Vegetables
Squash 'Sweet Dumpling'
Cucurbita pepo
Trailing and very decorative ornamental squash, which also provides a crop of delicious, sweet, dumpling fruits. Perfect for cooking whole, roasted or stuffed. Can also be used to decorate the home as they store well. Train vine up trellis or allow to trail.
- Position
- Full sun
- Height
- 45cm
- Spread
- 70cm
Growing calendar
Sowing & growing
Sow under glass April-May in individual pots of good seed compost. Sow the seed on their sides 12-15mm deep. Should germinate at a minimum temperature of 10 °C. Once germinated, pot on and acclimatise before planting out with 120cm of space, once risk of frost has passed. Alternatively, sow directly May-June. Sow directly 4 weeks to last frost date, and protect young seedlings with cloches on cold nights.
Aftercare
Protect plants from snail and slug attack. Water well and use a high-potassium fertiliser intermittently over season. Leave 5cm of stalk on fruit when harvesting, and cure in the sun for 5 days before using or storing.
Gallery
Ref. SES007