From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Lodi, California

It's inevitable, the more you keep selfing them and keeping the genetics closed. Scott Holub bought us some time when he crossed a squash with the 1725 Harp. Those genetics are nearly 15 years old now.

Think about that. We're using 15+ year genetics that have been selfed into oblivion.

10/14/2022 8:04:25 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Great post Ashton. Quite a while back Joe Vunak posted a similar question but he referred to the then WR 848 McKenzie squash. He successfully crossed the F 636 Welty(97) with the 428 Wells (98) squash to produce the 634 Vanuk 2010.

You want to introduce new squash genetics, here you go,
didn't get much attention then. I have two of Joes 634 seeds that I would love to see someone with more talent than me try to grow these babies.

10/14/2022 10:23:27 PM

Lodi, California

You're looking at the wrong person if you're looking for more tallent lol.

My idea is to do the same thing Scott did, but instead with several different genetic lines. Have a diverse set of squash x AG crosses, ensure the genetics are green, then you have several different options for crossing so you don't have to keep selfing them.

10/15/2022 1:13:30 PM

Grittyville, WA

Has a squash x 1885.5 lineage been done? If not I'm sure someone will do it. I would like to do a tedious selection process at some point in the future, with squash or tomatoes or marrows, to try to introduce new genetics. Scott Holub did something special, what he did wasnt easy, its easy to make a cross, but it hard to bring all the desired traits forward.

10/15/2022 1:55:43 PM

Lodi, California

There is a cross with the 2702 that I am aware of

10/15/2022 5:33:00 PM

Leerdam, The Netherlands

Correct!

10/16/2022 9:50:57 AM

Bethlehem CT

Mix a nice dark 1109 Jutras with a nice dark orange 1885 and you have a good recipe for a nice dark squash. Avoid the lighter colored 1885's and I think you will avoid a few squampkins

10/16/2022 10:08:48 AM

west central IN/East central IL

I had a sucker I let grow on my white 1885 that I pollinated with 1271 skinner(1109x self). Maybe I can do something with it.

10/16/2022 10:48:39 AM

Western NY

Prior to this year, we could have said that field pumpkins had peaked too.

10/17/2022 8:35:49 AM

Grittyville, WA

I think bigmoon is correct, the chance of getting a pure squash in the F2 generation is something like 16:1 against, having to drop both the orange or cream/opaque, and recessive (transluscent) white genes. It might be chopped down to a more manageable 4:1 odds if the correct pollinator was used. Remember Scott got the size genes plus the color genes and that took 12 plants I think, and even with all that, there was still a sneaky recessive white gene in there.
I think of the dominant genes opaque and the recessive genes transluscent, but thats just my own terminology. Research a 16 square Punnett diagram, that's probably what any future squash breeders are up against. ...But even if no one makes a full conscious effort, maybe by random luck it will happen.

10/17/2022 1:48:02 PM

Lots of inbreeding has not stopped giant pumpkins from getting heavier. What may look like hybrid is actually seeds coming from the same maternal lineage. Even the 1885.5 Werner is loaded with the 1057 Howell/ 1756HJ. This thought about inbreeding has been going on for about 20 years if you do a site search.

Maybe the genetics can take a few years to consolidate and then move to the next level?

10/17/2022 7:32:16 PM

Lodi, California

Spudder every time you produce a new seed, there is new genetic variation introduced. This is why there is variation among lineages that are pretty closely related. However, if you just keep selfing over and over again without any outbreeding, you will hamstring yourself considerably.

10/18/2022 9:42:23 PM

Pittsburgh, PA

My 1133 squash from this season was an 1838 Jutras x 2145 McMullen. Planning on sending seeds for the exotic seed exchange.

11/23/2022 10:35:55 PM