2000 Year Old Squash

I saw some squash in a local fair fall (2001),
with a newspaper article about it.

A Navajo man did some exploring in caves in the 4 corners area (desert).

He found a clay pot, inside that was another clay pot, and inside that were seeds.

They did some carbon dating and determined that the seeds were 2000 years old!
If the dating is correct, this is a seed strain from the Anasazi Indians.

He planted the seeds, not expecting anything.
But they grew!
He shared seeds, and others shared seeds....

Someone displayed some of the squash in the local fair.
They looked big, bumpy, not what you see in supermarkets.
I helped clean up after the fair, and I was given a squash.
It was very tasty, significantly different from modern squash.
It was grown for feeding and keeping.
Oh, it weighed 20 pounds.

Of course I saved the seeds.
When I planted them, I imagined a small dark skinned woman, saving seeds for someone to find many years later.

To the left is one of the sprouts,
in my 2002 garden.
This picture was taken in late April.

The picture on the right was taken in mid May.

Here is a plant on June 14.
This is a full size dinner plate on the ground.

This was my longest plant on
June 26.

This is one of two vines that I will mark to measure future growth.

Here is the dinner plate on June 27.

I decided to set two markers set on June 28 to watch daily growth.

We are having ideal weather for squash, some rain every day, also lots of sun between the rains.
The afternoons are HOT,
which squash loves.

June 30 update
I had to dust the plants, because striped cucumber beetles were starting to multiply so much that they would kill the plants,
if I didn't do something....

I can hardly believe the growth! I've set a 12 inch ruler by the markers I placed (at the tips of the leaves) just two days ago.
You can see how much these plants have grown!

Here I am, kneeling behind my biggest plant on July 1.
Can you see the marker I placed three days ago?

Here are two pictures of the first blossom to open (on July 1).

Maggie Mintz had a lesson in measurement on the afternoon of July 1.

She measured 28 inches of growth
(of one vine) in three days.

This entire plant is 9 feet long
(in one direction, it's starting to branch, as you can see).

 

On the morning of July 3, I measured 42 inches of growth since the marker was placed.
We got a long soaking rain last night. The garden feels spongy from the moisture, so I'm expecting some more phenomenal growth.

July 4 update, 53 inches of new growth. There are many blossoms on the plants now.

 

This is some of my Photoshop play,
where I experimented with blending modes and filters.
I used a picture of the garden, plus one of my above blossom pictures.

Here is more Photoshop play
Sherry London calls this "difference painting."

I used the same squash blossom image.

I did not measure for four days (I went to a reunion). Would you believe that the growth is now 83 inches from the marker!

That's 83 inches of growth of one vine,
in 10 days. What is the average daily growth?
By the way, that plant has 6 vines. I am only measuring one segment.

I also returned from the reunion to find 5 squashes that have started to mature.

July 10
103 inches of growth since the marker was placed 12 days ago.
What is the average daily growth as of today?

You can't see my markers anymore (because of the very large leaves).

I'll just show you pictures of the whole garden. The squash are growing in the back.

July 13
Today's measurement is 121 inches of growth since the marker was placed on June 28 (15 days ago).
That's one inch past the end of my measuring tape, and that vine has reached the outside border of the garden. So I'll be turning the vine, training it to grow along the outside edge of the garden.
I won't be measuring the growth of this vine anymore.
But I'll keep you informed about what these plants do.

There are many, many more vines
growing in what has turned into a jungle of squash plants.
We've had cool temperatures today, with steady rain all day.
If the weather turns hot again, there should be another huge growth spurt.

July 18
The growth spurt I expected has taken place.
See the pictures below.
You may also want to look at an assignment from my Photoshop class.
The assignment was to create a composite image of the "impossible."
But is it impossible?

July 21 Update
It looks like I will be eating plenty of tasty squash this winter.
This is my 10 inch dinner plate again.

July 29
If anyone is hungry this winter, just let me know.
It looks like I will have plenty to share.

August 3 update
I wish I could ask one of the Anasazi people about this squash now.
Several of the squashes seem to be ripe or almost ripe.
In the past, when I've grown pumpkins or winter squash in this garden,
I've needed to take them out of there as soon as they get ripe.
Otherwise, white maggot like worms have invaded the ripe squashes.
But usually the leaves have started to turn yellow and die at that time.
These leaves are still in pretty good shape.

I am going to watch very, very carefully for signs of worm infestation.
I'm also going to cut one of those squashes that I think is ripe,
perhaps in the next few days.
I'll cut it open and see if the flesh is deep orange and full of flavor....

August 14
I decided to cut one of the squash.
Notice the green band inside the squash.
I believe this band is full of vitamins,
and I have never seen such in any modern squash.

September 14
I have harvested about a dozen squashes.
I watched carefully, and saw beginnings of bug and worm infestation.
So I cut those apart, steamed the pieces, and froze them.

Here are two pictures of a few of the squash, at full maturity.
The largest squash weighs 25 pounds.

I grew more of these squashes in my 2003 and 2004 gardens.

Unfortunately, ground hogs invaded my 2005 and 2006 gardens, and I got no crop at all.
I will try again in 2007, attempting to camouflage the squash plants with marigold plants.

This squash inspired my puzzle of the week during the summer of 2002.