Squash

(Cucurbita pepo, C. moschata, C. maxima, C. argyrosperma/ mixta)
Squash is a crop with several possibilities: it can be grown as a summer vegetable, for fresh eating or drying, or as a winter staple. Squash loves sun and high organic matter. My main focus is on its potential for winter storage; there are few vegetables I prefer for a January supper.
There are several species of squash. You can grow one from each species without worrying about them crossing; however, varieties within a species will cross very readily.

  • Algonquin pumpkin Quick View
    • Algonquin pumpkin Quick View

    • Algonquin pumpkin

    • $4.00 – $7.00
    • (Cucurbita pepo) Vine. This ancient pumpkin produces curious fruits about 6-12”/15-30 cm long with the shape of a zucchini and the colour and taste of a pumpkin, showing the shared ancestry of these two members of the same species. Plants seem more shade tolerant than some squash, causing them to work well in a Three Sisters garden. Not a sweet squash; good as a vegetable dish, but really shines in…
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  • Candystick Dessert Delicata squash Quick View
    • Candystick Dessert Delicata squash Quick View

    • Candystick Dessert Delicata squash

    • $4.00 – $7.00
    • (Cucurbita pepo) Experimental; see notes.  Sweet little squash with fruity flavour definitely deserves the "dessert" in its name.  Some say this delicata tastes like dates; we don't know about that, but we do know that we could not get enough of them!  Bred by Carol Deppe in Oregon, this is not a long-storing squash; it is best enjoyed within a couple months of harvest.  But it is also at its…
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  • Carrick Combination Butternut squash Quick View
    • Carrick Combination Butternut squash Quick View

    • Carrick Combination Butternut squash

    • $4.00 – $7.00
    • (Cucurbita moschata) Vine. A squash for every occasion! This butternut is a mix of various ancestors. It is the result of me mixing seed from multiple sources over several years, and then selecting for earliness, ability to produce without needing watering, dark orange flesh, long storage life, and a range of sizes: this squash offers possibilities if you are feeding a crowd or providing a side-dish for one person. Ancestors…
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  • Shintokiwa cucumber Quick View
  •   EXPERIMENTAL - see notes  
    Styrian pumpkin Quick View
    • Styrian pumpkin Quick View

    • Styrian pumpkin

    • $4.00 – $7.00
    • (Cucurbita pepo) This pumpkin is unique: it is grown for its seeds, which are "hulless;" that is, they lack a seed coat, making them easy and delightful to eat.  Hullessness is rare; all hulless pumpkins are believed to be descendants of one plant, which was found by an observant farmer in the Steiermark (Styria) region of Austria sometime around 1870.  Originally selected for pressing for vegetable oil, hulless pumpkin seeds…
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  • Squash pollination bags Quick View
    • Squash pollination bags Quick View

    • Squash pollination bags

    • $12.00 – $14.00
    • We use bags like these for hand-pollinating squash.  Some people use tape or paper bags instead; we prefer these because they're reusable. We put the bag over a flower, and then tie it below the flower with a piece of twine.  An overhand knot is adequate and quick.  Different squash varieties have different sizes of flowers; we've found that the 3" x 6" bag works for most squash, but for…
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