Apparently “winter” squash does not refer to the season in which it is grown. There are cool season crops, like Little Gem Romaine Lettuce and Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard, and warm season crops, like Beefsteak Tomatoes and Georgia Rattlesnake Watermelons. Those designations clearly denote when the something should be stuck in the ground. This I get. However, summer and winter squash are both warm season crops, despite the chilly associations the term “winter” brings to mind. The “winter”, rather than suggesting a time to grow, is suggesting a time to eat. Squash that fall into this category have thick skins and store well, allowing the grower to harvest winter squash in summer for winter eating while eating thin-skinned summer squash in summer. Dude.
I had inklings that something was off winter/summer-squash-wise before the friendly lady at the nursery clarified the meaning of “winter” for me (I thought I knew). The dozen or so varieties of squash seed all hit the racks at the same time, and they all suggested I “plant after last chance of spring frost”. And they all are labeled a “warm season crop”. But some of them are called winter squash. I’m wary of this not being the last such nomenclature revelation in this green-living adventure.
So, I have 17 oblivious winter squash seedlings sprouting happily throughout my yard. Right now. They are the best performing of my burgeoning winter crop, despite being four months behind schedule. Honestly, I have been pinning my fall-calorie hopes on these tardy plants. And really, there’s no turning back at this point: We must grow and eat winter squash in winter. Maybe they’ll work out and we’ll be eating squash through March. We don’t do winter here like other places do winter. Almost every planting guideline I’ve read on the back of seed packets and in books seems to have been written for places with seasons. And that’s just not how we roll in San Diego.
If we ever need to make a long, hard trip through the winter months on the back of a wagon we should make sure to plant these early. Also, you should take up canning.
You should take up canning! i was thinking about trying to preserve some figs, but I need to get a little more together with everything else before I start any new projects. There are 2 books I really wanted to buy at Costco about small batch canning and preserving. I would loan them to you, but I’m not allowed to buy any more books until after we move so i didn’t purchase them. :p
Canning is definitely on the list of things to put into practice … just as soon as I have something to can. I’m sure I already would have given it a go if the animals hadn’t eaten everything I might have canned from the spring/summer crop. In fact, I’m considering getting another fruit tree, and I’ve been thinking about fruits that would be good for canning. Maybe peaches.