Squash North Georgia - Cucurbita maxima

The North Georgia Organic Pumpkin is a trailing variety that produces generous elongated fruits measuring 30 to 50 cm (12 to 20in) in length and 12 to 20 cm (5 to 8in) in diameter. The pale orange skin features a green star-shaped pattern at the end opposite the stem. They contain thick flesh, dark yellow in color, of good quality, with a hazelnut flavor. It is used cooked in soups, mashed, or grilled. Its fine grain and crunchy texture also make it enjoyable raw. Sow from April to June for a harvest in September - October. Ripens in 95 days.

The average yield of this Pumpkin is 2 to 5 fruits, each weighing 3 to 8 kg, per plant.

Pumpkins, Potimarrons, and Giraumons belong to the Cucurbitaceae family and the species Cucurbita maxima. This annual herbaceous plant has long, vigorous, trailing, and even 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 of the male flowers.

They come in many shapes and colors, from large ribbed fruits in orange or red with orange flesh to oblong, pear-shaped, 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 wrongly called "pumpkins" when they belong to a different species, Cucurbita pepo, with fibrous and stringy flesh and a hard, fibrous stem. As for the pumpkin, it has sweet, flavorful flesh that is less stringy, with a tender and spongy stem.

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

Harvest and storage:

Harvest the squash as late as possible without risking the first frost. Keep the stem as large as possible and store them in a temperate room (10 to 15°C). This way, you can store them for a few months to a year, avoiding them touching each other.

Gardener's tip:

To save space and protect your fruits from rotting, pumpkins can be grown vertically on supports such as a fence or sturdy stakes. If you let your pumpkins trail, 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.