|
Post by macmex on Mar 15, 2009 6:15:31 GMT -5
Aha! Now I know what that PM was about! Sure. I was wondering why you sent me an address in Syria When I first come on this site I usually check messages first. George
|
|
|
Post by americangardener on Mar 16, 2009 13:30:13 GMT -5
I probably have a variety with this c4 characteristic. It's a Calabaza de Castilla from Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo, Mexico. When we lived there I grew a number of squash, including this one. It's THE native squash of hot country in most of the country, coming in a number of variations of size and shape, but all with about the same qualities. When my USA squashes had to be coddled, this one grew like a weed. Here's a picture of one harvest, back in the 90s. That's my youngest daughter, now over 18. I'm sure this is a c. moschata. George George.. you sound like the perfect person to pick your brain. I have some varieties of squash from Veracruz, Guanajuato, and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. All of em labeled as Pepo types. Anyways.. there's Calabaza de India, Calabaza de Castilla, Calabaza de Mantaca, and one just labeled as Calabaza. Just wondering if there is anything more you know about any of them that you could share. I haven't tried em in my garden yet. What i'm mostly interested in finding out is how good or not they'd be to eat. I only have so much room in my garden for vining squash types and i want to grow something that's not a gourd or pumpkin. Dave
|
|
|
Post by macmex on Mar 16, 2009 16:41:12 GMT -5
My experience in Mexico (about 13 years) is that generally the Mexicans have a very different philosophy about naming vegetables than North Americans and Northern Europeans. They use fewer names. Many is the time, during our first few years, living in the sierra, that I'd stop at a stand in the market and ask a little indigenous lady "What kind of tomato is this?" They'd give me a puzzled look and respond slowly (in case my Spanish wasn't up to snuff) "It's a R E D T O M A T O." If I'd persist in asking more details, they'd tell me "It's a R O U N D R E D T O M A T O." They don't tend to use variety names. But with squash I can tell you there are some names for differentiating between kinds. "Castilla" translates "Castile," in English, which is a reference to a region in Spain. However, from usage, I understand it basically to mean "local," or perhaps it's a way of saying "this is a GOOD squash." In high cold country the local calabaza de Castilla is usually a c. pepo and in hot country it will almost always be a form of moschata. I have not heard of Calabaza de India nor of Mantaca. I wonder if "Mantaca" wasn't supposed to be "Manteca," which translates "lard." The Calabaza de Castilla of high country, in the state of Puebla was very similar to the Americana Tonda which Baker Creek Heirlooms sells: rareseeds.com/seeds/Squash-WinterBasically this squash is extremely hardy against cool and wet conditions. It has an extremely hard shell, which makes it resistant to rodent damage in the field. The flesh is somewhat course, but pretty good and thick. I have some VERY old seed of this squash which barely germinated for me the last two years. But it is day length sensitive and will not produce viable seed here in Oklahoma. The Calabaza de Castilla from hot country (c moschata), on the other hand, while day length sensitive, will produce late in the season. But, because of this tendency to come on so late, it is not my preference to grow for actual production. There are many squash better suited to this latitude. Some of the squash which are grown in Mexico, which I never did get a name for, do indeed resemble gourds. Over the years I have sent a few to Glenn Drowns and he has listed them as "decorative." I'm sure that, in Mexico, they are primarily used for their seeds. I've never "met" a native squash, in Mexico, which wasn't far more vigorous and productive than what we have in the North, ... if planted in their native environment. The squash pictured above outproduced anything I ever tried in my garden in Hidalgo. In summary, I have never tried a "Calabaza de Castilla" which wasn't good eating. But I've never tried one which beat out something like a Cheese Pumpkin or Butternut. Their main virture, in their native habitat, is that they are extremely tolerant to adverse conditions and productuve. Hope this helps! George
|
|
|
Post by grungy on Mar 16, 2009 19:01:57 GMT -5
George, Would it be possible to get say a dozen seeds of that beauty, Calabaza de Castilla.
|
|
|
Post by Alan on Mar 17, 2009 20:36:40 GMT -5
George,
Thanks for your informative post, I found it particularly interesting regarding local names or "non-naming" of varieties as it were, the past few days in my free time I have been researching some South American and Mexican Squash and Sweet Corns and have run into many conundrums, some of which you have just helped solve my friend. Keep up the good work!
|
|