times with the end of a sharp knife, oil it a bit and put in a hot oven until tenderish. Let it cool then slice half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. With a spoon scrape out the flesh, trying not to pierce the skin. Put flesh in a bowl with softened onions, breadcrumbs, chopped thyme and blue cheese. Pile back into skins and put in a hottish oven until golden and lovely. Serve with a green salad.

[Fleecewife]

There are two varieties suited to the British climate - Harrier and umm...another aeroplane I think.  You need to sow them sooner than you would an ordinary squash, say two months at least before expected last frost.  Here in southern Scotland I would sow them under heat in late April.  They are very frost tender so need protection.  After the last frost plant them out in very well fertilised soil, water plenty and off they'll go.   If you sow them too late they will not develop mature fruits before the first autumn frosts arrive 

[Lesley Silvester]

One way to cook them is this. Prod it a few times with the end of a sharp knife, oil it a bit and put in a hot oven until tenderish. Let it cool then slice half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. With a spoon scrape out the flesh, trying not to pierce the skin. Put flesh in a bowl with softened onions, breadcrumbs, chopped thyme and blue cheese. Pile back into skins and put in a hottish oven until golden and lovely. Serve with a green salad.

That sounds    Sylvia.  Must try it.  I usually roast or steam mine.

[Mammyshaz]

Definitely one plant to sow early.

Ours are just starting to flower now so don't know if it will get too cold to see the fruit through,  or have enough sun to ripen them 

[Lesley Silvester]

I think I had two male flowers and no females between nine plants ( or six if you don't count the ones the slugs got).

[Mammyshaz]

Please explain male or female flower? 

My pumpkin have fruit, do they have individual flowers too?

[Mel Rice]

Hi MGM....Feemale flowers of all the squash/cucumber family have a small fruitlet just behind the flower the male flowers join directly onto the stem. there is a difference to the center of the flowers too but the fruitlets are the easiest to spot.
I find that they tend to produce waves of each sex...limked to the weather I think. This often means you have to cross pollinate them by hand.

[MAK]

We have some odd plants with both green and yellow full sized butternuts on the same plant. The flesh of the green fruits is very different to the usual butternut of the smae size. Maybe cross pollinated with nearby pumpkins?
Keeping seed - we lost some of our store squash to the extreme cold and I chucked the "mush" on the compost heap. Guess what ? We have pumpkin and butternut plants all over the garden and 2 growing out of the last years compost heap.
martin

[Fowgill Farm]

Ours are shocking this year, most got rotted off and the ones that did grow have very few 'fruits' on them which are tiny, along came jack Frost last week and they're now knackered so ripping them out for the compost heap, composted 4 big courgette plants last night as they too had rotted off with the cold and damp, still have 6 in production in the polytunnel so they've been fed to give them a last push. Pumpkins very poor this year normally we have to have the loader and a pallet to carry them in but this year i could carry them myself very disappointing not only for me but the pigs who love scoffing them!
mandy

[MAK]

Mandy - Not good new for the pigs or their food bill - what with recent posts talking of feed costs. I would hate to have set a budget for our pigs as we have no apples, plums or pears in the village this year and we had a very dry few months that set the veg garden back ( despite my watering).
So - we have been feeding the pigs a butternut or pumpkin each meal time and now won't have any to put in store for Nov - Dec before they go. I just hope that the chestnuts and acorns start to drop soon  .

[Fowgill Farm]

Same here very few orchard fruits and looking at the oaks very few acorns too, its gonna be a hard winter   but we'll survive we always do, i'm probably lucky because OH does indulge my pig keeping and will sub me if i'm stuck, i try my hardest to make my pigs break even and after all as he says to people its my alledgedly self financing hobby good job he doesn't see all the bills!
mandy