Sibley Winter Squash

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110 days to harvest Cucurbita maxima

HEIRLOOM Had we but one winter squash to grow, Sibley Winter Squash would be the one. Her flavor is magnificent, texture sublime, productivity off the charts and we enjoy them consistently through the following summer. Her 5 to 8-pound baby blue fruits have been lifted up by the Slow Food Ark of Taste, just be sure she’s well cured and then don’t invite her to supper ’til January! Her flavors deepen and sweeten with time and Friends, it is so worth the wait.

We love her Rochester roots, too! We are grateful for millennia of indigenous seedkeeping laying the foundation of everything we eat today; in 1887 the Rochester seedhouse Hiram Sibley & Company, shared Sibley with their community. We’re grateful to carry on the tradition!

In 2015, we had the distinct pleasure of visiting our dear friend and mentor Patrice Fortier of the marvelous seed company La Societe des Plantes in Quebec. There in the center of his kitchen table lay a gigantic and gorgeous Sibley without a thought of rotting. It was June 16th. So yes we love Honeynut and what we do without Delicata; but truly, we cannot imagine life without the delicious resilience of Sibley .

Would you love to receive these seeds? Rather than selling and shipping, we share seeds as an embodied gift practice.

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Organic Sibley 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

Spacing (after thinning/transplanting): 3-5 feet

Days to Harvest: 115 days to winter squash

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.