Down on the Allotment

Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Crown Prince Squash

 Now all this Summer I had been thinking that all those volunteer pumpkins were Queensland Blue. But it is hard to keep track of which rambling vine belongs to which plant when they are busy rambling over each other, across paths, up drainpipes and into trees!  I have now come to the conclusion that these are Crown Prince Squash.  Still a wonderful Winter squash and a great keeper. They are a lighter, steely blue colour with a flattened round shape.
 Compare those to the real Queensland Blue which came out of a labelled packet. Darker blue-green with definite flat shoulders at the top. Still a brilliant Winter keeper. If the skins are cured well they will last all Winter and way beyond into next Summer.
So bring them indoors in a warm, dry, light place to harden up.

posted by Matron @ 11:08 PM

6 Comments:

At 6:43 AM, Blogger Mark Willis said...

I thought Crown Prince was supposed to be a buff colour, since Butternut is none of its parents? Maybe yours is a hybrid?

 
At 6:49 AM, Blogger CJ said...

They are wonderful, really huge. I'm thinking I might try growing them next year, they really are quite spectacular.

 
At 8:32 AM, Blogger Sue Garrett said...

Those are definitely Crown prince colours. WE grow them most year. The last one is a strange shape though!

 
At 1:55 PM, Anonymous Sue said...

They look very much like my pale blue Crown Prince (from a packet), beloved by Bob Flowerdew. I have tried a good one this year, called Squashkin, very prolific, buff coloured and marketed as a cross between Crown Prince and a Butternut. Time will tell as to eating and keeping quality, but they have set huge numbers of fruit each getting to be about half the size of a Crown Prince (about 10lb!). Enjoy all the lovely roasted squash in the winter!

 
At 5:03 PM, Anonymous Liz said...

Your squash look wonderful. I had no success with mine this year which is a shame as they are one of my favourite things to grow.

 
At 10:52 AM, Blogger Carrie said...

LOVE 'Crown Prince' though we didn't grow it this year, just loads of smaller squashes. They are gorgeous specimens xx

 

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