Green Hokkaido - Maxima squash

The Hokkaido Green Pumpkin is an ancient variety with 1 to 3 round, slightly ribbed fruits, up to 15 cm in diameter and weighing up to 2.5 kg. They keep for almost 1 year. Their yellow flesh is dry, not very fibrous and sweet.

Green pumpkin characteristics

The green pumpkin or Hokkaido squash, Cucurbita maxima, is an ancient variety native to Japan. It produces 1 to 3 round, slightly ribbed, green-gray fruits, 10 to 15 cm in diameter and weighing 1 to 2.5 kg each. Their dry, yellow-orange flesh reveals its sweet flavor in many recipes: soup, purée, soufflé, vegetable gratin... Pumpkin flowers are also edible.

Green pumpkin seedlings

This variety of pumpkin is sown in pots 2 to 3 weeks before transplanting, from March to May, in bunches of 2 to 3 seeds.

Place seedlings under a light shelter, at a temperature of between 18 and 20°C, and keep the substrate moist until the seeds emerge. Be careful not to sow squash seeds too early in the season, in which case the roots will become fibrous, making growth difficult in the garden. Transplant into the vegetable garden once the last frosts have passed.

From April to June, after the last risk of frost, it is possible to sow directly in the garden in 2 to 3-seed stacks.

Prepare 2 weeks in advance holes filled with compost or organic matter, spaced 2 m apart in all directions, to accommodate the squash plants or seeds. Mulch the soil to maintain sufficient humidity and limit water evaporation.

Next to the squash, we recommend planting corn and beans, giving rise to the "three sisters" or milpa crop. Basil plants can also be planted to repel pests.

Harvesting green pumpkins

Although the fruits of this pumpkin can be harvested and eaten immaturely, those intended for winter storage should be picked as late as possible, before the first frosts, from July to November, when the stalk starts to dry out and the skin becomes thick. Be careful not to pull them off, but cut as close as possible to the stem, 10 cm above the stalk.

This squash can be stored for several months in a dry, well-ventilated place, at a temperature of between 10 and 12°C. Place the pumpkins, spaced apart and tail up, in high crates, or freeze them for up to a year, after slicing and cooking.

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