The excellent Delicata squash stands out among the variety of delicious squashes available. The Delicata Squash, also known as peanut squash, bohemian squash, or sweet potato squash, is a member of the Cucurbita pepo family. Delicata is considered a winter squash because of its hard skin.
The Delicata squash, or Cucurbita pepo, is a unique type of winter squash with edible skin that boasts a cream-colored fruit with lovely vertical green stripes, sometimes orange stripes, and orange flesh! Gardeners growing delicious Delicata squash can store the squash for several months.
Delicata is a type of winter squash native to North and Central America. Along with beans and corn, squash was one of the original “Three Sisters,” or staple crops, of Native American tribes for a very long time. Your yard will be encircled by this quickly spreading vine as it produces stunning leaves and blossoms where the Delicata squash seeds and flowers can also be edible.
In our guide, you can learn more about the number of squash you can expect to receive when you grow the vine Delicata squash. By the end, you’ll know other things about how to grow the Delicata squash plant and when to plant Delicata squash to get the best harvest possible. (Read Can You Use Succulent Fertilizer On Other Plants)
Delicata Winter Squash Information
All winter squashes are members of the same family of Cucurbit, which includes cucumbers and zucchini. Three species groups encompass the majority of squash varieties:
- Cucurbita pepo
- Asparagus moschata
- Maximum Cucurbita
The Delicata fruit is typically grown on a vine, like most other winter squash varieties, though there is also a bush variety. Its rectangular, cream-colored fruit measures about 3 and 6 inches long and has green stripes.
Often called sweet potato squash or peanut squash, the interior flesh is pale yellow and tastes like a sweet potato.
The Delicata squash plant has an edible skin, unlike other varieties of winter squash, but this shortens storage time somewhat compared to hard varieties like Butternut or Acorn squash.
How Many Delicata Squash Per Squash Plants?
In the case of the typical type of butternut squash, count on 5–6 fruits per plant. The larger types ought to produce 2-4 fruits per plant.
By examining the size, you can determine which plant produces the most fruit. The plant will yield fewer fruits when the fruits are larger and more fruits when the fruits are smaller.
How Long Does It Take Delicata Squash to Grow To Maturity?
The annual plant is Delicata squash, and fruit production only occurs yearly. It takes roughly 100 days to grow completely after you plant your Delicata seeds and seedlings emerge.
You should start your planting inside for a month until the last days of frost, at which point it should be moved outside. Then, the ideal time to transplant the plant would be after the seedlings emerge and they have grown a few inches.
How to Grow Delicata Squash?
Delicata plants, in contrast to other winter squash, have a short growing season and take 80 to 100 days to establish fully. They can either be planted outside right away or inside to be transplanted later. The plants will spread out to a width of 24 to 28 inches and a height of 10 to 12 inches.
Pick a location that will receive full sun if you wish to plant Delicata squash there. Vining Delicata squash needs at least 20 square feet of space to grow, but Cornell Bush Delicata just needs 4 square feet of planting area.
Add three inches of compost to the soil, mix it in, and use this soil to make a mound one square foot in size with a flat top.
The ideal planting temperature and time are when daily highs consistently reach or surpass 70 F, so start squash seeds three weeks before your last frost date. (Learn How To Attach Wood To Metal Pole)
Growing Issues
Sometimes, things don’t turn out the way we expect, and the Delicata squash may not produce any fruits or flowers. Although experts claim that once a week is a plenty, they cannot tell how much heat your plant is exposed to, which is the major problem. Check the soil’s dryness yourself.
The lack of fruit production is an enormous problem that requires much effort. This takes place throughout the pollination period. The female flowers take up the pollen from male flowers to produce more offspring for the following generation of fruits and bountiful amounts of Delicata seeds.
How To Care For Delicata Squash?
It’s not too challenging to care for Delicata squash. First things first, Delicata squash only needs 20 square feet of space.
You should maintain a gap of 2 feet apart and 6 feet overall. Because planting can still go wrong no matter how much care and effort you put into it, overcrowding can seriously damage growing Delicata squash.
Temperature and Sunlight
To grow Delicata squash well, you must supply it with direct sun exposure; therefore, choosing a planting zone is essential. The plant is susceptible, and for the squash seeds to be moved indoors to outdoors, the temperature should be 70°F all day.
During the summer months, the high temperatures cause the leaves to wilt. The wilt occurs during the hottest part of the day because the heat sucks all the moisture from the leaves, which leads the roots to dry, hence the reason they need deep watering.
Watering
For Delicata squash to grow or develop well and vigorously, the soil must have an equal amount of moisture. It would be a good idea to install a drip line or watering hose to ensure the soil doesn’t dry too much.
Once a week, water Delicata squash; if the soil seems dry, keep checking it. If the soil moisture is too dry, you may need to increase your watering to two or three times per week. However, ensure there isn’t soggy soil, which can choke the roots and cause the fruits to rot.
Soil Requirements
- The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 6.8.
- In the winter, spread nicely rotted manure on the ground. It will eventually permeate the soil.
- Use a 5-10-10 NPK combination to add nitrogen, potassium, or phosphorus.
- Instead, use sandy soil. Rich in nutrients and limited water-holding capacity, sandy soil tends to have a coarse texture.
Delicata’s thin roots require well-draining soil to thrive. Therefore, loamy soil is preferred over sandy soil supplemented with rich compost.
Pests
Squashes frequently face the threat of aphids. You can see their effects when leaves curl under and turn yellow and distorted. Get rid of this small, lime-green beetle as quickly as possible by using insecticidal soap, neem oil, or lacewings to prevent the spread of the disease.
Cucumber beetles enjoy squash. They’re small black beetles with yellow dots or stripes on their back. Use kaolin clay, or a row cover to keep them off your plants. (Read Can Grass Seed Freeze)
Pyrethrin is also a highly effective organic pesticide. Cutworms stink! They’ll cut a healthy seedling’s stem overnight, destroying it. BT spray kills these pests, and to prevent them, remove old plants from the area as they overwinter in the soil.
Diseases
You will likely come upon mildew as the squash family is frequently affected by them. A fungus called downy mildew overwinters in the soil and splashes onto leaves to cause yellow patches.
You can get powdery mildew from seeds. It leads to stunted growth and appears as a powdery growth on the upper surfaces of leaves and stems. Once it appears, use fungicide or neem oil. Use treated seeds to ensure the plant doesn’t get too crowded and has enough airflow and light exposure.
Bacterial wilt may be present in a plant that appears as though it has abruptly stopped receiving water and wilts severely in a few days. Although cucumber beetles spread it, bacteria are the cause.
Plants that suffer from bacterial wilt cannot be saved. Therefore, remove them as soon as possible and destroy them. For a period, stay away from growing squash or other plants there that are vulnerable. Then, to replace the squash, use hardy plants.
Delicata Squash Harvesting and Storing
Harvesting
Delicata squash harvesting can be done 50 to 55 days after planting. If the skin is tough, cut the stem connecting it to the vine a few inches away from the squash to determine whether the fruit is ready to be harvested by pressing your nails or a knife into it.
Storing Delicata
Leave it in a dry area for a little while; the environment shouldn’t be too hot or chilly. Three weeks suffices for short-term storage; however, the vegetable cannot be consumed after that period.
Keep items for long-term storage in the same dry basement or roof but watch for a warm environment. In this manner, the vegetable will provide the desired sweetness. Once you cut them, you can cook your squash plants and store them in freezer bags for use throughout the year.
How to Grow Delicata Squash Overview
Plants of the delicate variety have a short growing season and reach maturity in 80 to 100 days. Delicata squash plants love full sun, even if it isn’t summer squash, so pick a site that offers this.
They may be either direct sown or inside for subsequent transplant. The plants will spread between 24 and 28 inches wide and 10 and 12 inches tall.
If you want to grow Delicata squash, pick a location that will get direct sunlight. While the Cornell Bush Delicata just needs 4 square feet of garden space when growing vining, Delicata squash requires at least 20 square feet of space to grow.
- Into the soil, work a 3-inch layer of compost. Make a mound with this amended soil that is one square foot in size and has a flat top.
- Once the daily high temperature exceeds 70 degrees F, it’s time to plant your Delicata winter squash if it stays above (21 C) for five to seven consecutive days.
- Five Delicata seeds should be evenly spaced out and pressed into the ground at a depth of 1 inch.
- Pat down after lightly covering it with soil. Until the mound is saturated, water the seeds in. Ensure you keep the mound moist until the seedlings appear.
- Remove and destroy all but three plants once the first set of leaves reaches a length of 2 inches.
- For the next month, keep watering as needed anytime the top inch of soil dries out—only water extensively after that when the top 2 inches of soil are completely dry.
- Spread 2 inches of mulch in a 2-foot circle around the Delicata plants to suppress weed growth and maintain moisture levels.
- When the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall, spread them with a layer of aged manure or rich compost 1 inch deep and 4 inches wide. Do this again when the Delicata squash plants’ first buds swell before they bloom.
- Ensure that the area is weed-free, remove the plant for powdery mildew, and cut away any afflicted areas.
- Pick insects out of the fruit or use pyrethrin as directed by the manufacturer for larger infestations.
How many Romanesco squash per plant?
Romanesco squash keeps its sweet flavor as it matures. This Italian heirloom features strong genetics and powdery mildew resistance. (Read Can You Grow A Pumpkin In A Pot)
Romanesco squash yield varies depending on when the fruits are harvested. Young fruits will yield 20 during the season. Let the fruits grow larger to pick fewer, heavier fruits.
