What kind of squash is this?

One of the things that I listed on my 2007 Garden To Do List was to grow some vegetables that I haven't grown before. One such veggie was sweet potatoes which got destroyed by the critters. Another new addition was supposed to be spaghetti squash. I had planned on starting the seeds indoors under lights but unfortunately I never got around to doing it. Moving to plan B, I bought a container of spaghetti squash at the garden center which had two plants in it. They have been the biggest and healthiest plants in the garden and I thought all was well. We began finding recipes for cooking it and was excited to see if it actually looked like spaghetti. Once the fruits started to develop, I noticed that something was terribly wrong. These aren't spaghetti squash plants! I can't even figure out what kind of squash this is.

I also don't know when they should be picked. Here is one that I picked small shown next to the spaghetti squash tag that came in the pot. It is obviously NOT going to change into the squash pictured.

I thought maybe it was a Patty Pan squash, so I bought one at the Farmers' Market to compare to.

Similar, but not as flat and wrong color. These pictures were taken a month ago and I have left more squashes on the vine to see if they change color. They have stayed green and just grown larger.

This is just another reason why it is better to start your own seeds instead of trusting plants from a garden center.

So please, if any of you recognize this squash, I would love to know what its name is and what to do with it. Even if you just have a guess I would love to hear from you.

Thanks in advance!

Comments

[August 16, 2007 at 06:34 PM]

Sounds like Scallopini Squash to me. From the description: "scallopini Notes: This is like a pattypan squash, only it's greener and rounder."

[August 17, 2007 at 12:44 AM]

Your guess is as good as mine... I grew spaghetti squash from seed and have eaten a few already. It's my favorite squash and yes, it looks like spaghetti strands, sort of, once it is cooked. Delicious.

Carol at May Dreams Gardens

[August 17, 2007 at 02:07 AM]

I was thinking acorn squash but I don't know. Harmony probably has it right.I love spaghetti squash.

[August 17, 2007 at 02:32 AM]

honestly, that kind of looks like an ornamental gourd to me.

[August 18, 2007 at 12:00 AM]

I think Ethan has hit the nail on the head. Possibly a Bush Scallop that's crossed with a gourd?

[August 20, 2007 at 03:20 AM]

I was browsing through the Henry Field's catalog and spied this: Sweet Mama Hybrid (winter squash). I immediately thought of your post! But I think Steven has it right -- it is a hybrid of some sort.

[August 22, 2007 at 12:14 AM]

Wow, Thank you to everyone who answered! I guess the next step is to try and cook some of it. That will rule out it being a gourd. Although they could be gourds since they are the only thing the groundhogs are not bothering!

I'll let you know more after we try to cook some. Thanks again!

[Laura D]

That is an acorn squash-also known as spaghetti squash. It gets it's nickname by the way it looks after it is cooked. If you cut it in half, butter both exposed sides and put it in a medium oven for a bout 1/2 hr. When a fork easily penetrates the exposed layer-it's done. Hold it with a hot mitt and scrape it with the fork=you will see the "spaghetti" is the strand like fibers of the squash as you scrape it. Great by itself or with sauces.

[September 05, 2008 at 04:49 AM]

Spaghetti and acorn squash are two entirely different animals. Spaghetti squash is either cream when unripe...turning yellow when ripe or green and cream turning darker when ripe. This is acorn squash colour, however not acorn squash shape as someone else noted earlier.

[September 10, 2008 at 02:50 AM]

I know this is a waaaay old post now, but had to share my similar experience. I was attempting to grow spaghetti squash for the first time this year, but from seed I bought via catalog. I'd never even seen one before. My problem came when I discovered that the truckload of composted manure I'd bought for the garden began sprouting some kind of squash EVERYWHERE. Most places I just pulled it up but in the squash bed I could not tell it apart from those seeds I had planted! Now I have some green & white striped squash that I know nothing about and it's VERY prolific. I did end up with a few spag. variety, though most of them were choked out by this other. Well, next year I'll know what to watch for!