Squash and Pumpkin Seeds
Growing calendar
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How to grow squash
How to grow squash
Seed Sowing
Squash can either be sown directly in pots from April or straight into beds outside from May onwards once the threat of frost has passed. They are extremely cold sensitive so make sure to cover the plants with fleece to keep them protected if there will be low temperatures.
Transplanting
Transplant squashes outside once all frost risk has passed, spacing plants 1.5×1.5m into a well weeded bed and water in well.
Squashes are heavy feeders and benefit from a good dose of compost or well-rotted manure being added to the soil before planting. They are also sensitive to wind so try to find a sheltered spot in your growing space. They also do well planted straight into a compost heap!
Plant Care
Once planted, squash will grow rapidly and take up a lot of space with their long trailing stems. While the plants are getting established, keep the beds weed free. Water plants regularly, especially during dry weather.
Challenges
Powdery mildew can become a problem when growing squash, especially if the soil is dry. Make sure to water well and mulch to retain moisture around the base of the base. Be sure to remove any infected leaves if you spot them early on in the growing season.
Harvest
Make sure to harvest squash when the fruits are fully mature to ensure a good storage life. Unless there is a risk of frost, leave squash as long as possible on the vine, even after the foliage has begun to die back and the main stem is cracked and dry.
Cut the vine either side of the stem and bring them inside to store somewhere warm (ideally 25 degrees) to cure for at least 10 days. A warm sunny windowsill can be the perfect spot.
Once squash is cured they should be stored somewhere cool and dry and out of reach of rats and mice. Squash definitely becomes a delicacy for them as the winter months draw in.
Seed Saving
Squash varieties easily cross pollinate and if you are growing them to save seed from it is important that you hand pollinate.
Allow squash to fully mature and cure. Cut them open, taking care not to damage any seeds. An ice cream scoop is a great tool for scooping the seeds and pulp out. Separate the seeds from the pulp and spread out in a single layer to dry on a plate for at least two weeks. You can give them a wash with water before drying if there is lots of pulp stuck to them.
Showing all 9 results
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Squash, Winter – Red Kuri (Organic)
£2.80 – £5.50 Add to basket This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageSquash, Winter – Red Kuri (Organic)
A bright orange, chestnut flavoured, smallish winter squash of 1 – 1.5kg weight. With its orange red skin and golden flesh, Red Kuri is a tasty globe of autumn glory. Firm but smooth, sweet and nutty, rich, creamy – you get the idea! It is Ronja’s mum’s favourite squash because you can cook it without having to peel it, and also for its fabulous flavour and good storage qualities.
This style of squash originates in Japan but has gained popularity in many other countries like the UK. We love growing squash and they are easy to grow, happy trailing across the ground or up a structure.
(Approximate seed count – 12)
£2.80 – £5.50 -
Winter squash – Meruhen (Organic)
£2.50 Add to basketWinter squash – Meruhen (Organic)
Discover the incredible Meruhen winter squash, originally from Japan. It’s a truly special variety with exceptionally sweet and rich flavour—possibly even sweeter than butternut! Its flesh is slightly starchier, giving it a velvety texture that particularly shines in hearty soups and luscious sauces. The fruits are beautifully round, with dark green skin sometimes accented by pale green-grey stripes. Whether you’re growing for the kitchen or simply admiring its beauty, Meruhen promises to deliver both flavour and style.
(Approximate seed count – 10)£2.50 -
Winter Squash – Oregon Homestead Sweet Meat (Organic)
£2.65 Add to basketWinter Squash – Oregon Homestead Sweet Meat (Organic)
A large, beautiful, and delicious hubbard-type pumpkin, with excellent storage qualities . This is a variety bred by Carol Deppe in Corvallis, Oregon in the USA. She spent years selecting for vigour, good cool-soil emergence, small seed cavity and premium flavour. We believe this variety is a serious contender to Crown Prince F1. It is quite a large variety with a crunchy, sweet flavour. They were extremely prolific in our 2018 squash trials and Ronja’s clear favourite in taste. They are great for cooking and even raw they are a real pleasure to munch on.
(Approximate seed count – 10)
£2.65 -
Summer Squash – Lemon (Organic)
£2.50 Add to basketSummer Squash – Lemon (Organic)
A trailing summer squash variety producing an abundance of lemon-sized and shaped fruits. This is a very interesting variety of summer squash which sits somewhere between a patty pan and a courgette. Its flesh is slightly denser than a typical courgette and is extremely tasty. A definite star of the veg patch and will keep on producing until the last frosts.
(Approximate seed count – 20)£2.50 -
Winter squash – Desert Spirit Landrace (Organic)
£2.85 Read moreWinter squash – Desert Spirit Landrace (Organic)
Beautifully diverse new landrace with amazing flavours, textures and colours. Bred and created by the folks at Wild Mountain Seeds in USA, the Desert Spirit has many varieties in its heritage, including Buttercup, our beloved Oregon Homestead Sweet Meat and others.
The great diversity of genes will make a beautiful range of colours and shapes with amazing flavours. We are excited to be offering such an enthusiastically bred strain of a landrace squash.
Apparently it is as vigorous as it is delicious with excellent storing qualities.
(Approximate seed count – 10)
£2.85 -
Winter squash – Black Futsu (Organic)
£2.85 Add to basketWinter squash – Black Futsu (Organic)
An easy-to-grow prolific variety from Japan, producing round black fruits, incredibly rich in flavour. The mature fruits can weigh between 1 – 3kg and are deeply ribbed with flattened tops, turning an orange colour in storage. They store well but given the exceptional flavour you will get through them quickly! The deep amber-coloured flesh tastes creamy and nutty. Best roasted with salt, pepper and oil.
(Approximate seed count – 12)£2.85 -
Winter squash – Delicata Zeppelin (Organic)
£2.50 Add to basketWinter squash – Delicata Zeppelin (Organic)
Delicata squashes are famous for their sweet flavour when roasted. This superb selection (known as Zeppelin) has been improved by Frank Morton and his crew of plant wizards at Wild Garden Seed in the USA, and is a total winner.
Delicata squashes do not store well so are best eaten before Christmas.
(Approximate seed count – 10)
£2.50 -
Hull-less Seeded Squash – Kakai (Organic)
£2.85 Add to basketHull-less Seeded Squash – Kakai (Organic)
Large round squash with mottled green stripes on orange-yellow and hull-less seeds for eating.
Certainly a striking variety renowned for its hull-less seeds, perfect for roasting and snacking. Native to Austria, each plant typically produces 2-3 squashes weighing 2-3 kilos, ideal for both seed harvesting and decorative purposes.
The seeds are rich in oils and packed with nutrients. Being shell-free seeds this makes them easy to prepare. They can be roasted for a savoury snack or eaten fresh, straight from the opened fruits. In the European cuisine this variety is commercially used to press and extract the nutrient-dense green pumpkin seed oil.
While primarily grown for its seeds, the flesh of the Kakai squash can be used, it has a mild flavour that complements soups, breads, muffins, or veggie dishes.
It thrives in full sun and well-draining soil, with semi-bush vines requiring enough space to spread.
(Approximate seed count – 10)
£2.85 -
Patty Pan – Custard White (Organic)
£2.95 Read morePatty Pan – Custard White (Organic)
Creamy white disc-shaped fruits with a scalloped edge and fine flavour. The plants with a bushy growth habit make delicious flying saucer shaped fruits, 6 – 7 cm in diameter that are classed as summer squash (don’t store for more than 1-2 weeks). The skin of this variety is white and its flesh cream coloured and delicately flavoured. They are best harvested when young, this will encourage the plants to make lots more fruits too.
(Approximate seed count – 20)£2.95
Showing all 9 results