Turban Squash Giraumon - Cucurbita maxima

Cucurbita maxima Turk's Turban is a variety of squash producing fruits in the shape of a round cap, either whole or divided into three or six lobes topped with a more or less coiled turban. These fruits are variegated with red, yellow, green, and white, sometimes only two or three colours, or even just one. Its flesh is very firm, light orange, sweet and floury.

Its has exemplary qualities, both culinary and decorative. Tt is a very old variety originally from France before being introduced to the United States in 1820.

Squashes, potimarrons, and giraumons belong to the Cucurbitaceae family and the species Cucurbita maxima. This herbaceous annual plant has long, vigorous, trailing stems which can even climb 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 fertilised by the pollen from the male flowers.

They come in many shapes and colours, from large ribbed fruits in orange or red with orange flesh, to oblong shapes, pear shapes, or "Turkish hat" shapes. Originating 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 called "pumpkins" even though these belong to a different species, Cucurbita pepo, with stringy flesh and a hard, fibrous stem. As for the squash, it has sweet, flavourful flesh that is less stringy, with a tender and spongy stem.

Squashes are rich in vitamins and trace elements, in addition to being low in calories, rich in potassium, and having antioxidant properties.

Harvest and Storage

Harvest squash as late as possible, without risking frost. Keep the stem as big 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, avoid them touching each other.

Gardener's Tips

You can bury the stems at the nodes to encourage rooting.

To save space and protect your fruits from rot, you can grow pumpkins on supports such as a fence or sturdy trellises.

During fruit ripening, you can place a tile or a brick, for example, between the ground and the fruit to lift it and limit premature rotting. A thick mulch will also do the trick.