Cucurbita moschata

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Cucurbita moschata
Light:Full Sun Part Shade
Moisture:Mesic
Hardiness:10
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Self Pollinated
Height:2'
Width:16'
Speed:Fast
Blooms:Mid Summer-Early Fall
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating:PFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Cucurbita moschata (common name: squash)

Propagation: Seed - sow early to mid spring in a greenhouse in a rich soil. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Sow 2 or 3 seeds per pot and thin out to the best plant. Grow them on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts, giving them cloche or frame protection for at least their first few weeks if you are trying them outdoors.

Cultivation: Requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil and a very warm, sunny and sheltered position[1][2][3]. Prefers a pH of 5.5 to 5.9, but tolerates up to 6.8[3]. Moderate rainfall favours growth, but the roots of most cultivars are sensitive to high soil-water levels[4].

The squash is a frost-tender annual plant that is widely cultivated, especially in warm temperate and tropical areas, for its edible fruit[5]. There are very many named varieties widely differing in size shape and taste[5][6]. Some varieties are used in the summer and autumn whilst others are harvested in the autumn and can be stored for several months. Succeeds outdoors most years in Britain[5]. Plants are more suited to warmer climates than Britain[4] and are only really successful in good summers in this country, they do not do well in the north[3]. Most cultivars are day-length neutral[4].

This species only hybridizes with other members of the genus under controlled conditions[3][7].

Grows well with sweetcorn, radishes and nasturtium but dislikes potatoes[8][9].

Squashes and pumpkins can be differentiated from each other by their fruit stalk, it is angular and polygonal in pumpkins but thick, soft and round in squashes[10].

Range: Origin is obscure.

Habitat: Not known in the wild.

Edibility: Fruit - cooked[11][5][12][13]. Some cultivars have a delicious flavour when baked, rather like a sweet potato[K]. The flesh can be dried and ground into a powder then used in making breads etc[6]. Some varieties can be stored for up to 9 months.

Seed - raw or cooked[14][3][13]. Rich in oil with a pleasant nutty flavour[6] but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a fibrous coat[K].

An edible oil is obtained from the seed[6].

Leaves and young stems - cooked and used as a potherb or added to soups, stews etc[13][7][6].

Flowers - cooked[13][7][6].

Medicinal: The seed is vermifuge[15]. It is eaten fresh or roasted for the relief of abdominal cramps and distension due to intestinal worms[16]. About 800 peeled seeds is said to make a safe and effective treatment for tape worm[16]. They are ground into a fine flour, then made into an emulsion with water and eaten. It is then necessary to take a purge in order to expel the tapeworms or other parasites from the body[17].

The boiled root is galactogogue[16].

Pollinators: Insects

Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall

Flower Type: Monoecious

Known Hazards: The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[18].

Links

References

  1. ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  2. ↑ Thompson, Robert. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son, 1878.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Organ, John. Gourds. Faber, 1963.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Vilmorin-Andrieux. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Royal Horticultural Society. The Plantsman Vol. 8. 1986 - 1987. Royal Horticultural Society, 1986.
  8. ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
  9. ↑ Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
  10. ↑ Corbetta, Francisco. The COmplete Book of Fruits and Vegetables. 1985.
  11. ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
  12. ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
  14. ↑ Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
  15. ↑ Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
  17. ↑ Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
  18. ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.


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