Squash – Red Kuri – Heirloom Seeds

Red Kuri (Cucurbita maxima), also sold as Uchiki Kuri or Hokkaido, produces teardrop-shaped fruit of about 1 to 2 kg with dense, sweet, nutty flesh that is excellent roasted, in soups and in curries. The skin softens when cooked, so there is no need to peel. Fruit stores well for a few months once cured.

Growing guide for South Africa

• When to sow: directly into warm soil from September to December in most areas, once frost danger has passed. Frost-free areas can sow from August to January.
• How to sow: sow 2 to 3 seeds per mound about 2 to 3 cm deep and thin to the strongest plant.
• Germination: 5 to 10 days in warm soil of 20 degrees C and above.
• Spacing: about 1 m between plants, with vines running 2 to 3 m, so allow room or train them up a sturdy trellis.
• Position: full sun, compost-rich soil, and deep, regular watering. Mulch to keep the soil cool and moist.
• Harvest: about 90 to 100 days from sowing, when the skin is hard and the stalk dries and corks. Cure in the sun for 1 to 2 weeks and store somewhere dry and cool.
• Care: water at the base to limit powdery mildew, which is common in late summer, and hand-pollinate if few fruit set.

Quick facts: Packet: heirloom seed. Winter squash, Cucurbita maxima. Annual. Sowing times are a guide: adjust for your local frost dates and climate.