Squash and Pumpkin
(Squash Family)
[ Squash (Summer) | Squash (Winter) | Pumpkin ]
ORGANIC CERTIFICATION UPDATE: We were able to get organic certification on part of our farm this year (more information on that in the 2007 A Year In Review section). This means over the next 2 years we will be listing everything that we grow here at our farm as Certified Organic. We have many varieties in this year's catalog which are being offered as CERTIFIED ORGANIC. If the item is being offered as CERTIFIED ORGANIC, it will have an OG after the price of the seeds.
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Squash
Squash culture: Unless otherwise noted, all packets contain at least 15 seeds. Plant after danger of frost is past or start indoors 2 weeks prior and set out when conditions are favorable. Bush types can be placed 5 to 6 feet apart; vining types need at least 10 feet between hills, though they can be crowded if you are prepared to deal with the jungle. We plant 5 seeds per hill. We have listed the species by each squash for those who are seed savers. We will use C. mixta as that is what the current trend indicates. Historical correctness would mean using Cucurbita argyrosperma.
Cushaw Squash Recipe: For years I have grown cushaw squash for their beauty and for livestock feed. But for table quality I never found a baked cushaw squash to be much more than bland. A co-worker at school this year asked me if I ever grew them. I said, "Sure, but what in the world do you want them for?" She then proceeded to tell me how delicious they were. I was hesitant, but the Linda tried her recipe and we really liked it. So, we modified it a bit and think you will enjoy it also.
Cut off the neck portion of the Cushaw-type squash (the bowl of the squash tends to be a little more stringy consistency). Peel the neck section with a potato peeler (or a knife) and cut the neck into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Cut these slices into bite sized pieces. Add a couple tablespoons of olive (or vegetable) oil to a large non-stick skillet to heat. Add sliced onions and minced garlic to the heated oil and then add in the pieces of squash that you have previously prepared. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook squash until tender. Serve as a side dish in place of rice or potatoes.
Squash and Pumpkin culture: Squash seeds do not like to be placed in cold soil. It is better to wait until the ground is warm and then plant the seeds. If you are trying to rush the season for an early crop then it is best to start the plants 2 weeks ahead of the transplant time. Do not let them get more than 2 to 3 true leaves when you transplant them or it will stunt the growth. Squash and melons do not like to have their roots disturbed. Early transplants can be protected from insects with row cover. We place them out under hoops made of #9 wire and cover with row cover. The vine crops continue to be the biggest challenge here in the Midwest to grow organically. We continue to search for safe and effective ways to grow these crops with the least impact on the environment. My large collection of over 1,000 varieties of vine crops and the challenge of maintaining a collection here in Iowa has been the biggest reason we had not sought organic certification for so long. We don't have things perfected yet, but we will continue to work and share any environmentally methods we can with you.
Summer Squash (C. pepo)
Benning's Green Tint: 58 days. Pale, greenish-white, scalloped-type summer squash. Pkt. $1.75 OG
Black Zucchini: 55 days. Bush, darkest green of any zucchini that is open-pollinated. Pkt. $1.50
Caserta: 48 days. Bush, super early and productive, grey-green striped summer squash. Pkt. $2.00
Cocozelle: 50 days. Long, skinny striped zucchini. Pkt. $1.50
Costata Romanesca: 53 days. Huge bushes bearing 12 to 24 inch long, thick, ridged fruits, gray-green in color with dark green stripes. Pkt. $1.75
Cocozelle: 50 days. Long, skinny striped zucchini. Pkt. $1.50
Dark Green Zucchini: 50 days. Bush type, dark green fruit. Pkt. $1.50
Giant Golden Summer Crookneck: 60 days. A larger, more uniform crookneck, large bush plants. Pkt. $2.50 OG
Golden Scallop: A nice scallop squash, beautiful golden orange color when mature for seed, nice pale yellow when in the edible stage. Pkt. $1.50
Golden Zucchini: 53 days. Bush type, bright yellow, 8 to 10 inch fruits, excellent for home and for market. Pkt. $1.50
Mandan: 47 days. Small, round, flattened Native American type. Small vines are heavy producers of these cream colored with green or yellow striped fruits. Average quality, but great insect tolerance. Very variable in fruit type. Pkt. $3.00 OG (Limit 1 Pkt.)
Mayeras: 55 days. Large, semi-bush, blocky shaped (like Spaghetti Squash in size and shape), extremely high yielding, superb quality. Gray-green in color. Pkt. $2.50 OG
Nizza: 60 days. Round zucchini, bush type. Great yields. Pkt. $2.25 OG
Odessa: 65 days. 8 to 12 inches long, straight white fruits with a spreading and vigorous plant. They are very productive with good disease tolerance. Plants produce the entire season with continuous new growth. This variety originated in the Ukraine. (Unavailable for 2008)
Straightneck: 53 days. Bush type, warty, deep yellow summer squash. Pkt. $1.50
Table Dainty: 65 days. Vining, blocky green/yellow striped. About 6 inches long. Very productive. Developed in 1909. Pkt. $3.00 (Limit 1 Pkt.)
Tatume: 65 days. Vining, heat tolerant and high insect tolerant. Round, pumpkin shaped summer squash. Pkt. $2.00
Tender and True Marrow: 65 days. Large, spreading, bush type, round, gray-green, zucchini type fruits. Pkt. $2.00 OG
Trailing Green Marrow: 70 days. Late for a summer squash, but excellent for a season finisher and continues for the remainder of the season. Very vigorous vines produce numerous fruits that are striped and remain edible when they become quite large. Pkt. $2.00
White Bush Vegetable Marrow: 65 days. Bush summer squash. This one makes a suitable sub for Odessa until we have it back in stock. Pkt. $1.50
Yellow Summer Crookneck Improved: 50 days. High producing, yellow crookneck. Pkt. $1.50
Winter Squash
Argentine: 100 days. (C. maxima) Gray-green, ribbed fruits. Flesh is dark orange (almost brown), dry and very sweet. Pkt. $2.75 (Unavailable for 2008)
Arikara: 70 days. (C. maxima) While not resistant to vine borers, it excellent tolerance, plus it can be planted late and still make a crop. Flesh is sweet, soft (but stringy) and very moist, similar to a Hubbard. When blended in a blender it becomes extremely smooth (excellent for baby food and soup). Skin is pink and hard shelled. Some soils cause a slight bluish tint to the fruit skin. (An old Oscar Will variety) (Unavailable for 2008)
Baby Butternut: 105 days. (C. moschata) Good sized vines, heavy production of 6 to 8 inch fruit. Dr. Meader and Dr. Yeager introduction from New Hampshire in the 1950's. Pkt. $2.50
Big Max: 100 days. (C. maxima) Not huge like Atlantic Giant, but produces large (up to 200 pound) fruits that are a deep, rich red-orange. While people call this a pumpkin, we only put varieties that are (C. pepo) in the pumpkin classification in our catalog. Pkt. $1.50
Black Sweet Potato: 120 days. (C. mixta) Blockier version of Green Striped Cushaw only paler in color. Pkt. $1.25
Campeche: 110 days. (C. mixta) Smaller sized fruits, silver seeded type. Pkt. $1.50
Canadai Mezoides: 120 days. (C. moschata) Heavy producing butternut type that turns tan only after storage. Unavailable for 2007
Cow: (C. moschata) 110 days. Cheese type, orange flesh. Originally developed for stock feeding, but good for pies. Pkt. $1.50
Dickinson: 115 days. (C. moschata) A nice, blocky, oblong cheese type. Frits are a buffy tan, slightly ribbed and grow to 40 lbs. Flesh is sweet, orange and excellent for pies. Pkt. $2.00
Doe: 90 days. (C. maxima) An Essex Turban type, orange, semi-warty, cupless. Pkt. $2.50 OG
Ebony Acorn: (C. pepo) 90 days. Productive green/black acorn squash, fruits average 1.5 to 2 lbs. Pkt. $1.50
Essex Turban: 100 days. (C. maxima) Very large, orange red, warty Buttercup type. Best suited for its beauty as the flesh is pale orange, very moist and somewhat bland. Fruits are very eye catching and may be used for decoration in the Fall. (Unavailable for 2008)
Flat White Boer: 105 days. (C. maxima) Flat, wheel-like squash with white skin. Flesh is deep orange, sweet, very firm and very dry. Flesh is so firm it maintains its structure after being cooked. Occasional off-types can be seen. Pkt. $2.50
Futtsu: 110 days. (C. moschata) Very ribbed, dark green turning grayish orange in maturity. Sweet orange-yellow flesh. Pkt. $2.00
Georgia Candyroaster: (C. maxima) Fruits nearly 2 feet long, orange, skin and sweet flesh, long vining. Fruit looks like a bulging banana squash. Pkt. $3.00
German: 87 days. (C. maxima) Block shaped, pink skin with slight ribs, very productive plants. Fruit weighs 10 to 15 pounds. Flesh is 1.5 inches thick. Pkt. $2.00 OG
Gila Cliff Dweller: 100 days. (C. mixta) Large, white skinned with greenish cast streaks. Fruits can get to 40 pounds. Pkt. $2.50 OG
Gill's Golden Pippin: 95 days. (C. pepo) A vining, golden acorn from the old Gill Bros. Seed Co. Excellent growth and productivity. Flesh is unbelievably superb for an acorn type. I typically don't like acorn squash because they are too blah. Gill's has a sweet (almost nutty) flavor that makes you go, "Yum!!!" It was prominently featured in Gill Bros. 1960 catalog and justly deserves the honor that it received at that time. I do not understand why it ever dropped out of large scale, commercial production. Pkt. $2.50
Gill's Sugar Hubbard: 95 days. (C. maxima) A cross the Gill Bros. Seed Co. made many years ago between Sweetmeat and True Hubbard. Flesh is golden and moist. Skin is a slate grey in color. Fruits may get up to 40 pounds. Pkt. $2.50
Gold Nugget: (C. maxima) 80 days. Superb bush type squash with hard shell for keeping. Best in areas not prone to vine borers. Pkt. $1.75
Gold Striped Cushaw: 100 days. (C. mixta) Beautiful, golden lemon yellow cushaw. Pkt. $1.75
Greek Sweet Red: (C. moschata) 105 days. Somewhat barbell shaped, good insect resistance, deep orange flesh. Pkt. $2.50
Green Striped Cushaw: 95 days. (C. mixta) A very old type, that does suffer more insect damage here than others, but does yield quite heavily. Pkt. $1.50 OG
Grey: 92 days. (C. moschata) Earliest cheese type, blocky, ribbed, 10 to 15 pounds. Flesh is 1.5 inches thick, medium orange. (Unavailable for 2008)
Guatemalan Blue: 105 days. (C. maxima) A long-time favorite of mine. Slate grey fruits are a medium size for banana squash. Flesh has a particular flavor that is fabulous. Pkt. $2.50
Hercules Butternut: 100 days. (C. moschata) Not entirely uniform in shape, but produces some very large sized butternut squash. Pkt. $2.25
Hindu: 100 days. (C. mixta) A large, bell-shaped cushaw. Pkt. $1.50
Hopi Cushaw: 120 days. (C. mixta) A true cushaw shape, mottled orange and shades of green. Pkt. $1.50 (Sold Out for the rest of 2008)
Japanese Pie: 90 days. (C. mixta) Hard shelled, large, thick stems. Seeds have distinct markings (like Japanese caricatures). Flesh is excellent when fried (see above recipe). Pkt. $2.00
Jarrahdale: 107 days. (C. maxima) Australian variety that is very ribbed, blocky, drum shaped, slate blue in color, averaging 15 to 20 pounds. Moist, very sweet, semi-soft flesh. Pkt. $2.50
Jonathan: 100 days. (C. mixta) Large, white straightneck cushaw. Pale flesh. Excellent for White Pumpkin pie. Does extremely well in drought conditions. Some occasional greenish striped sports can occur. Pkt. $2.00
Jumbo Pink Banana: 100 days. (C. maxima)) Large, pink skinned fruits with excellent quality flesh (moist and sweet). While they never get as big here in the Midwest due to the insects and disease, I've seen specimens top 100 pounds. Pkt. $1.50
Kentucky: 115 days. (C. maxima) Long, warty, orange colored banana type squash, drier flesh. (Unavailable for 2008)
Lebanese: 70 days. (C. pepo) Semi-bush, oblong, blocky, zucchini tpe, used when young as a summer squash, then can be used later as an acorn type winter squash. Pkt. $2.00 OG (Limit 1 Pkt.) (Sold Out for the rest of the 2008 season)
Mexigold: 80 days. (C. maxima) My own creation, my first attempt at plant breeding while I was in high school. A very early, sweet, pink skinned, heart-shaped squash averaging 4 to 8 pounds. (Unavailable for 2008)
Mrs. Amerson's: 120 days. (C. moschata) Produces two distinct shapes. Flesh is bright orange, has superb insect and disease resistance. Pkt. $1.75
North Georgia Candyroaster: 105 days. (C. maxima) Vigorous vines, shortened, pink banana squash. Pkt. $2.00
Orange Banana: 100 days. (C. maxima) A shorter, fatter, orange-skinned banana squash. (Unavailable for 2008)
Potimarron a Gros Fruit: (C. maxima) A wonderful Red Kuri type though slightly larger. Very productive and beautiful orange red. Pkt. $2.50 OG
Quality: (C. maxima) A refined Green Delicious type, dry fleshed. One of the first seeds I obtained from Robert Kennedy in the early 1980's when I first joined the SSE. He had saved so many good, old varieties. I'll always be grateful for the large number of varieties he saved. Pkt. $3.00 OG
Queensland Blue: 125 days. (C. maxima) Beautiful, slate blue-grey, drum shaped with ribbing. Pkt. $3.00
Rainbow: (C. moschata) A wonderful, small banana squash, pinkish with blue streaks. Pkt. $3.00 OG (Limit 1 Pkt.)
Red Gold: 93 days. (C. maxima) Mottled salmon and green colored fruits, 6 to 10 pounds, 1 inch thick yellowish/orange flesh. (Unavailable for 2008)
Rouge V'if D'Etampes: 100 days. (C. maxima) Listed here, though most companies now list it as Cinderella under pumpkin. There was already a pumpkin with that name, therefore we will keep this very old French pumpkin/squash with its proper scientific classification. Fruits can weigh up to 50 pounds and are flattened orange-red. Pkt. $2.50
San Fernando Feral: 99 days. (C. mixta) Mottled green stripes, creamy tan background, medium yellow flesh, 10 pound average. Pkt. $1.75
Scarchuks Supreme: 83 days. (C. pepo) Developed by Dr. Scarchuk at University of Connecticut, Delicata color pattern (cream striped with green). This variety is superior. Each year reminds me of what Dr. Scarchuk was working on, vine borer resistance. It does much better than most Acorn types. Pkt. $2.50
Seminole: 110 days. (C. moschata) Vigorous vines, very productive, slightly bell-shaped, 6 to 8 inch sized fruits, buffy tan outside, orange inside. Pkt. $1.75
Spaghetti: (C. pepo) Fruits are an excellent low-cal food. Bake halves (after removing seeds) then pull out the stringy flesh. We top with a little butter, minced garlic and Parmesan cheese. A delicious dish. May also use as a substitute for pasta with spaghetti sauce. Pkt. $1.50
Swedish Banana: (C. maxima) Medium sized, prolific, banana type. Pkt. $2.00
Sweetmeat: 95 days. (C. maxima) Dry, sweet flesh. Fruits are gray-green, cheese wheel shaped, 8 to 12 pounds in size. Pkt. $1.50
Tahitian Melon: 110 days. (C. moschata) A sweeter, longer necked version of Butternut. Cooked flesh is excellent to use for "Pumpkin Pie". Pkt. $2.00
Tan Cheese: 125 days. (C. moschata) 5 pound, flat cheese type, thin ribs with cantaloupe orange 1.5 inch thick flesh. Pkt. $1.50 OG
Tennessee Sweet Potato: 90 days. (C. mixta) Dates to 1847. This variety kept me trying from year to year as a child. Where I lived in the mountains of Idaho, I tried all of the tricks I could and still with the cool season the best I could do was golf ball size immature fruits. It matures with ease here and though I spent years trying to get a fruit mature enough to taste, it is rather bland, but of great historical significance. It can survive a lot of neglect here in the Midwest and still produce a good crop. Pkt. $1.50
Thelma Sander's Sweet Potato: 90 days. (C. pepo) Acorn type, vining. Fruits are a cream color with golden yellow flesh. Heirloom from Missouri. Pkt. $1.75
Trombocino Rampicante: 100 days. (C. moschata) Long, skinny, curved fruits. Typically used in the immature stage (with flower still intact). Fruits can be up to 6 inches long when the flower opens (much larger than most other squash). As they age and mature use them as a butternut. Pkt. $2.50
Trombone: 110 days. (C. moschata) Can produce two distinct shapes, but primarily is a huge butternut type averaging 30 to 40 pounds. Fruits tend to be green at harvest and ripen to a pale tan in storage. Pkt. $2.50
Tweet-ee-oo-Bakers: 100 days. (C. pepo) An heirloom from the South. Vigorous vines produce 6 inch yellowish fruits with green stripes. Flesh is mild and moist. Pkt. $1.75
Uconn: 86 days. (C. pepo) Bush, fist sized, productive acorn. Pkt. $1.50 OG
Upper Ground Sweet Potato: 110 days. (C. moschata) Extremely high yields even in poor soil and harsh conditions. Tan colored skin, bell shaped, 4 to 6 pound fruits, some larger, nice orange flesh. Pkt. $2.00
Waltham Butternut: 110 days. (C. moschata) Traditional butternut-type with tan skin. Pkt. $1.50
Warted Green Hubbard: (C. maxima) A wonderful old, very tasty heirloom that yields well, better in the Northwest and mountain regions than here, but you can still expect nice, 30 pound squash. Thick, sweet flesh. Pkt. $1.75
White Acorn: 75 days. (C. pepo) Bush type, a sport selection I made in the early 1980's. Plants are productive, producing snow white fruits with an occasional creamy white fruit. Flavor is very mild. Pkt. $2.50
Winter Vining: 109 days. (C. mixta) Green striped cushaw with thick, mottled stripes, slight crookneck, yellow flesh. Pkt. $1.50
Zapollito de Tronco: 100 days. (C. maxima) Cheese shape. May be eaten like a zucchini in the immature stage. At that stage, flesh is avocado-like in texture. Pkt. $2.50
Pumpkin (C. pepo)
Pumpkin culture: All pumpkins are squash. These are only kept separate from the squash out of tradition. Culture and packet information are the same as in the Squash heading.
Big Red California Sugar: 82 days. (Pie Type) Nice, small 3 to 4 pounds, deep orange skinned pumpkin, 1 inch yellow flesh. Pkt. $1.75 OG
Connecticut Field: 90 days. (Jack O'Lantern Type) 20 to 30 pounds, slight ribs, medium orange skin. Pkt. $1.50
Idaho Gem: 80 days. (Pie Type) My development, a very early, 4 to 6 pound type. I direct-seeded some of these on July 25 of 2002 after 2 previous plantings were lost to various things. Pumpkins were ripe by October 2 (or about 68 days). Pkt. $2.00
Lady Godiva: (Naked Seed Type) Stringy flesh, nice large thick naked seeds. Pkt. $2.50 (Sold Out for the rest of 2008)
Long Pie: 100 days. (Pie Type) Almost looks like a medium size zucchini. Never seems to turn orange until in storage, but then ripens nicely. Very good pie type. Pkt. $2.00 OG (Limit 1 Pkt.)
Naked Seed: 85 days. (Naked Seed Type) Short vines, producing numerous, small (large grapefruit size), orange skinned pumpkins that have no hulls on the seed. (Unavailable for 2008)
Omaha: 80 days. (Pie Type) Oblong fruits; 3 pound size. Native American type. Pkt. $2.50
Southern Miner: 124 days. (Decorative Type) Wide ridges, mottled green to yellow, hard shelled, 1 inch yellow flesh. Very decorative. Pkt. $2.00 (Sold Out for the rest of 2008)
Spookie: 95 days. Good for both pies and small Jack O'Lanterns as it has a strong stem. Orange skin and flesh. Pkt $1.00
Storage: 90 days. (Pie Type) Nice, fat pie pumpkin. (Unavailable for 2008)
Styrian: 100 days. (Naked Seed Type) Grown for the seeds. Flesh is stringy. Must be seeded soon after harvest as seeds will tend to sprout. Pkt. $2.50
Sugar Pie: 85 days. (Pie Type) Flattened, dark orange pie type. Developed in 1863. Pkt. $1.50
Turner Family: 90 days. (Jack-O-Lantern Type) Nice, thick skinned, deep orange, ribby pumpkin. Pkt. $1.50
Wilber Field: 100 days. (Jack-O-Lantern Type) An improved Connecticut Field selection, better stems, more uniform. Pkt. $2.00 (Sold Out for the rest of 2008)
Winter Luxury Pie: 85 days. (Pie Type) The best for pie, netted like a muskmelon, flesh is sweet, tender and stringless. Developed in 1893. Pkt. $1.75 (Limit 1 Pkt.)
Xochitlan Pueblo: 95 days. (Decorative Type) Hardshelled, rounded, dessert plate size pumpkin, great for painting. Pkt. $2.50 OG (Limit 1 Pkt.)