In his weekly Jamie’s Little Allotment column, Gayton gardener Jamie Marsh still has lots to harvest…
My wife asked me the other day, ‘have we got much left at the allotment?’ And to be honest I said ‘probably not that much’.
But it wasn’t until I got home and had a proper look that I realised there is still so much to harvest. I counted 39 different types of veg still waiting to be picked, from chard in bright yellows and pinks, to several different types of beans.
And, what is really exciting now as the leaves on the squash arch start to die off, more and more squash and pumpkins are being revealed.
Squash and pumpkins are Jamie’s topic of conversation this week
I prefer to grow them over an arch because they take up so much space on the ground and they can be extremely unruly. I’ve grown some real characters again this year, from my firm favourite and best tasting in my book, the big blue Crown Prince, to the French variety Galeux d’Eysines, more commonly known as peanut squash, with its unusual warty skin.
I’ve also got a few tromboncino curling around and I’ve even grown a bird house gourd this year – something a bit different I thought would be fun to try.
How do you know when the fruits are ready to harvest? I always look for a few clues. First, the skins should be tough enough that you can’t press your thumbnail in. The plants themselves also give the game away, with the leaves dying back and the stems starting to crack and dry out.
Lots still waiting to be harvested on Jamie’s allotment
When you cut the fruit, leave a decent length of stalk still attached – even making a T-shape with a bit of vine either side is ideal. It helps stop rot creeping in and makes them store longer. I never carry mine by the stalk because they can snap off, which shortens storage life.
Once they’re off the plant, curing is the next step. This isn’t optional if you want them to last, it’s essential. I line mine up on the greenhouse bench or a sunny windowsill for a couple of weeks.
The warmth hardens the skins and any little nicks heal over. After curing, they can go into long-term storage. A cool, dry place is best and I always keep them off the floor and not touching each other. It’s worth checking them every so often, because one soft fruit can spoil the rest. Some varieties like Crown Prince are famous for keeping until spring.
Others, like the bright orange Uchiki Kuri don’t hang around as long – but they’re so tasty they rarely last beyond Christmas anyway. I’m often asked whether you can save seeds from your squash to sow next year.
The answer is yes but with a big caution. Squash and pumpkins cross-pollinate very easily. Bees move freely between different varieties, mixing the pollen as they go, so the seeds you collect won’t always grow true to type.
You might save seed from a Crown Prince and end up with something completely different the following season. Sometimes the surprise can be tasty, but other times the fruits can be watery, bland or even bitter.
And this is where something called toxic squash syndrome comes in. When I first heard about it, I didn’t believe it was real, but it is. If cross-pollination throws up a plant that carries higher levels of a natural compound called cucurbitacin, the fruits can taste extremely bitter.
Cooking won’t remove that bitterness and eating them can cause sickness, cramps and diarrhoea. It’s rare, but it does happen and it’s another reason why you can’t always rely on home-saved squash seed.
The safest bet if you want consistent results is to buy fresh seed each year from a trusted supplier. Still, whatever way you grow them, there’s nothing quite like standing back at this time of year and seeing the pile of pumpkins and squash you’ve raised.
Each one is a memory of the summer just gone and a promise of warming meals to come. I’d love to hear what varieties you’re harvesting this year – maybe you’ve even grown one I should try next season?
Email me on: Jamieslittleallotment@gmail.com
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