Heirloom 1894. A favorite of many Pinetree employees, Delicata Squash is a good choice for the home gardener. The vines are relatively compact. Fruits average about 8 in length, are half as wide, so they are a good size for a meal. Color is a creamy green with length-wise darker green stripes. Flesh is an attractive orange and flavor is very sweet. As a bonus, Delicata Squash is also a very good keeper for a small squash and the flavor even seems to improve as the winter passes.

15 seeds

PLANTING

Cucurbitapepo

Germination:7-10 days

Germination Temperature:Optimum soil temperatures 70-85F

Seed Sowing Depth:1/2-1″ deep

Sowing Indoors:3-4 weeks before the last frost.Provide70-85Fsoil temperature.Sow 2-3 seeds per cell/pot.Sowing into individual biodegradable peat/cow pots reduces rootdamage when transplanting. Transplantafter the last frost, 36-48″ apart.

Sowing Outdoors:Sow after the last frostwhen the soil temperature is over70F.Sow a few seeds every 36-48″.

How much does a packet plant:12-15foot single row, 3-5 hills

Harvest:Before heavy frost. Determine ripeness whenthe skin has turned colorand becomes dull and dry. Youwill beunable to create a dent when pressingyour thumbnail into it. Leave two inches of the stem on the squash and manage carefully so there is no damage which can shorten storage life. Cure for 7-10 days in the sun to harden the rind and increase storage quality. Wipe any debris off skin before storing it in a cool dark placewith 50-55F temperaturesand50-65%humidity.

Tips:Plant Delicata Squash in fertile soil, amended with compost or well-rotted manure, and keep well watered. They benefit from growing on black plastic and using row covers for weed, insect control, and more rapid growth.