Squash, Winter 'Canada Crookneck'

Cucurbita moschata

Heirloom ancestor to the butternut, some believe it to have superior taste (it's also early and productive). While this squash was widely grown in the 1800s (in catalogs as early as 1827), this now-rare variety was almost wiped out as the straight necks of today's butternuts were preferred for packing and shipping. Seed is organic.

From the Ark of Taste: "The flavor and texture is superb, rich, meaty – not stringy – and sweet. It is an excellent squash for serving mashed, and in pies and soups. The plants are very productive, and appear to be resistant to vine borers and bacterial wilt problems."

From The Field and Garden Vegetables of America (Boston, 1865): "The Canada is unquestionably the best of the Crooknecked sorts. The vines are remarkably hardy and prolific, yielding almost a certain crop both North and South. The variety ripens early; the plants suffer but little from the depredations of bugs or worms and the fruit, with trifling care, may be preserved throughout the year." The flesh is, as Burr described, "salmon-red, very close-grained, dry, sweet, and fine flavored." ~also excerpted from The Ark of Taste.

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as enjoying garden harvests well into the fall and winter. When the garden is blanketed in snow, I’m especially grateful for the sweet taste of winter squash—whether drizzled with maple butter, roasted to perfection, or simmered into a rich pasta sauce.

Packet contains approximately 20 seeds.

DETAILS
Plant type: Annual
Days to maturity: 105 days
Light preference: Full sun
Plant spacing: See below
Hybrid status: Open pollinated

SOWING
Depth: 1/2-1 inch
Days to germination: 75–95°F

How to Grow

Sow indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out after danger of frost. Roots do not like disturbance, so we prefer to direct sow. Direct sow in late spring when soil is at least 70°F and danger of frost has passed. Sow 2 seeds at the appropriate spacing for the variety's vine length, 1/2- to 1-inch deep. Thin to one plant.

Spacing: To keep things simple, we space 36” apart in rows 6’ apart (as close as 24" on a trellis), but here are more-precise recommendations. Between-row spacing: bush plants, 4-5’; short vines, 6’; long-vines, 12’. In-row spacing: small, 18–24”; medium, 24–36”; large to XL, 36–72”.

Harvest & Storage

Harvest when fruits have a uniform, tan color. Fruits are typically ready about 50–55 days after fruit set, and should be harvested before any hard frosts. Sun cure by exposing fruits for 5–7 days. Store at 50–55°F and 50–75% relative humidity and good ventilation. Repeated exposure to temperatures below 50°F may cause chilling damage. Potential storage/optimal period: 3–6+ months.

SHIPPING

FREE: $100 or more on any seeds
$3.95: 1–9 seed packets
$7.95: 10+ seed packets

Photo Credit: Adaptive Seeds

Seeds ship within 1–3 business days unless noted otherwise on main page.

*SEED-ONLY SHIPPING FEES:

FREE: $100 or more on any seeds
$3.95: 1–9 seed packets
$7.95: 10+ seed packets

*Does NOT include Alaska and Hawaii (these will be calculated at checkout based on USPS rates)

Combined orders, such as seeds and tubers/bulbs, will be calculated at checkout.

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