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Jessie Keith
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbita pepo 'Winter Luxury'
Pumpkin, Winter Luxury Pumpkin
This beautiful heirloom pumpkin has a little something for everyone. The small to medium-sized, round, orange fruits have beautiful netted skin and are just the right size for young children to carve. Its skin is also quite thin, which makes carving a bit easier but reduces keeping longevity. The flesh is some of the sweetest for pies and the thin-hulled seeds are delicious roasted with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. 'Winter Luxury' was introduced in 1893 by Johnson & Stokes is ready for harvest approximately 100 days from sowing.
Like other true pumpkins, this cultivar is derived from 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 pumpkin seeds 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 types like this may 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 pumpkins before frost when the rinds are firm 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)
8'-12' / 2.4m - 3.7m
Indeterminate
North America, Mexico, Central America
Neutral
Well Drained
Loam, Sand
Very Fast
Average Water
Vining/Climbing
Summer, Fall
Showy
Yellow, Gold
Orange, Tan
Bicolor
Green, Dark Green
Yes
No
Single
Coarse
Matte
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
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