The Humble Cushaw: Versatile, Easy to Grow, and Keeps Well!
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Collapse ▲By Dusty Hancock
Master Gardener℠ Volunteer in Chatham County
This mildly sweet and meaty winter squash (Cucurbita argyrosperma or literally “silver seeded gourd”) is the equivalent to a talented utility infielder in baseball. It can fill multiple roles easily in the culinary world. It can be used like a normal summer squash and be baked or fried. It can be used like a pumpkin and pureed to make the most delicious pies. It even does a real good job of imitating sweet potatoes. Home decorators may prefer to use it as fall decoration before serving it up at supper. Something for everyone.
Believed to have originated in South America hundreds of years ago, this squash migrated north through Mexico to the southern US and was a staple of the indigenous peoples living there. It is capable of being grown throughout North Carolina and can be grown in zones 3-10 (essentially the entire continental US). A record setting cushaw tipped the scales at 57 lbs. in Ohio, but most fruits are in the 10-20 lb. range, which is still a lot of pies!
Cushaws come in many colors but the most common are green striped, orange striped and white. They like soil that has good drainage, high in organic material, a slightly acidic pH of 6.0-7.0, and at least six hrs. of full sun daily. Moist but not wet soil is a plus for larger fruits.
They are real estate hogs however. I personally have had individual plants occupy 72-144 sq ft. Luckily, each plant supports multiple fruits. It will climb corn or a trellis, but a heavy fruit soon pulls down the corn or gravity may do its thing to the fruit on a trellis.
They can be grown as transplants. but my preference is to direct seed in the garden after the soil has warmed up and all danger of frost is gone. Plant in hills or rows as directed by seed supplier. These plants are open pollinated primarily by insects, so keep similar squash types at a distance, especially if you desire to use this year’s seeds from the squash for next year’s planting.
They are subject to the usual squash maladies of powdery mildew, downy mildew, cucumber beetles, squash bugs and my least favorite insect: squash vine borers. Adequate soil drainage, good air flow, insect pest control, and crop rotation will normally handle the diseases, while hand picking of pests and removal of borers from infected stems is the recommended method of insect control.
It will take approximately 105-120 days to mature. The plant loves the sun and heat but can survive a few light fall frosts (28-32°F) if needed to get fruit to maturity. Pick when you see the stems drying up and full color on the fruit. They an be stored at 50-60°F with 50-70% relative humidity and good ventilation for up to 6 months.
Plant a cushaw and you will be joining the gardens at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and Abraham Lincoln’s Boyhood National Park in Indiana in celebrating the oh so humble Cushaw.