Squash Banana Blue - Cucurbita maxima

The Banana Blue Pumpkin is a variety of American origin that produces generous elongated fruits measuring 30 to 70 cm (12 to 28in) in length and 12 to 20 cm (5 to 8in) in diameter. Their skin is blue-gray, slightly milky, and their thick flesh is dark yellow to orange. It has a slightly sweet flavor. It is a pumpkin of excellent taste quality, and can be consumed in gratin, mashed, in pies, jams, soups... Sow from April to June for a harvest in September - October.

The average yield of this Pumpkin is 2 to 5 fruits, weighing each 5 to 10 kg, per plant.

Pumpkins, potimarrons, and giraumons belong to the Cucurbitaceae family and the species Cucurbita maxima. This herbaceous annual plant has long, vigorous, and sometimes climbing stems with the help of strong tendrils. Each plant has separate male and female flowers, making it monoecious; it is the female flowers that will produce the fruits once fertilized by the pollen from the male flowers.

They come in many shapes and colors, from large ribbed fruits in orange or red with orange flesh, to oblong shapes, pear shapes, or "Turkish hat" shapes. Originally from South America, this species is said to have been introduced to Europe around the 16th or 17th century, along with its cousins, other species of Cucurbita. They are often mistakenly referred to as "pumpkins" when they actually belong to a different species, Cucurbita pepo, with fibrous flesh and a hard, fibrous stem. As for the pumpkin, it has sweet, flavorful, and less fibrous flesh with a tender and spongy stem.

Pumpkins are low in calories but rich in vitamins, trace elements, and potassium. They are known for their antioxidant properties.

Harvest and storage:

Pumpkins should be harvested as late as possible, without risking the first frosts. Keep the stem as large as possible and store them in a temperate room (10 to 15°C (50 to 59°F)). This way, you can keep them for a few months to a year, making sure they don't touch each other.

The gardener's little trick:

To save space and protect your fruits from rot, pumpkins can be grown vertically using supports such as a fence or sturdy stakes. If you let your pumpkins run along the ground, during fruit ripening, consider placing a tile, brick, or thick layer of straw between the ground and the fruit to isolate it from moisture and prevent rotting.