Kabocha squash

How to grow Kabocha squash growing and care:

Mulch keep the moist of the soil and also protect the fruits

How to care:
watering on the ground and not watering on the leaves or the fruits, the vine species need trellising

What is the best way to start growing?
Seedling / Seed (explanation bellow)

Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction?
No, possible to graft for better base that will be resistant for virus

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Attacked easily, when the plant attacked in the base if not treat well it will die

Planting season – when to plant:
Spring to summer, but better in the spring and in hardiness zone 4-7 need to start in the middle of the winter indoor, the plant need enough hot days when mature to bear fruits without, if the plant won’t be with mature fruits in the autumn or the plant won’t bear fruits or the fruits will die before fully ripen, also better to choose cultivar that bear the fruits faster.

Pests and diseases:
Powdery mildew, aphids, moth, virus, beetles

Pruning season:
No need. But possible all the season

How to prune:
Infected leaves needed to take out, also try to clean them

Size of the plant:
0.5-1.5 m, 20-60 inches

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Fast growing

Water requirement:
Average amount of water

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No

Growing is also possible in a planter /flowerpot / containers:
Yes

Blooming information

Bloom season:
Late spring

General information about the flower
Yellow flower with five lobs, there are female and male flowers

Thinning the bloom:
Sometimes happened because disease or not enough water, or need hand pollination

Pollination is done by:
Bees and more pollinators, by hand

Edible Fruits

Fruit harvest season:
Summer

Fruits pests or diseases:
Powdery mildew

What can be done with big quantities of Kabocha squash fruits?
Cooked, baked, grilled, stir fry, stuffed

Work requirements on the fruit:
Sometimes need to keep it with space from the ground

How long does it take to bear fruit?
100-120 days (3-5 month)

Gow to grow Kabocha squash from seeds:
Sowing requirement:
Easy to sow no special treatment, sowing temperature better to sow in 21-25C (70-77F)

Saving seeds until sowing:
Room temperature, dry place

Spring (but in warm weather possible in the summer) and in cold climate start in the winter indoor

How to plant:
Better to plant it in light soil that will be well ventilated and keep the moist like vermiculite

Planting spacing:
20*30 cm (8*12 inches)

Depth of Sowing:
1-2cm (0.5-1 inch) from the top

Conditions for seeds germinate:
Moist soil, full sun

Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water

Germination time:
5-20 days

Condition of seedling:
Warm weather, big amount of water, full sun, place to trellising

Do the seeds require burying?
No

Scientific name:

Cucurbita maxima