Tips for Growing Cushaw Squash

Cucurbita argyrosperma

In case you get starry eyed on the considered outsized backyard greens, cushaw squash won’t disappoint.

Grown on vigorous vines, cushaw squash fruits are giant and scrumptious.

And because you gained’t possible discover them on supply on the grocery retailer or farmer’s market, be certain that to avoid wasting a spot in your backyard so you may develop your individual!

Producing crookneck-shaped fruits that weigh 10 to twenty kilos every and attain a foot to a foot and a half in size, cushaws are appreciated for his or her meaty, moist, and barely candy yellow to orange flesh.

It’s preferrred for remodeling into savory and candy dishes alike.

And since they are often harvested younger or allowed to mature for winter storage, cushaw offers a versatile and long-lasting meals supply.

In our information to rising winter squash, we cowl the fundamentals of easy methods to domesticate these cucurbits in your backyard.

Are you able to be taught the specifics for easy methods to develop cushaw squash? Right here’s what we’ll cowl:

Cushaw squash (Cucurbita argyrosperma) had been domesticated a number of thousand years in the past in Central America.

Finally they made their approach north the place they’ve lengthy been utilized by Native People within the southern a part of the US.

Also referred to as kershaw and candy potato pumpkin, within the current day cushaw squash stays an vital meals in southwestern Native American, southern Appalachian, and Louisiana Creole cuisines. 

The truth is, this member of the cucurbit household is taken into account one of many greatest varieties of winter squash for cooking.

Cushaws resemble crookneck squash, with slim, curved “necks” and bulbous bases.

Sow

These vegetation require heat temperatures to thrive, so don’t sow or transplant till after the final spring frost.

You’ll be able to select to begin your seeds indoors to get a leap on the rising season, or direct sow outside, in spite of everything danger of frost has handed.

To direct-sow outside:

1. First take away any vegetation from the rising space, then combine just a few shovels of compost into the soil. Water the planting space the day forward of sowing.
2. Make a mound of soil wherein to plant the seeds until you’re gardening in an arid local weather.
3. Poke two to a few one-inch-deep holes within the heart of the planting space. Drop one seed into every gap, then cowl with soil and pat it down to make sure good contact.
4. Water straight after sowing, and every day if wanted, to maintain the soil evenly moist till germination. Count on germination in 5 to 10 days.
5. If greater than two seeds germinate efficiently, take away the weakest seedling in every mound.

Along with seeds, you have to appropriate rising medium and three- to four-inch biodegradable seed beginning pots or celled trays.

1. Moisten the rising medium and fill the pots or trays, leaving about an inch hole on the high so to water with out the medium spilling out.
2. Insert one seed an inch deep within the heart of the pot or in every cell, closing the medium over the seed and patting it gently.
3. Situate the pots or trays the place they are going to be uncovered to 6 to eight hours a day of direct daylight, or the equal from develop lights.
4. Preserve the soil at a temperature of 70 to 95°F, utilizing a warmth mat if obligatory. After germination, take away the supplemental warmth.
5. Preserve the rising medium evenly moist.

Wait till the final frost date has handed, then harden off the seedlings earlier than transplanting to acclimate the younger vegetation to outside climate circumstances.

Transplanting

Transplant your cushaw seedlings on a cloudy day or wait till the warmth of the day has handed to keep away from planting below vivid solar or in intense warmth.

1. Clear the patch or raised mattress of vegetation and dig a gap twice as large and deep because the seedling pot, then add water to the outlet.
2. If rising in a biodegradable pot, take away the rim and insert your complete pot into the outlet.
3. For seedlings in plastic nursery pots, squeeze the pot to ease out the foundation ball, then place the foundation ball into the outlet.
4. Backfill with soil, and pat all the way down to take away giant air pockets.

Water the newly transplanted seedlings on the soil degree, and maintain them evenly moist whereas they grow to be established.

Develop

In case you’ve by no means grown winter squash earlier than, you’re in for some gardening enjoyable. Right here’s what you’ll must learn about these quick growers:

Local weather

Cushaw squash are delicate to frost so vegetation can be broken or killed when temperatures drop beneath freezing.

Gentle

Are you questioning when you’ve got sufficient daylight to develop cushaw squash? The vegetation want a full solar location, which suggests six to eight hours of direct daylight per day.

Soil

Cushaw squash thrive in typical backyard soil with a loamy texture and a pH vary of 6.0 to 7.0.

The vegetation desire soil that has a lot of natural matter – so don’t overlook to work some well-rotted compost into the soil earlier than sowing seeds or transplanting.

Water

How usually to water will rely in your climate, local weather, and different rising circumstances, so remember that cushaw squash likes moist soil – however not soil that’s soggy or waterlogged.

You’ll be able to apply a layer of mulch across the vegetation to assist maintain weeds down and retain moisture.

Fertilizing

You don’t want to use fertilizer to your cushaw squash, particularly in the event you labored compost into the soil at planting time.

A few times through the rising season, facet gown with extra compost to present the vegetation a nutrient enhance.

Cultivars to Choose

Prepared to select a cushaw on your backyard? Listed below are among the hottest varieties:

Cushaw White

Also referred to as ‘Jonathan Pumpkin,’ ‘Cushaw White’ has white pores and skin and candy, pale orange flesh.

The fruits of this heirloom weigh in at 20 to 30 kilos and attain maturity in 85 to 110 days.

‘Cushaw White’

Decide up some ‘Cushaw White’ seeds in your alternative of packet sizes from True Leaf Market.

Inexperienced Striped

The inexperienced striped cushaw is essentially the most broadly grown and fashionable kind of cushaw squash, and it’s included within the Gradual Meals Basis’s Ark of Style.

The fruits have mild yellow flesh with a medium coarse texture.

The white and inexperienced striped fruits of this heirloom attain as much as 25 kilos and mature in 90 to 110 days.

Inexperienced Striped

You’ll discover an assortment of packet sizes of inexperienced striped cushaw seeds at Eden Brothers.

Orange Stripe

With fruits reaching as much as 30 kilos every, ‘Orange Stripe’ cushaw squash have – because the title suggests – orange stripes on creamy pores and skin, and golden flesh with a tremendous texture.

‘Orange Stripe’

Head to True Leaf Market for ‘Orange Stripe’ cushaw squash seeds in a wide range of packet sizes.

Managing Pests and Illness

Like all winter squash, there are a selection of pests and illness issues to take care of through the rising season.

Right here’s what you’ll want to look at for:

Herbivores

Whereas a tall fence is required to maintain out deer, you’ll solely require a brief fence with small mesh to stop rabbits from slipping by.

Pests

You’ll be pleased to know that this specific kind has good resistance to squash vine borers. 

Nonetheless, there stay just a few insect pests you’ll must maintain a watch out for:

Cucumber Beetles

Small yellow beetles with black stripes or spots on their backs, cucumber beetles are so cute it’s virtually exhausting to be mad at them once they begin chewing up your backyard vegetation.

Not limiting themselves to cucumber vegetation, these beetles may also feed on different members of the cucurbit household – together with cushaw squash.

Along with damaging vegetation straight, these pests may also unfold ailments, offering you with an undesirable, two-for-one pest and illness particular.

Learn to handle cucumber beetles right here.

Spider Mites

Are there tiny discolorations on the foliage that makes the leaves look pale and barely pale? This might be stippling from spider mites.

These pests can usually be eliminated with a tough spray of the backyard hose.

Our information to controlling spider mites has extra data.

Squash Bugs

Squash bugs can feast on cushaw vegetation, which damages and may ultimately trigger the vegetation to die.

The easiest way to cope with these pests is to select them – and their eggs – off by hand.

Carry the leaves and verify the undersides the place the small, shiny, orange or bronze eggs are normally hidden – and destroy them to stop new broods.

As for the adults, they’re straightforward to see when watering, and their younger are recognizable by their mild inexperienced or vivid grey our bodies and thin black legs.

It’s also possible to maintain pest populations down through the use of companion vegetation to draw helpful bugs.

Be taught extra about squash bugs right here.

Illness

There are a number of ailments that generally have an effect on these cucurbits. Right here’s what to look out for:

Blossom-Finish Rot

If the fruits are rotting on the vine fairly than rising ever bigger, think about blossom-end rot because the possible drawback.

Examine blossom-end rot in zucchini for steering.

Squash Mosaic Virus

Inflicting distorted leaves and a yellow mosaic sample on foliage, squash mosaic virus is unfold by bugs similar to cucumber beetles.

In case you suspect that mosaic virus is affecting your crop contact your native cooperative extension to confirm the issue since herbicide damage could cause related signs.

If mosaic virus is certainly the difficulty, take away and destroy all affected vegetation and particles – don’t compost it to keep away from spreading the illness.

Powdery Mildew

Do your vegetation appear to be they had been dusted with flour?

Powdery mildew is a fungal illness that happens when climate is humid however gentle. It’s extraordinarily frequent and simple to deal with.

Our information to powdery mildew management has all the small print.

Harvesting

You’ll be able to get pleasure from cushaws as a summer season squash by harvesting early, whereas the younger fruits have mushy rind.

To reap, seize a clear knife and minimize by the stem, in the identical approach you’d harvest zucchini.

Preserving

There are numerous methods to protect these greens, you may select from cool storage, pickling, freezing, dehydrating, and canning.

You’ll be able to retailer these cucurbits for as much as six months in a cool location similar to an unheated basement, storage, or a root cellar.

And make sure to use a stress canner! Want extra steering on this technique?

Discover suggestions for stress canning on our sister web site, Foodal.

It’s also possible to pickle cushaw squash, which might both be canned or lacto-fermented for healthful, probiotic advantages. It’s also possible to cube some up and add it to a lacto-fermented salsa.

Want a recipe? Head to our sister web site, Foodal for steering on making a do-it-yourself lacto-fermented salsa.

Must freeze some leftover cushaw? First cook dinner the flesh till mushy, then retailer it in your favourite freezer protected container for as much as a 12 months.

And if you wish to rework your harvest right into a snack meals or pantry staple for including to winter soups, you may also think about dehydrating among the flesh.

Our information to dehydrating backyard produce has extra data.

Cooking Concepts

Use cushaw squash as an alternative choice to any recipe that requires winter squash or pumpkin.

In southern Appalachia, these greens are used to make cushaw butter (much like pumpkin butter) in addition to pie filling.

In case you want a pie recipe, why not borrow this pumpkin pie recipe from our sister web site, Foodal and make it with cushaw? Oh and by the best way, it’s vegan.

Or how a couple of savory snack? Add cooked cushaw squash to hummus, following this recipe, additionally on Foodal.

And since your cushaw harvest could have you craving autumn flavors, why not attempt an earthy and warming meal of roasted squash with black rice and miso dressing?

You’ll discover the recipe on Foodal.

Cheers to Our Copious Cushaws

After studying this information, you have to be all set to develop these extra-large winter keepers!

Do you will have a particular connection to the fabulous cushaw? Or are you rising them merely for the pleasure of attempting one thing new?

Tell us within the feedback part beneath. And when you’ve got any remaining questions, be happy to drop them there as properly!

Wish to continue to learn about rising squash in your backyard? We’ve got extra studying for you proper right here: