Sweet Jade Organic Kabocha Squash Seeds

Edible and ornamental, Sweet Jade Kabocha is an organic, F1 hybrid winter squash, also called Japanese pumpkin. The cute, round, 4- to 5-inch, 1- to 2-pound, single-serving fruits have a hard, sea-green rind with light green stripes and golden speckles. The flesh is deep blood-orange when ripe and has an outstanding, very sweet, earthy flavor that is a cross between pumpkin and sweet potato, with a hint of chestnut. Kabocha has drier flesh than other squash, making it easier to cook with oils. A culinary staple in Japan, kabocha is good fried, roasted, baked (including in pies and muffins), or puréed to flavor and thicken curries and soups. It is an excellent source of beta-carotene, fiber, and vitamins A and C. Like pumpkin, kabocha has seeds that can be dried, tossed with olive oil, salted, and baked for a tasty, nutritious snack.

This herbaceous annual is a member of the cucurbit family (Cucurbitaceae). Sweet Jade Kabocha grows as a vine that spreads 6 to 8 feet. It has strong yields, very few culls, good holding capability, and exceptional storage.

Easily grown from seed, kabocha grows best in sunny locations with fertile, organically rich, medium moist, well-draining loams having a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Monecious, it does not need a second plant for pollination, but it may be helpful to plant bee-attracting plants, like marigolds and zinnias, nearby to ensure pollination.

A warm-season vegetable, sensitive to cold temperatures and frost, squash seeds can be direct sown into warm spring soil after all danger of frost has passed but can also be started indoors about 3 to 4 weeks before transplanting. Flowers begin to set fruit with day temperatures between 68° to 72°F and night temperatures between 60° and 65°F. Mulching helps to moderate soil temperature and to maintain soil moisture. Protect plants with row covers if temperatures are expected to dip below 50°F.