SC - Re: Gunthar's Challenge

[campcook@uswestmail.net]

At 10:00 PM 3/2/00 EST, you wrote:
>In a message dated 3/1/00 9:30:29 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
>lilinah at earthlink.net writes:
>
><< The Pinetree page says 
> 55 days, i assume (in my gross ignorance) that it's more or less how 
> long they take to grow until edible...
>  >>

Pinetree really does say 55 days.  I wonder too if that might be a little
off.  New world squashes such as zucchini (ie..summer squash) take around
55 days.  Winter squash such as butternut (dumbbells), hubbards, acorns,
and buttercups take 82-105 days depending on variety
According to the Fields seed catalog I have.  Pumpkins such as
jack-o-lantern take 95-120 days.  

The birdhouse gourds take 95 days. The bushel gourds take 120 days.  The
bushel gourds are very large round lagenaria siceraria and according to the
blurb are huge round gourds. The luffa sponge gourds take 95 days.

I am at home and have found my Baker Creek Heirloom seed catalog(url:
http://www.rareseeds.com) under gourds (Lagenaria siceraria) they have 3
varieties.  As I previously stated it does not list the estimated time for
going from germination to harvest.

 - maranka (caveman's club) sounds like that picture in four seasons of the
house of Cerruti doesn't it? - #209
   10-16 inches long, dipper type gourd are very knobby, and unusual
looking, one of the most attractive, hard shelled gourd you can grow.  High
yields and easy to grow.  Pkt. $1.45.

 - Bushel Basket #210
   Huge round gourds up to 24 inches across and can be used for all kinds
of art work and as storage containers, night flowering plants attract huge
moths, very long vines, thick hard shells.  Pkt. $1.65.

 - Cucuzzi (Italian edible) #211
  Long fruit up to 3 foot, best for eating when 12 inches or less, tasty
cooked like summer squash or eggplant, fruit look like giant green beans
long vines give good yields and are easier to grow than squash, a tasty
Italian heirloom.  Dried fruit looks like giant snakes. pkt $1.35.  

It occurred to me that summer squash have a very thin skin, almost thin
enough to peel with a potato peeler, the Cucuzzi also has a very thin skin.
(I saw one at Wegman's--the local grocery store) so maybe it really does
take 55 days since according to the seed catalog summer squash take around
that time.

I'll let people know because I plan on ordering the seeds from Baker's and
trying to grow them.  The bushel basket ones I will start some plants ahead
of time in the house and plant some seeds straight into the ground.  I will
probably do that with the caveman also since it sort of sounds like the
birdhouse gourds and they take almost 100 days.  The growing  season here
in my area is between 90 and 110 days depending on the weather.

  Angeline