Squash Winter Sweet Meat HEIRLOOM Seeds

Cucurbita maxima

Item #0245

95-110 days. There is good reason this squash is called "sweet". This wonderful, 1940s heirloom treasure may not be well known, but after you grow it, you'll be spreading the word! With a fine-grained texture and delicious flavor, it is superb by itself, added to soups or roasts, and even baked into a pie that rivals pumpkin pie! Excellent for canning or freezing. Allow room for vigorous vines to 10'.

This packet sows up to 5 mounds.

Seedling Image

Days to Emerge:
5-10 days

Seed Depth:
1"

Seed Spacing:
2-3 seeds
per mound

Mound Spacing:
6'

Thinning:
When 3" tall
thin to 1-2
per mound

When to sow outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after average last frost, and when soil temperature is 70°?85°F.

When to start inside: Not recommended except in very short season climates. 2 to 4 weeks before average last frost. Roots sensitive to disturbance; sow in 4" biodegradable pots that can be planted directly into the ground. Transplant when soil temperature is at least 60°F.

Harvesting: Harvest when the squash's rind is hard enough that you can't dent it with your fingernail and before first frost. Cut stem, (don't break it off) leaving 2" of stem attached, which keeps the squash whole, leaving no opening for infection. Though fruits are hard and may seem indestructible, treat them gently; bruising can spoil squash.