Want to get into the Fall spirit? This year, visitors to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska can see more than 300 varieties of pumpkins, squash and ornamental gourds. It's a veritable vegetable gardener's paradise!
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John Thull puts the finishing touches on a pumpkin display at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska. Photo: MN Landscape Arboretum |
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John and Jenny Thull |
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The pumpkins, squash and gourds are laid out and tagged by variety.
Photo: MN Landscape Arboretum
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Varieties from around the globe
The couple grows specimens from every continent (except Antarctica), from countries like Thailand, Italy, France, China, Russia, and Japan. Out of those, 330, 315 produced fruit.Ever heard of a 'Speckled Hound' squash?
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'Speckled Hound' squash. Photo: Annie Klodd |
How about a Speckled Hound squash? Its squat, pumpkin-like shape features orange sides with pink and blue colors dripping over the top and sides.
Thanks to its sweet and nutty tasty flesh, it's considered a culinary delight and makes great pies!
Squash show-stoppers
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Striped blaze pumpkin vines produce a lot of fruit. Photo: Johnny's Selected Seeds |
- Australian Butter: Popular heirloom variety with great taste and a rustic, bumpy orange appearance.
- Wolf: Large, reliable jack pumpkin with a huge handle. Easy to grow and produces lots of pumpkin on the vine.
- Red Warty Thing (Victor): Bright red squash with a distinctive shape, covered in warts.
- Octoberfest: Large, dark orange pumpkin with a good sturdy stem--great for making jack-o-lanterns. Average size of 18 pounds!
- Blaze and Spark: Newer, popular variety with orange and yellow stripes, slightly flat and compact in shape. A three-pound pumpkin, 7 inches in diameter and 3.5" high.
'Red Warty Thing' (Victor) squash. Photo: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
The popularity of 'blue' pumpkins
According to Jenny, blue pumpkins have grown in popularity thanks to the Teal Pumpkin Project. A blue pumpkin by the front door at Halloween means the household is offering alternatives to kids with food allergies (usually non-food items).But you don't have to paint your pumpkin blue! Good blue varieties to showcase on your front steps include Jarrahdale, Queensland Blue, and Blue Doll.
You can show off a pink squash, too, with the Marina di Chioggia or Australian Butter.
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A Jarrahdale pumpkin on your porch lets trick-or-treaters with food allergies know your house has safe treats. Photo: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds |
Try an Asian heirloom!
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Asian squash 'Shishigatani'. Photo: Kitazawa Seed Company |
Are you an Acorn or butternut squash fan?
The Thulls are always on the lookout for the best texture and flavor. Some of their favorites include Honey Bear, Tuffy and Honey Boat Delicata, the latter of which has more of an oblong shape.As for butternut squash, try Canesi, Butterscotch, Rogosa Violina, and Gioa, which sport smooth flesh texture and complex flavors.
Planting tips
The Thulls say they watch out for two things when growing pumpkins, squash or gourds: wet weather and weeds.If the temperatures are consistently warm in May or June, plant seeds directly into your garden. But make sure the soil is not too wet, because the seeds could decay and rot. If rain is forecast, plant them at a shallower depth so they won't be sitting in water.
Weeding is important. A couple of weeks before the Thulls plant their crops, they dig up the soil to allow weeds to emerge. They hoe or till once more right before planting so the squash aren't competing with the weeds.