VINING SUMMER SQUASH

[@LoisGram]

Enjoyed your video! Ran across it in the course of trying to identify three volunteer squash plants growing out of my compost pile. One of the plants is a vigorous vining summer squash, which looks like a Zephyr with green and yellow. Straight neck, no warts, teardrop shape. Three fruits so far and an abundance of blossoms developing. There is no bushiness to this plant whatsoever. Looking forward to sampling one of the squash in a few days.

[@NayrbRellimer]

Hello, this is Ryan Miller from the Open Source Plant Breeding forum. I can see from this video that warty, yellow phenotype fruit is only one of many fruit shapes found in your Summer squash population. When I grew my squash during the 2019 growing season, I had to grow it up a trellis due to limited space in my garden. This may have cut my yields short for most of my plants except my ornamental gourds.

[@esotericagriculture6643]

I’d estimate at this point that 80% of the fruits are long and yellow at this point. I save seed and replant from individual fruit,much like ear to row planting in corn. If I send you Seed, it would be collected only from yellow warty fruits.

[@cletusdingdong]

I’m a big fan of tatume. I live in similar area. Would love to try these one season. Keep up the great vids.

[@NayrbRellimer]

How often do you use hand-pollination in your breeding program? I understand that the goal of developing a landrace is to use open pollination as much as possible. At Joseph Lofthouse uses upen pollination when developing squash landraces.

[@esotericagriculture6643]

I don’t use much hand pollination as I’m not very good at it. I’ve never done any summer squash hand pollinations. I’ve tried and failed dozens of time with dozens of species. I’ve been successful with Lillies, Daylillies, Hosta, Winter Squash, Begonias. I try to use easier systems like detasseling in corn, or self incompatibility. Lots of plants are self incompatible, so if you work with those plants, breeding is as easy as planting two and only two clones right next to each other. I’ve done a lot of work with Chrysanthemums, Vernonia, Tradescantia, Helianthus, Brassica using self incompatibility to effect the crosses. Another option is just planting tons of seed of mostly self pollinating species, after having grown tons of varieties in close proximity. For example beans cross for me maybe 5-10% of the time. I just have to notice the crosses and plant them .