If you wish to develop the sweetest, richest, creamiest, dreamiest winter squash on the planet, attempt planting kabocha squash. This Japanese winter squash places common ole’ pumpkins to disgrace. The delectable sweetness makes it way more fascinating for pies and desserts. When roasted and pureed, the dense, luxurious texture is sort of a mixture of mashed candy potato and butternut squash.
Better of all, kabocha is ridiculously straightforward to develop within the backyard. These vigorous vines virtually care for themselves! This squash is a delight within the backyard so long as you may have loads of heat sunshine, water, and room to ramble. Let’s dig into every thing it is advisable learn about upgrading your pumpkin patch to connoisseur Japanese squash.
Kabocha Squash ‘Cucurbita maxima’ Plant Overview
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Historical past and Cultivation
At first look, kabocha appears like a cool, warty inexperienced pumpkin. As a varietal of the Cucurbita maxima species, it’s intently associated to ‘Hubbard’ squash and butternut, however its distinctive culinary and agricultural historical past has earned kabocha its personal class. This lusciously wealthy squash has a tough exterior with bumpy inexperienced or orange pores and skin and lightweight inexperienced or white stripes. When cooked, the colourful orange inside has a chestnut-like texture and a fluffy creaminess.
Better of all, it has a lengthy storage interval when it’s cured correctly. Maybe that is why Japanese pumpkins have turn into an indicator of Asian delicacies. The plant’s wealthy historical past gives many clues on cultivating, storing, and cooking it!
What’s Kabocha Squash?
Kabocha squash, also referred to as kabocha pumpkin or Japanese pumpkin, is a number of winter squash revered for its velvety, fluffy texture and exceptionally candy taste. Many describe it as a cross between candy potatoes, pumpkins, and butternut squash.
Kabocha has vibrant orange or inexperienced pores and skin, faint stripes, and a bumpy or warty texture. The flesh is shiny yellow or orange and is scrumptious when roasted, boiled, steamed, or pureed.
The Japanese phrase kabocha actually interprets to “Japanese pumpkin.” Some say the time period comes from the Japanese root phrase kabu, which suggests “turnip,” a reference to the squash’s hearty, starchy sustenance. The crop is broadly utilized in conventional dishes, like Kabocha no nimono, a simmered soy sauce-flavored facet dish served almost all over the place in Japan. Within the Korean Danhobakbap, squash slices are filled with candy black rice, peas, nuts, and chilis.
The place Does Kabocha Squash Originate?
Regardless of its reputation in Japanese and Korean cuisines, kabocha squash originated in Central and South America with the remainder of the squash household cousins. When the Portuguese colonized Brazil, they collected and transported many cucurbits to Asia, together with the ancestors of this winter squash selection.
The primary seeds reportedly arrived in Japan within the sixteenth century from Cambodia. As a result of it’s suited to cooler climates than different squashes, it grew to become particularly fashionable in Hokkaido, a northern area of Japan.
What Does Kabocha Squash Style Like?
The distinctive taste and texture of kabocha tastes like a mixture of butternut squash and candy potato, like an ultra-sweet creamy pumpkin. It may be utilized in candy and savory dishes, from pies to roasts to soups to tempura.
Propagation
Like most winter squash, kabocha is planted in late spring or early summer time when the climate has totally settled and all probabilities of frost have handed. This cucurbit is delicate to chilly climate and can not tolerate temperatures underneath 55°F. You possibly can propagate it by direct seeding, rising your personal begins, or buying nursery seedlings.
Direct Seed
Squash does greatest when sown straight within the backyard soil. These frost-tender vines have fragile taproots that want to get established in place. Nonetheless, this may be difficult for northern growers or anybody with erratic spring climate.
The soil temperature should be no less than 70°F, ideally nearer to 80-90°F. Use a soil thermometer probe to verify earlier than planting. Raised beds warmth up quicker than in-ground beds, so contemplate rising your squash on a mound or lasagna-style mattress.
Transfer any mulch out of the way in which so the solar can shortly heat the soil. Straw mulch is wonderful, however it may gradual the warming of your soil within the spring. A black tarp or clear plastic may assist warmth up the seed mattress extra shortly.
Depth and Spacing
Sow seeds ½ to 1” deep, or at roughly a depth that measures twice the size of the seed itself. I prefer to sow two seeds per gap at 18-48” aside in rows 6-12 ft aside. Bushy and short-vine varieties usually want 6’ spacing between rows, however longer vines could require as much as 12’ to achieve most potential.
The in-row spacing varies based mostly on the fruit measurement:
- Small varieties: 18-24” between vegetation
- Medium: 24-36”
- Massive squash: 36-48”
The seeds take 7-12 days to emerge. After germination, skinny the seedlings to 1 plant per spacing interval. Double-check your seed packet for advisable spacing, as some kombucha varieties are extra compact and may be grown nearer collectively.
Use Row Cowl
Instantly water the seeds and canopy them with floating row material. Row cowl dramatically improves early squash success and alleviates transplant shock.
It moderates the microclimate close to the soil, preserving the seedlings hotter and buffering towards nighttime temperature dips. It additionally bodily excludes pests so your child vegetation can get established in peace. Don’t overlook to safe it with sandbags or clean rocks.
Begin Indoors
Chilly climates warrant transplanting your squash as a result of the spring climate is simply too unpredictable. Kabocha doesn’t thoughts being transplanted so long as you deal with them very fastidiously. Beginning indoors permits you to use a seed heating mat to encourage sturdy early progress.
Guarantee loads of shiny daylight from a south-facing windowsill, greenhouse, or a develop gentle. The ambient temperature needs to be round 70°F or room temperature in your house.
Don’t Begin Too Quickly
The most effective time to seed indoors is simply three weeks earlier than transplanting. I prefer to sow squash seeds on the final frost date, assuming the climate is totally settled three weeks later. Winter squash shouldn’t be began indoors too quickly. The seedlings set up quickly and should undergo in the event that they wait of their pots for too lengthy earlier than the climate settles open air.
Fill 3-4” pots with a high quality well-drained potting combine. Sow 2-3 seeds per container and skinny one plant every after germination. Develop at a constant 70-75°F ambient air temperature. Preserve constant moisture with out making the soil soggy.
Don’t Overlook to Harden Off Your Crops
Harden off the vegetation 4-7 days earlier than transplanting. You possibly can transfer them out of your nursery or windowsill to a protected patio or porch. Cowl with row material if the nights are nonetheless cool. Permitting the vegetation to acclimate to harsher out of doors situations dramatically reduces the danger of transplant shock.
Nursery Seedlings
Discovering kabocha in customary nurseries could also be troublesome, however many specialty natural vegetable farmers develop the begins and promote them at spring plant gross sales. If you wish to transplant from a longtime seedling, be very selective about which child vegetation you are taking house.
Right here’s what to search for when buying squash transplants:
- Rising in 3-4” pots (small cell plugs will not be sturdy sufficient to transplant)
- Vivid inexperienced, wholesome leaves
- A number of true leaves (not simply the rounded cotyledons)
- No indicators of mould, mildew, or pests
- Totally rooted within the container (roots fill out the pot)
- Not root-bound (roots shouldn’t be winding round in a circle)
- Not too giant or overgrowing the container
- Hardened off (they’ve been acclimated to situations exterior of a greenhouse)
Keep in mind that cucurbit-family crops are very delicate to transplant as a result of they’ve tender taproots. Whereas it’s completely attainable to develop profitable squash crops from transplanted seedlings, you need to choose the strongest and most vigorous vegetation and deal with them fastidiously. In any other case, you’ll have unhappy, wilted vegetation that fail to take off within the late spring correctly.
Planting
After seeds are established, planting is a breeze. So long as you totally aerate the soil and punctiliously deal with the seedlings, your kabocha ought to take off with exponential progress!
Crucial factor to do is monitor the climate. Don’t danger shedding your winter squash by transplanting too quickly. Nighttime temperatures needs to be reliably above 55°F. Something colder warrants using a low tunnel or row cowl.
How you can Transplant
Transplant kabocha similar to any cucurbit: with excessive care! Cucumbers, melons, squash, and pumpkins all have delicate taproots. Should you cram seedlings into the soil, you danger disturbing their root zones and stunting or killing them.
First, be certain the soil is totally aerated. Generously amend with compost and broad fork to carry any compaction. Use a shovel or hori hori knife to make a gap twice as deep and large because the seedling root ball.
Gently therapeutic massage the underside of the container to loosen the roots. Grasp the plant from the bottom of its stem and shimmy it out of the pot. Place within the gap and punctiliously maintain it up so the stem stays above floor.
The soil stage ought to stay the identical as when it was within the pot. Backfill the remaining soil underneath and across the plant till it’s completely tucked in. Give it a delicate press, however don’t tamp down the soil and compact it. To attenuate transplant shock, water in with a diluted kelp answer and a beneficiant quantity of irrigation.
Spacing
As with direct seeding, transplanted kabocha should be spaced pretty far aside. The precise spacing depends upon the range. Test your seed packet and, when doubtful, widen the spacing. Crops ought to have an excessive amount of room reasonably than too little.
I prefer to develop small ‘Kurinishiki’ kabocha in mounded rows 4 ft aside with vegetation 18-24” aside. Bigger fruited varieties want extra room to sprawl. Should you stay in a moist local weather the place squash commonly will get diseased, wider spacing is the easiest way to make sure airflow between the vines.
How you can Develop
Kabocha thrives in the identical situations as your different summer time and winter squash crops. The vegetation will yield abundantly so long as you present ample daylight, wealthy soil, and loads of water.
Gentle
Squash requires full solar to supply wholesome fruits. Plant in an space that receives no less than 6-8 hours of direct daylight each day. These vines don’t tolerate shade properly until you reside in a southern local weather the place they want safety from excessive afternoon warmth.
Keep away from planting within the shadow of timber or different buildings. You also needs to keep away from rising with tall companion vegetation. Although some have succeeded with “three sisters” (corn, beans, and squash) interplanting, kabocha does greatest when it may vine out within the open.
Water
Constant moisture is crucial for sturdy Japanese pumpkins. The soil needs to be commonly moist however by no means waterlogged. The vegetation get pleasure from deep watering no less than as soon as weekly or extra often throughout dry durations.
Don’t irrigate kabocha from above, which may result in fungal illnesses like powdery mildew. You don’t need moisture to sit down on the leaf floor. As a substitute, use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to water from the bottom.
Keep in mind that vegetation get pleasure from much less frequent, deeper watering reasonably than fixed shallow watering. Permit the irrigation to run for an hour or so, then stick your finger within the soil to verify if the water has reached 4-6” down. These vegetation have intensive root techniques with deep taproots and plenty of shallow lateral roots. All the time make sure that water reaches the decrease soil layers however guarantee that it isn’t pooling up or inflicting soggy situations.
Soil
It’s greatest to develop kabocha in raised beds or mounds. Soil elevated off the bottom warms up extra shortly as a result of a larger floor space is uncovered to the solar. Furthermore, the raised beds encourage quicker drainage to forestall waterlogged or soggy situations. A lasagna-garden-style mattress (layers of sticks, straw, leaves, grass clippings, compost, and topsoil) works extremely properly for this plant.
Your traditional loamy, well-drained, compost-rich backyard soil is good for this winter squash. A barely acidic pH between 6.0 and 6.8 is customary. Earlier than planting, I at all times amend my squash beds with beneficiant quantities of well-rotted compost or aged manure. Natural matter will enhance fertility, drainage, and water-holding capability on scorching, dry summer time days.
Mulch winter squash generously to cut back weeds and preserve water. Straw or dried deciduous leaves assist preserve the fruits off the soil floor, decreasing the danger of rotting. I unfold a 1-2” thick layer of mulch per week or so after transplanting. Keep away from spreading the mulch too near the bottom of the vegetation, as you need loads of airflow by the stem.
Local weather and Temperature
This can be a warm-season crop that calls for temperatures above 55-60°F. The perfect climate is 70-85°F, however you should use season extensions like row covers to maintain the vegetation cozier into the autumn. Kabocha is a long-maturity crop that takes 90-120 days to mature.
Zones 5-11 usually haven’t any downside rising this pumpkin out within the parts with out safety. Guarantee your area has sufficient frost-free rising days. In any other case, you’ll need to transplant or use low tunnels to make sure the plant can produce mature fruits earlier than chilly climate arrives.
Utilizing and Eradicating Row Covers
As we’ve talked about a number of instances, row cowl is essential for this crop as a result of it retains the tender vegetation heat and protected against pests. Nonetheless, you MUST take away the row covers as soon as the vegetation start flowering!
Should you go away the covers on, pollination will likely be severely lowered, and chances are you’ll not get any Japanese pumpkins. Squash is predominantly pollinated by bees, and these buzzing pollinators could have bother accessing your crop if the row material stays in place for too lengthy.
You possibly can hand-pollinate squash in case you’re coping with important pest pressures and must preserve the row covers in place, however don’t overlook to verify each day to see which flowers are in want of pollination.
Fertilizing
Squash is a heavy feeder that wants loads of fertility to gas the expansion of large vines and pumpkin manufacturing. Earlier than planting, incorporate 1-2” of compost. On the time of seeding or transplanting, add a pleasant handful of all-purpose granular fertilizer like Espoma Bio-Tone Starter Plus Natural Plant Meals. Because the vegetation start flowering, side-dress with another dose of balanced, all-purpose fertilizer like Espoma Backyard-Tone Natural Plant Meals or a seaweed-based liquid fertilizer.
Keep away from over-fertilizing squash as a result of an excessive amount of nitrogen can result in extreme foliage progress which will cut back fruit manufacturing. Balanced, slow-release natural fertilizers are best. Balanced signifies that the three numbers on the fertilizer packet (Nitrogen – Phosphorus – Potassium) are pretty shut collectively, reminiscent of 4-3-3 or 3-4-4
Upkeep
The one common upkeep these vegetation ask for is common weeding. Squash don’t tolerate a whole lot of weed competitors when they’re younger. Happily, because the vegetation mature, their giant leaves naturally shade out many weeds.
Be very cautious when hoeing or weeding close to the vegetation so that you don’t injury the shallow roots and vines. Mulching with straw or leaves considerably cuts down on weeding. Higher but, attempt no-till methods to cut back your weed strain.
Should you stay in a moist local weather the place vegetation are susceptible to illness, you might also need to prune away extra foliage to enhance air circulation. Take away yellow, dying, or contaminated leaves promptly. By no means go away squash particles within the subject; it may turn into a reservoir for pests and illnesses the next season.
Curing
When your kabocha squash has lastly sized up into beautiful orange or inexperienced pumpkins, it’s time to reap and treatment them! Curing is just inserting the freshly harvested fruits in a heat, dry place for a selected length of time.
The curing course of hardens the skins to guarantee long-term storage via the winter. As squash cures, their sugars additionally turn into extra concentrated as a result of the moisture content material is lowered. The result’s a extra flavorful culinary expertise. Should you don’t treatment your winter squash, it could not final as lengthy in storage or style pretty much as good within the kitchen.
To correctly treatment your squash:
- Harvest on the Proper Time: Wait till the squash turns a deep, wealthy shade and the skins really feel arduous. You shouldn’t be in a position to scratch or pierce them along with your fingernail.
- Trim the Vines: Just a few days earlier than harvest, prune away the vines and go away 1-2 inches of stem hooked up to every squash. The stem prevents pathogens and moisture from contaminating your harvest throughout the curing stage.
- Clear the Squash: Use a brush or dry towel to take away extra filth or particles. By no means wash the squash with water, as this will trigger rot or different points. Preserve them as dry as attainable!
- Put together a Heat, Dry, Ventilated Space: The most effective place to treatment is in a heat space between 75-85°F. A storage, shed, or lined patio works nice so long as it’s dry and breezy. If there isn’t a airflow, add a few followers.
- Unfold Out the Squash: Lay your squash on a layer of dry newspaper or a slotted desk. I at all times use a superb {hardware} material mesh laid over picket sawhorse helps. Make sure there may be loads of house between every squash to permit for correct air circulation.
- Depart for 1-2 Weeks: Let your kombucha treatment in peace and quiet!
- Rotate and Examine: Test the squash each few days for indicators of rot, mould, or pests. Take away any rotten or broken squash immediately to forestall unfold to the others. Rotate and flip the squash to advertise even curing.
- Retailer Correctly: After curing is full, preserve the squash in a cool, dry space like a root cellar, pantry, storage, or barn. The most effective storage situations are between 50-55°F and 50-70% relative humidity.
Keep away from exposing the squash to direct daylight as a result of UV rays can scorch the fruits and cut back the storage time. Correctly cured kabocha may be saved for 3-4 months or extra!
Varieties
Kabocha is technically an entire class of Japanese squash that features inexperienced and pink (orange) styles of many various sizes and specs.
‘Kurinishiki’
This small, dependable selection yields 3-4 pound Japanese pumpkins with 4-12’ vines. The sturdy fruits retailer for as much as 5 months when correctly cured.
‘Marmalade’
The smaller premium 2-3 pound kombucha has extremely excessive yields per plant. It’s possible you’ll solely want a couple of vegetation to maintain you glad all winter! The storage life and vibrant shade are notably higher than different varieties.
‘Candy Jade’
A stunning deep inexperienced personal-sized kabocha, ‘Candy Jade’ is nice for stuffing. You should utilize the skins as soup bowls with little to no wasted fruit. They common a micro 1-2 kilos and work nice for compact gardens.
‘Sunshine’
The traditional scarlet kabocha, these fruits are medium-sized with glowing, beautiful pores and skin. This F1 hybrid has a superior look and consuming high quality. You possibly can eat the squash proper at maturity (even earlier than curing!) The vines are brief and vigorous.
Pests and Ailments
Like many cucurbits, this squash is prone to the aggressive assault of aphids, cucumber beetles, and squash bugs. Powdery mildew and different illnesses may assault the vines if careworn, overcrowded, or uncovered to excessive humidity. Happily, there are straightforward methods to deal with these points organically, so that you don’t need to resort to artificial pesticides or fungicides.
Aphids
These small, soft-bodied bugs eat nearly every thing within the backyard. They are often inexperienced, yellow, or black and have a tendency to cluster on the undersides of leaves. It’s possible you’ll discover a sticky sap that draws ants.
To manage them, spray a robust stream of water in your vegetation to dislodge the aphids. Do that within the morning so the squash has loads of time to dry out within the solar. Use a diluted neem spray to repel future infestations. Companion planting with marigolds, white alyssum, and yarrow can entice ladybugs and lacewings, pure predators of aphids.
Cucumber Beetles
These little yellow-and-black striped or noticed beetles are an actual ache for anybody who loves cucumber-family crops. They assault cucumbers, melons, zucchini, and winter squash with equal vengeance, so it’s greatest to maintain these crops unfold out in several backyard areas. They mostly go for the leaves and flower blossoms of kabocha.
Row covers are your greatest safety, particularly for younger vegetation. You possibly can handpick and kill beetles. Diatomaceous earth is a pure powdery deterrent you possibly can mud on leaf surfaces to preserve cucumber beetles away.
Squash Bugs
These gross-looking brown or grey flattened bugs injury the leaves and stems, inflicting wilting. Should you discover them round, hand take away and squash them (no pun meant). Neem oil and insecticidal cleaning soap can management extreme infestations, however row covers are a extra dependable option to exclude them from the crop bodily.
Powdery Mildew
This annoying powdery white fluff tends to look on squash in midsummer and fall. This fungal illness loves heat and humidity, so circulation is a should to forestall infections. Correctly house your vegetation and prune away any extra or dying foliage. Neem oil may be utilized preventatively. Use an natural copper fungicide as a final resort. All the time observe package deal directions. Keep away from overhead irrigation in any respect prices, as this will facilitate the speedy unfold of the illness.
Downy Mildew
This fungus manifests as angular, yellow spots on the highest of leaves and grayish fluffy progress on the undersides. It could possibly unfold pretty shortly in moist situations, which is why overhead irrigation is so dangerous for squash vegetation. Take away and destroy affected leaves to forestall them from spreading. By no means compost mildew-infected vegetation! Copper-based fungicides can be utilized as a final resort.
Bacterial Wilt
In case your vegetation immediately wilt and die, chances are you’ll be coping with bacterial wilt. Cucumber beetles usually unfold this nasty illness. There isn’t a treatment, so you could take away and destroy contaminated vegetation and apply rigorous crop rotation to maintain this bacterial an infection at bay.
Plant Makes use of
Kabocha squash is a remarkably versatile ingredient utilized in candy and savory dishes throughout many cuisines. The most effective methods to make use of these connoisseur pumpkins embrace:
- Roasting
- Steaming
- Pureeing in creamy soups
- Mashing like potatoes
- Pie filling (you’ll by no means need to use pie pumpkins once more!)
- Curries
- Stir-fries
- Tempura
Is Kabocha Squash Pores and skin Edible?
The pores and skin of kabocha is edible when cooked. You possibly can roast or steam the pumpkins entire and benefit from the pores and skin very like a Delicata squash. The attractive orange rinds are beautiful in roasts and add a pleasant dose of fiber. Higher but, the rinds are sturdy sufficient to behave as a squash bowl that may be filled with greens or full of soup.
Closing Ideas
Actually, I wouldn’t even hassle rising pumpkins anymore. Kabocha is simply that good! The important thing to success with this crop is rising in heat climate, offering loads of moisture, and utilizing row cowl throughout the early phases. Nonetheless, don’t overlook to take away the covers as soon as vegetation start flowering! They must be pollinated by bees to supply considerable squash!
