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Gouda Winter Squash
110 days to harvest
Cucurbita moschata
After years of appreciating Long Island Cheese pumpkin, we instantly fell in love with Gouda, her little sister. Gouda Winter Squash is also much sweeter as well as resistant to powdery mildew, HOORAY! If you struggle with squash vine borers, you’ll be relieved to know that Gouda is Cucurbita moschata rather than Cucurbita pepo, so those voracious borers are less attracted to the thinner, less succulent vines. Gouda is also a fantastic storage squash; we consistently are making pies in April, in awe of her tenacity.
We are endlessly thankful for the countless generations of indigenous seedkeepers who laid the foundation for everything we eat today, including gems like Gouda from Cornell’s plant breeding program.
ps. As mentioned in the video titled “Tatooed Gouda”, you can check out more of Amy’s tattoo work here !
Organic Gouda Winter Squash
Planting Method: Direct Sow or Transplant
To Direct Sow: After last frost, sow 2 seeds every 3-4 feet in rich soil, thinning to one.
For Transplanting: Start seedlings 3 weeks before final frost in peat pots or soil blocks for minimal root disturbance. Transplant after last frost.
Plant care: Plant with plenty of rich compost and allow for them to vine up fencing. Protect from cucumber beetle with floating row cover – remove when the plants start flowering.
Seed Depth: 1 inch Days to Germination: 5 days at 80°F
Sun Needs: Full Height: Full Vine
Spacing (after thinning/transplanting): 3-4 feet
Days to Harvest: 110
Harvest: Harvest just before fall frost and cure in a warm, dry place for two weeks. To maximize storage life, keep in a cool, dry place all winter.
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cshertenliebrn –
Oh my goodness! These grew prolifically. I had lots to give away to neighbors and family and still had plenty for our needs. They are just the right size for making pie or for dinner. Good in both sweet and savory dishes. No disease or pest issues for me in a very wet year.
Em –
I grew a few plants and honestly kept them as decor because they were too beautiful to cut open – but omg, so glad I did. We roasted them simply and they tasted so rich, sweet, and decadent… I gobbled them all up off of the baking sheet immediately. Never been a huge squash person but this CHANGED me. 100/10.
blackbirdpines (verified owner) –
I’ve grown winter squash for many years and this was the first time not a single seed germinated. Very disappointed.
Maddie –
We are grateful for you sharing your reflections with us and the Fruition community, and truly sorry to hear that you haven’t found delight in this experience. Apologies that we are just now getting you a reply — we are responding to a backlog in product reviews, and iterating our teamwork to ensure we are consistently and quickly responding with care to reviews, now and in seasons to come. We appreciate your patience alongside your feedback!
Seeds are sensitive beings, and we love sharing some of the steps we take to try to provide seed that is ready to germinate: we flag for review any variety or seed lot that does not reach 90% in a germination test (although legal minimums for selling seed are sometimes as low as 45%!). Our tests are handled by a 3rd party that specializes in germination testing. The vast majority of our varieties never have any issue reaching that 90% threshold. If need be, we take care to re-winnow lots, or overpack packets to help provide the foundation for your garden to grow abundantly.
If an entire packet doesn’t germinate it’s often a sign that something unusual happened, perhaps the package baking in a hot spot during shipping… One way or another, we would love to see you find more delight this season! We have reached out to you directly by email to joyfully provide you with a coupon for a free packet of seed. Please feel free to read our Satisfaction Guarantee and email support@fruitionseeds.com should you wish to reach out any time in the future. Thanks for growing with us!
Brittany J (verified owner) –
These squash are absolutely amazing! No disease or pest issues, super sweet flesh, store incredibly well. My plants were incredibly prolific as well, I lost count of how many I harvested…! 10/10 will grow again.
Sylvia –
Thanks for the feedback Brittany! <3
Jennifer (verified owner) –
I love these squash! Off of one plant, I got 9 pumpkins when they grew on the ground. Last year I grew them vertically and I got 4 per plant. Great in pie and savory dishes. Also great for decorating. I did get powdery mildew at the end of the season but it didn’t effect yield or harvest.
I will continue to grow these every year.