posted 1 year ago
The Tetsukabuto F1 plants don't have male flowers making them sterile.
I grew them in a big field with all other types of squash, and let the ecosystem figure out how to pollinate them.
In the next generation, some of the offspring regained male flowers, and I presume fertility.
Based on the shape of the leaves, and color of fruit, it seemed like pepo squash pollinated some of the plants, but those plants didn't produce viable seeds or offspring. Viable seeds might arise if I choose different pepo pollen donors.
The offspring mostly looked like they got pollinated by maxima squash. I don't know if that's because that cross retains more viability, or because maxima grew closer.
In later generations, I grew the population in the middle of my squash field. I selected for thin vines and peduncles, to repel squash bugs. I selected for that wonderful maxima flavor.