Acer Rubrum wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:06 am I got some Pueblo Highlands Landrace squash seeds from the Experimental Farm Network. I like the idea of forgotten varieties being brought back and the description says they taste great. Plus a squash that can handle a bit of frost would be a good thing here in South Dakota. I'm only planning to put in two plants this year, because that's the limit to my space in the one isolated area I can use for them. But if they do well and taste good, I'm definitely saving seeds.

I agree with Bower that there's value in getting a mix of types (or buying grex seed where the initial mixing is already done) and letting Mother Nature do the selecting. My oldest son is actually doing this with onions. He does a ton of work in my mom's garden and they grew a lot of onions last year. She eats the onions that are starting to have problems and saves the ones that are keeping well. In the spring my son plans to plant out the onions that have lasted well to get seed from them. They consist of several varieties and will obviously cross, but we should get some good keepers out of it. Then he'll mix in the varieties from this year's crop for seed next year. After that, he plans to go with all his own seed. Should be an interesting project and it keeps my mom in onions.

Tormato wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:44 am

Acer Rubrum wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:06 am I got some Pueblo Highlands Landrace squash seeds from the Experimental Farm Network. I like the idea of forgotten varieties being brought back and the description says they taste great. Plus a squash that can handle a bit of frost would be a good thing here in South Dakota. I'm only planning to put in two plants this year, because that's the limit to my space in the one isolated area I can use for them. But if they do well and taste good, I'm definitely saving seeds.

I agree with Bower that there's value in getting a mix of types (or buying grex seed where the initial mixing is already done) and letting Mother Nature do the selecting. My oldest son is actually doing this with onions. He does a ton of work in my mom's garden and they grew a lot of onions last year. She eats the onions that are starting to have problems and saves the ones that are keeping well. In the spring my son plans to plant out the onions that have lasted well to get seed from them. They consist of several varieties and will obviously cross, but we should get some good keepers out of it. Then he'll mix in the varieties from this year's crop for seed next year. After that, he plans to go with all his own seed. Should be an interesting project and it keeps my mom in onions.

You likely know that with onions, even of the same variety, the ones with the smallest tightest necks will generally last the longest.

slugworth wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:59 pm I got suyo long cucumber seeds from baker creek that turned out to be squash seeds.
not the same flavor profile.

slugworth wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:59 pm I got suyo long cucumber seeds from baker creek that turned out to be squash seeds.
not the same flavor profile.

Tormato wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 12:02 pm If I had the land, I'd grow lots of potato onions, as they are really long keepers. That, and ramps.

Tormato wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:50 pm

slugworth wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:59 pm I got suyo long cucumber seeds from baker creek that turned out to be squash seeds.
not the same flavor profile.

Not the same looking seeds, either.

Tormato wrote: ↑Thu Jan 20, 2022 10:37 am Speaking of alliums, I didn't have the heart to tell you until now, but those diverse shallots you sent a couple of years ago, zero germination. I think they got X-rayed.

Tormato wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 12:02 pm If I had the land, I'd grow lots of potato onions, as they are really long keepers. That, and ramps.