Winter Squash, Delicata

Delicata Bush produces those beautiful cream-and-green striped squash with edible skin on compact bush plants. No sprawling vines to deal with, and the sweet, creamy flesh is perfect for stuffing and roasting.

Winter Squash:  Grow your own "storage vegetable GOLD" with these long-season cucurbits! These sprawling vines or compact bush plants develop hard shells suitable for extended storage (3–6 months) that cure into sweet, dense-fleshed vegetables. Varieties range from small, single-serving Delicata to massive Blue Hubbards, including butternut (smooth texture perfect for soup), sweet buttercup types, and striped acorn squash. Requiring 85–110 days, they develop their superior sweetness during post-harvest curing and are loaded with vitamin A and fiber. This is autumn harvest excellence\!

Growing Tips: Transplant 1–2 weeks after the last frost when the soil warms to 65°F+ at 36–48 inch spacing or 2–3 plants per hill; requires an extended growing season. 

Sun Requirements: Full sun (8+ hours required).

Preferred Soil: Rich, well-drained soil with consistent moisture; heavy feeders requiring high fertility.

Harvest Details: Harvest when skin resists a fingernail puncture and stems are brown and dry (typically 85–110 days); cure at 80–85°F for 10–14 days for starch-to-sugar conversion; properly cured squash stores for 3–6 months.