Delicata Squash

Delicata is a winter squash, a type grown for its hard rind and eaten once the fruit is mature. Bush Delicata is listed among recommended winter squash cultivars. The plants in the species group these pages describe are tender annuals that can trail or grow bushy, with yellow flowers and male and female flowers on the same plant.

Sow Delicata seeds directly in the garden after all danger of frost is over, once the soil about 4 inches (10 cm) down is above 60 °F (16 °C). Untreated seed should go in when the soil is at least 70 °F (21 °C), and treated seed at 62 °F (17 °C); seeds rot in cool, wet soil.

Sow 1 to 2 seeds per spot, ½ to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) deep, and thin to one plant per spot. Another method plants 2 to 3 seeds per hill about 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep, thinned to one plant per hill. Bush or short-vined varieties are planted 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) apart in rows 3 to 5 feet (90 to 150 cm) apart.

Give the plants full sun, meaning 6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day. The soil should be well-drained with a pH of 6.2 to 6.5. Another page gives a wider neutral range of 6.0 to 8.0. Plastic mulch warms the soil faster in spring, and you can plant through a small hole cut in it.

Watering. Keep a uniform moisture supply, and keep leaves and fruit dry where you can. Water deeply and regularly at the base of each plant, especially in hot, dry weather and once the first fruits form.

Mulch and weeds. Organic mulch helps control weeds, hold moisture and keep fruit off the soil. Pull or hoe young weed seedlings and mulch around the plants to keep weed seeds from sprouting.

Feeding. Too much nitrogen encourages excess vine growth and holds back fruit, so don’t overfeed.

Diseases. Common problems include bacterial wilt spread by cucumber beetles, powdery mildew, downy mildew, fruit rot and anthracnose. Downy mildew may occur in damp weather, and powdery mildew can appear in hot or cold weather or during dry spells.

Insects. Squash bugs, cucumber beetles and squash vine borers can be a challenge. Aphids and squash bugs are also common. Slugs are listed as a common pest.

Rotation. Don’t plant after similar crops such as cantaloupe, cucumber or watermelon for at least three years.

Harvest when the fruit is fully mature, which means the rind is too hard for a thumbnail to puncture and the surface looks dull. Cut the fruit from the vine and leave about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of stem attached. Winter squash is typically harvested in September or October, before heavy frost. Handle fruit gently, since it bruises easily.

Cure the harvested fruit at 80 to 85 °F (27 to 29 °C) for about 10 days. Then store it in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place at 50 to 55 °F (10 to 13 °C). Keep it away from apples and pears, since ripening fruit release ethylene gas that shortens storage life.