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Jessie Keith
Cucurbitaceae
CUCURBITA pepo 'Delicata'
Delicata Squash, Squash
Heirloom winter squash 'Delicata' is prized as one of the best varieties for baking and cooking. Quite decorative, its elongated, small to medium-sized fruits have ivory skin marked with dark green ribs and occasional splashes of orange. The dense, smooth, super sweet flesh has superior flavor, and surrounds a very small seed cavity. Fruits are ready for harvest approximately 80 days from sowing.
Like many winter squash cultivars, ‘Delicata’ is a member of the New World species Cucurbita pepo. These warm season, annual vines are monoecious, meaning single plants bear separate male and female flowers. The large, yellow, funnel shaped male blossoms are generally produced first, followed by the fruit-producing female flowers, which are distinguished by bulbous ovaries at the bases. Following pollination by bees, these develop into fruits, which are often obscured by the plant’s large, coarse, heart-shaped or deeply lobed foliage.
Plant winter squash in full sun and deep, rich, well-drained loam when the soil has warmed and all danger of frost has passed. Regular water is essential, but the plants will not tolerate soggy conditions or wet feet. Where drainage is not optimal, it is advisable to plant them in raised mounds of fertile, porous soil. Vining varieties such as ‘Delicata’ can be trellised if space is limited. Watch closely for squash bugs, cucumber beetles and vine borers at the base of the stems. Yearly crop rotation and removal of dead plant debris at the end of the growing season can help to minimize insect and disease problems. Harvest before frost when the rinds are hard and fully colored, and the vines have begun to turn brown.
12 - 1
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vegetable
Full Sun
2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m (2)
3'-30' / 0.9m - 9.1m (20)
Indeterminate
North America, Mexico, Central America
Neutral
Well Drained
Loam, Sand
Very Fast
Average Water
Vining/Climbing
Summer, Fall
Showy
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Orange, Dark Green, Ivory
Bicolor
Green, Dark Green
Yes
No
Single
Coarse
Matte
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
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