Candystick Dessert Delicata Winter Squash

£2.70

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Coming soon – awaiting processing and germination testing.

This fantastic winter squash has extremely thick flesh and a small seed cavity, so more edible flesh per fruit. It tastes amazing, with a rich, sweet, almost date-like favour. Vigorous and productive, is reaches maturity in 90 days, so is great for shorter seasons, but make sure it has lots of space to trail around. Fruits are a pretty peach / tan colour with dark green stripes, and can be quite variable in size, ranging
from a small loaf to a larger boat – up to a about 3lb max. The variety has been made available through the Open source Seed Initiative, but was originally bred by Carol Deppe of Corvallis, Oregon, which has a similar climate, so it does very well for us here in Wales, both outdoors and under cover.

Like many varieties of winter squash, it stores well and is super-versatile in the kitchen. Although it’s awesome just roasted on its own, or in a velvety smooth soup, why not try something a bit different…squash, bean and cider casserole with dumplings – perfect for those cold winter evenings.

Approx. 12 seeds.

Botanical name: Cucurbita pepo

This is an Open Source Seed Initiative Pledged variety. You are buying full rights to this seed rather than just renting it for a season. You have the right to use this seed however you want, breed with it, or even grow and sell the seed yourself. When you buy or accept this variety, however, you are agreeing to honour the OSSI Pledge.
Open Source Seed Initiative Pledge: You have the freedom to use these OSSI-Pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others’ use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents, licenses or other means, and to include this pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives.
You can honour the commitment to include the Pledge with all transfers of the seeds by giving the information in your seed catalogue or on your seed packets or by a written letter or e-mail communication or by accompanying the seeds with a description like this one. (Feel free to copy and use this description when you swap, give away, or sell OSSI-Pledged seeds.)

Grown by: Carolyn Moody

The seeds of winter squash germinate best with some warmth. I sow mine in modules of seed compost in the first half of May and normally keep them in a propagator between 18-21 degrees. This year, spring was unusually warm, so they germinated fine just in my potting shed. You can sow them anytime from mid-April till the beginning of June depending on local conditions. If there are mice around, cover them up before they germinate, as rodents love the seeds, and once they have germinated, keep them somewhere nice and light to stop them getting thin and leggy. There’s a danger that if you sow them too early, they’ll get too big in their pots before it’s warm enough outside for them to be planted out, so don’t be tempted to sow them any earlier. Once germinated, they can be potted on as soon as they’re big enough, then planted out, after hardening off, when they have three ‘true’ leaves. They don’t like cold nights and really hate the wind, which can be common in late spring early summer. If they’re outside and weather’s not kind, early plants will just ‘sulk’, with later sowings catching up in no time. We screw together old windows to create a micro-climate round our plants, protecting them from the wind, and they really thrive in them. If it’s wet spring and you’re prone to slugs, they may initially need some additional protection, as slugs love baby squash plants. They’re hungry feeders so give them plenty of organic matter when you plant them out, and regular watering and feeding throughout the season.

When the fruits get larger, place something hard underneath each one to lift them off the damp ground to prevents rotting and damage by slugs and snails. Also make sure they are exposed to full sun to aid ripening, cutting off a few of the leaves if necessary. Harvest when the leaves have died back, or before the first frost, then lay them out in the sun for an additional week or two to harden the skin and ensure they store well. Store anywhere that’s well-ventilated and that’s between 10–15 degrees, checking regularly for any signs of deterioration.