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  • I have a strange phenomenon with some veg!

    Firstly, I could not find any intro thread so hello all

    I have been looking for the right place to join so I can learn more about crosspollination and such. Last year I grew courgettes, marrow and pattypan squash, I also attempted butternut squash but for some reason they did very poorly. Anyway, the ones which did not sell and started to rot, I just put them into one of my compost bins, I gues that was around this time last year.

    This year I wanted some home made compost and used that which had last years veg scraps in, well, I used this to grow my potatoes in, this year I have Pink Fir apple and Pentland javelin, just to see how they turned out. Well, there were some self set seed come up on one of the rows which I removed and planted in my next "allotment" area. I am lucky to have around one acre on the back of my tiny little cottage.

    Well, they started to grow very well and had an abudance of flowers, when the fruit started to grow, I initially thought, courgettes, ok, that's fine but last weekend I went to check and found something I had never actually seen before, a Yellow Bush Marrow, well, not a normal yellow, but that of the yellow pattypan squash., I thought it must be a fluke somehow, but earlier today I have only found a White Bush Marrow grwoing in amongst them.

    So obviosuly, some how they have joined together to make such colourful marrows, here is the other thought, I wonder if they shall be like a marrow inside or a squash?.. I have yet to try, but they are starting to grow large almost at a Pumpkin rate, I cannot wait to see just how large they actually become.

    I would sincerely love anybodys input on this because I have been gardening here 8 years now and never come across something so strange, I shall be taking photos of them shortly.

  • #2
    The squash family cross quite freely. I would read this thread before tucking in:

    http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_67687.html

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    • #3
      Never knew

      Originally posted by WendyC View Post
      The squash family cross quite freely. I would read this thread before tucking in:

      http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_67687.html
      Now that I did not realise that at all and this is the first time in 8 years, at the moment they look just like yellow and white marrow but I shall have to see when they are ripened, it would be a shame if they are bitter, they look so good!

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      • #4
        Hi MrsGreenfinger. Welcome to the vine! Courgettes, marrows and pattypans are all the same species, even though they look so different. Their Latin name is Cucurbita pepo. So they can cross easily with each other, but not with the butternut which is Cucurbita moschata. In fact courgettes are really just varieties of marrows that are bred for picking young and small. Some of them can grow very big if you leave them.

        I'd be surprised if you get anything bitter and poisonous, because that's usually caused by crosses with ornamental gourds. But to be safe you can taste a little piece of each one first before adding them to any meals. If they turn out OK you could try breeding a new variety from them. What you have is called the F1 generation. If you self-pollinate the best plant or two, you could get some very interesting variations in the next generation.
        Last edited by Zelenina; 26-08-2015, 09:38 PM. Reason: slight clarification

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Zelenina View Post
          Hi MrsGreenfinger. Welcome to the vine! Courgettes, marrows and pattypans are all the same species, even though they look so different. Their Latin name is Cucurbita pepo. So they can cross easily with each other, but not with the butternut which is Cucurbita moschata. In fact courgettes are really just varieties of marrows that are bred for picking young and small. Some of them can grow very big if you leave them.

          I'd be surprised if you get anything bitter and poisonous, because that's usually caused by crosses with ornamental gourds. But to be safe you can taste a little piece of each one first before adding them to any meals. If they turn out OK you could try breeding a new variety from them. What you have is called the F1 generation. If you self-pollinate the best plant or two, you could get some very interesting variations in the next generation.
          Wow, that is excellent, my own F1 generation , I shall definitely go and do that just to see what I get next year, sorry to seem overly excited, but to me, it is! Thank you for replying! my own organic F1.. yayyy! I shall take some photos tomorrow

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          • #6
            No need to be sorry. It is exciting to people like us. YAAAYYYY!!! Yes we'd love to see some piccies.

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            • #7
              Start thinking of a name for your new variety - something completely crazy, of course

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              • #8
                Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post
                Start thinking of a name for your new variety - something completely crazy, of course
                Zucchini Greenfinger of course..................let's hope they turn out green.............
                sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
                --------------------------------------------------------------------
                Official Member Of The Nutters Club - Rwanda Branch.
                -------------------------------------------------------------------
                Sent from my ZX Spectrum with no predictive text..........
                -----------------------------------------------------------
                KOYS - King Of Yellow Stickers..............

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                • #9
                  Or Goldfinger if she gets yellow ones.

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                  • #10
                    My stepson had the butternuts cross with the giant pumpkins. He got lots of giant butternuts and was a very happy boy as they stored beautifully.

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                    • #11
                      Here we are, My F1 Marrow Pattypans

                      Hi all, sorry for the delay, it is harvest time, the last two days I have taken off 6 kilos of runner beans and 1.5 kilos of French climbing, why the runners do so well I have no idea!!

                      So here they are, an orange Marrow and a white creamy one! I cannot wait to see what is inside, marrow or squash?!! The orange ones are all between 10 and 15 inches long with a width of 8 inches, the white one 10 inches and 6 inches wide, and the rain has just started so am hoping they shall just expand

                      I have no idea what to call them yet so keep your thoughts coming as I need help!

                      Attached Files

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                      • #12
                        Mrs G, they look great specimens, good luck, hope they eventually taste as good as they look. So exciting for you. Now for names ...
                        ~~~ Gardening is medicine that does not need
                        a prescription ... And with no limit on dosage.
                        - Author Unknown ~~~

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                        • #13
                          there may already be a gold color courgette variety call gold finger

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