Pumpkins and Squash

The Seed Savers Exchange Favorite - First offered by SSE member Glenn Drowns in the 1984 Yearbook from USDA seed. Our top choice for use as both a carving pumpkin and for fall decorations. Fruits are flattened, light-colored, thin-skinned, and weigh 12-15 pounds. Very sturdy stems rarely break off. Traditionally grown as a dual crop planted with field corn. 90 days. Characteristics:  Flattened, light-skinned fruits Fruits grow to 12-15 pounds Sturdy stems rarely break off Good for carving Winter squash or pumpkin 90 days 25 seeds per packet  Planting Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out. Plant 1/2" deep Hill 6-8 seeds together Thin to 3-4 plants Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

A favorite of ours! This squash or zucchini thrives all across America.  It doesn't seem to be plagued my mildew and it is not bothered by bugs, it just keeps producing all summer long.  The Living Seed Company - This Italian gourmet nutty summer squash has a unique appearance that piques the interest of any curious gardener.  With green skin and ribbing, this Italian heirloom surprises with its tender skin and delectable taste! The ribbed edges give the squash a beautiful scalloped appearance when sliced.  This heirloom has been enjoyed for centuries and will do well in most any garden.  Male flowers are edible and delicious! Best if harvested at 6" or smaller but does not loss its flavor with increasing size.  Ribbed, Speckled skin Best when eaten under 6" Summer squash 50-60 days 25 Seeds   Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out. Plant 1/2" deep Hill 6-8 seeds together Thin to 3-4 plants Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange - Cucuzzi, Zuchetta, Guinea Beans, Italian heirloom, grown by Jefferson at Monticello. Pale green fruits up to 36 in. long, for best tenderness harvest at 6-12 in. Fruits milder than luffa. Bug-resistant plants are a great zucchini substitute. Normally very vigorous, but had a shorter season during 2013’s cold, wet summer. Big sprawling vines up to 20 feet long, best planted on the edge of the garden; at Monticello they’re grown up a sturdy 10-ft. tall wooden arbor. Pkt (3 g, 20 seeds), (Lagenaria siceraria) 60 days. Characteristics:  Fruits grow to 36 inches Vines grow 20 feet Short Sweaons 60 days 20 Seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 6 weeks before transplanting out in shorter season areas. Plant 1/2" deep Hill 6-8 seeds together Thin to 3-4 plants Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

High Mowing Organic Seeds - Vigorous variety produces good yields of straight, smooth fruits. An open-pollinated variety best suited to the home garden, with abundant yields of lightly mottled dark green fruits. Pale greenish-white, firm flesh. Characteristics:  Organic, non-GMO, and open-pollinated  Harvest at 6-8"  Bush-type habit  Instructions - Plants need loose, fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of nitrogen and a pH of 5.8-6.8. Fertilize seedlings with fish emulsion if the leaves are yellow. Days to maturity are from direct seeding, subtract 2 weeks if transplanting. Direct seed as soon as the chance of all frost has passed or start transplants 3-4 weeks before the planting date. The optimum soil temperature for germination is about 85ºF. Many growers plant multiple successions of summer squash during a season to ensure a continuous harvest, transplanting the first succession immediately after a frost-free day and the final succession three months before the expected first frost.   Plant 1/2-1" deep  Plant Spacing: 12-24" Row Spacing:  5-6'  Harvest & Storage: Best quality fruit is harvested at 5 – 8” or smaller, while skin is soft and somewhat glossy.  Harvest fruits every other day to for the best size and quality and to maintain plants’ productivity. Fruits are very perishable but will store for 3 to 4 days at 35 - 40ºF and 90% relative humidity.    Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute seed vendors from time to time because of the availability

The Seed Savers Exchange - (C. pepo) Donated to SSE by Arthur Dostal. A variety was grown by his parents, Lewis and Mary Dostal of Tama Co., Iowa, who reportedly received it from family friends. Begins as cream-white and green, maturing to dark green. Sweet flavor with buttery smooth texture when grown as winter squash, but also delicious as summer squash. 90 days.  Characteristics:  Organic Sweet flavor with a buttery smooth texture  90 days  25 seeds per packet  Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out.  Direct Seed: 1" Deep Seeds to Hill: 6-8 Seeds Thin: To 3-4 Plants Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

The Seed Savers Exchange - (C. pepo) (aka Early Fordhook) Introduced in 1890 by W. Atlee Burpee of Philadelphia. Belonged to the Fordhook Group of squashes which includes Delicata, Perfect Gem, and Table Queen. Vining plants produce 1½ pound acorn squashes that are grainy but not coarse and mildly sweet. Good shelf life. Once thought to be extinct. 85 days.  Characteristics:  Organic Pale fruits weigh up to 2 pounds Mildly sweet flavor Good shelf life Winter squash and summer squash 85 days 25 seeds per packet  Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out.  Direct Seed: 1" Deep Seeds to Hill: 6-8 Seeds Thin: To 3-4 Plants Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

Preorder from the Seed Savers Collection The Seed Savers Exchange - White Fortna Pumpkin; Lovers of unique heirloom pumpkins can thank the late Wayne Fortna of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for the delicious, productive, and truly beautiful ‘Fortna White’ pumpkin. Seed Savers Exchange is thrilled to introduce the ‘Fortna White’ as a featured From the Collection variety in 2024 During World War II, Wayne, a teacher, served as a tank commander under General George S. Patton. After the war, he discovered that gardening was good therapy for the PTSD he developed while in the military. Sue Ellen Majer says her father found solace in gardening. It calmed his nerves and reconnected him with nature and the soil. Noting Wayne’s aptitude for gardening, Carrie Stayman, his aunt, gave him some seeds for the family’s ‘Fortna White’ pumpkin, a cushaw-type squash with mild flesh perfect for baking. For nearly 40 years, Wayne stewarded this family heirloom with great care, ensuring there would always be a white pumpkin pie for the family to enjoy during Thanksgiving dinner. Characteristics:  Fruits grow up to 8 pounds White pear shaped fruits Does not tolerate cold 100 days 25 seeds per packet    Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out. Plant 1/2" deep Hill 6-8 seeds together Thin to 3-4 plants Light: Full Sun  Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

I Found some!  The Seed Savers Exchange - A French historic variety squash from the Bordeaux region; noted in Vilmorin’s Les Plantes Potageres (1883). Seed carried by La Ferme de Ste. Marthe and collected by SSE member Amy Goldman at the 1996 Tranzault Pumpkin Festival. Attains weight of 10-20 pounds. Best used for beautiful table centerpieces or eaten in stews and soups. Harvest squashes when slightly immature as they tend to crack. 90 days.(C. maxima) (aka Galeuse d’Eysines, Courge Brodée Galeuse) Characteristics:  Fruits grow to 10-20 pounds Harvest when slightly immature to avoid cracking Eaten in stews and soups or used as decoration Winter squash 90 days 25 seeds per packet Planting Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out. Plant 1" deep Hill 6-8 seeds together Thin to 3-4 plants Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

The Seed Savers Exchange - This flavorful acorn squash may be among the first to show up on your table each fall. The fruits of this historic variety produce flesh that is pale orange, moderately sweet in flavor, and a bit variable in shape. Its vining plants are quite productive and yield relatively early-maturing fruits that measure 4-5" long and 3½ -4" wide, and weigh 1-1 ½ pounds. Gill Brothers introduced the variety in 1952. 100 days.  Characteristics:  Organic Acorn squash Small, but impressive 100 days 25 seeds per packet  Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out.  Direct Seed: 1" Deep Seeds to Hill: 6-8 Seeds Thin: To 3-4 Plants Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

The Seed Savers Exchange - (C. maxima) (aka Golden Warted Hubbard, Red Hubbard) Introduced by D. M. Ferry in 1898 but attributed to J.J. Harrison of Storrs & Harrison Co. of Painesville, Ohio. Starchy, nutty, fine-grained flesh—good for baking and roasting. Fruits are 8-12 pounds and store well. An all-time American favorite. 90-100 days.  Characteristics:  Red-orange, warted skin Starchy and nutty flesh is fine-grained Fruits grow to 8-12 pounds Good for baking and roasting Winter squash 90-100 days 25 seeds per packet  Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out.  Direct Seed: 1" Deep Seeds to Hill: 6-8 Seeds Thin: To 3-4 Plants Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

The Seed Savers Exchange - (C. pepo) Introduced in 1973 by W. Atlee Burpee of Philadelphia, bred from genetic material supplied by Dr. Oved Shifress. This vivid yellow fruit was the first commercial B (bicolor gene) cultivar. Crisp and mild-flavored zucchinis are borne prolifically on bush plants. 50-55 days. Characteristics:  Organic Bright yellow skin Best when eaten under 8 inches Heavy yielding bush plants Summer squash 50-55 days 25 seeds per packet    Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out. Plant 1/2" deep Hill 6-8 seeds together Thin to 3-4 plants Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

The Seed Savers Exchange - (C. maxima) Belongs to the Banana group of squashes, noted for their fine table quality. This selection is dark “blue” with light stripes; golden-yellow flesh is thick and firm. Fruits range up to 20 inches in length and average 5 pounds. We like to keep this one in the refrigerator after the initial cutting and continue to slice off small rings that can be either baked or roasted. 90-95 days.  Characteristics:  Organic Dark blue-grey with light stripes Fruits grow up to 20 inches long and 5 pounds Thick, firm golden yellow flesh Winter squash 90-95 days  25 seeds per packet  Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out.  Direct Seed: 1" Deep Seeds to Hill: 6-8 Seeds Thin: To 3-4 Plants Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

The Seed Savers Exchange - (C. pepo) This gold-orange, green-striped delicata squash variety has an irresistibly sweet, nutty flavor, and stores well. Like all delicata squash, it can be prepared straight from a harvest without curing. Vines reach up to 6,' while the fruits measure 6"-8" in length and 3" in diameter and weigh up to a pound. Bred by Dr. James Baggett at Oregon State University, ‘Honey Boat’ was introduced in 1990 and has proved popular among squash lovers in the years since. 90-100 days. Characteristics:  New for 2020 Sweet, nutty flavor and stores well 90-100 days 25 Seeds per packet    Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out. Plant 1/2" deep Hill 6-8 seeds together Thin to 3-4 plants Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability