Cucurbita, Winter Squash 'Spaghetti'

Group/Class: Winter Squash

Description:

Low maintenance and easy to grow, this selection is perfect for full sun gardens; 7lb oblong fruit emerge ivory and mature to yellow; a wonderful alternative to traditional spaghetti; delicious when baked, boiled or steamed

Edible Qualities

Vegetable Spaghetti Squash is an annual vegetable plant that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces creamy white oblong fruit with gold flesh which are typically harvested when mature. The fruit will often fade to yellow over time. The fruits have a pleasant taste and a soft texture.

The fruit are most often used in the following ways:

• Cooking
• Baking

Planting & Growing

Vegetable Spaghetti Squash will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 7 feet. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 3 feet apart. This vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.

This plant is typically grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This species is not originally from North America, and it is considered by many to be an heirloom plant.