October 25, 2013

Mysterious Squash Circles

Some folks have mysterious crop circles, I have mysterious squash circles.


I have no idea what caused these.


This is the orange cushaw winter squash I showed you the other day. I was digging sweet potatoes and realized it's stem was completely dried and shriveled. So I picked it. It's 15 inches long and weighs 9 pounds, 5.5 ounces.

As impressive as that is, this one is even more impressive.

Cushaw growing in the strawberry bed. Potato fork is for size comparison

This is my other cushaw, and it's 27 inches! I haven't weighed it yet, but will after I pick it. I'll leave it on the vine for as long as I can. It doesn't look like it's going to turn orange, but we'll cook it and eat it just the same.

I've had a number of baby cushaws start, but these are the only two that grew. At those sizes, however, I think I only need two!

Mysterious Squash Circles © October 2013 by Leigh

16 comments:

Tina T-P said...

That is one big squash! Will you cook it up and freeze it like we do with our pumpkin?

Could those circles be from some kind of beetle? Here it would be slugs, but I don't think you have them there do you? Maybe snails?

Getting tired of the fog here - three weeks and counting - that damp cold, and only a little clearing in the afternoons - T.

Mama Pea said...

The size of that last squash is downright scary!

The marks must have been made by some hungry insect on his way home from a long night of imbibing at a local bar.

This summer I noticed some slash marks on the side of a pumpkin near the edge of the garden. Didn't take me long to figure out hubby had just weed whipped the area . . . :o}

DebbieB said...

Wow, it's a monster! That's great!

DFW said...

I've never grown winter squash, are they still tasty when they get that big?

Leigh said...

Tina, yes we do have slugs. I thought about them, but didn't think their slime trails contained anything that would effect the skin of the squash like that! You are probably correct, however.

I'll cook it and mash it and freeze it. It is a perfect pumpkin substitute. :)

Mama Pea, LOL. It does look as though said culprit didn't know where they were going! Dick Raymond carves his grandkids' names into growing pumpkins. They have a hunt at harvest to find "their" pumpkin.

Debbie, I was pleased with the smaller one, but the second is huge!

DFW, as far as I know they are. I've canned cushaw in the past and used it just like pumpkin in cooking and baking.

Renee Nefe said...

looks yummy!

Willow said...

Mysterious squash circles ~ why from the Sas -squash artist of course ~ giggle :)

Cat Eye Cottage said...

I had a similar experience with my Upper Ground Sweet Potato Squash. They each weighed 25-40 pounds, and I got about a dozen squashes in one season! I have so much squash in my small freezer still I can barely find room for anything else. I'm sure you'll think of something great to do with your bounty.

Unknown said...

Wow those are gigantic! I dont know what the circles are either but think maybe slugs too?

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,

Nice size squash. Will you be eating these, or making something with them like a pie?

Your mysterious circles look like they came from possibly a slug.

Leigh said...

Renee, I'm anxious to cut it open and give it a try.

Willow, you are too cute! Sas-squash, LOL

Candace, those are some whopping squashes! I've seen the sweet potato squash seeds for sale, but have yet to try it. Were they as sweet as sweet potatoes?

Jen, I think you're right about the slugs. I can't think of anything else it could be!

Sandy, yes on the pie for sure. With those two, I ought to have enough to try every recipe in the book. :) And I have to agree about slugs too.

Ed said...

Squash circles are a new one for me! But if I had to guess I would say some sort of squash beatle and a drunk one at that!

Quinn said...

The obvious answer: aliens.
Tiny, confused aliens.
That massive squash MAY be their transport. Be careful when you cut into it! I recommend wearing a tinfoil hat as precaution.

Farmer Barb said...

I vote slugs. I blame them for everything. As for the squash harvest, another pearl of wisdom that I didn't know: Let the vine shrivel up. Thanks! That must be why one of my volunteers was kind of rotting at the stem.

Myrhanda said...

Hi Leigh,

I get something similar on my zucchinis to...not in circles like that, but usually the case is carless weeding with tools or a stick, rough stem rubbing against it with the wind it general movement.

Michelle said...

Goodness gracious, I've been worried about your "silence" for MONTHS – and it turns out I've not been getting your new posts on my Blog Reader! Trying to catch up on your life now….