Product Description
This packet of Heirloom Pink Banana Squash seeds produces 9-12 pound oblong fruits with bright salmon-pink skin and vivid orange, sweet flesh that becomes sweeter the longer it is stored. It makes an excellent sweet and savory squash soup and is wonderful when roasted as well. These Heirloom Winter Squash seeds are part of The Seeds That Built America collection by Harvesting History and are made in the USA!
Planting and Care
Plant the seeds directly into the ground in full sun in late spring (June) after the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Sow seeds at a depth of 1 inch, 8 inches apart. Plant in hills, 4 feet apart. When seedlings are 3 inches high, thin, leaving 4 plants per hill. Well-rotted manure or compost dug into the soil where the seeds are to be planted is highly beneficial. Prepare the soil with manure or compost 4 weeks prior to planting.
The seeds will germinate in 7-10 days and reach maturity in 110 days. Harvest fruits only after they are fully matured and just before the first frost. Remove from the vine, leaving part of the stem attached to the fruit. Store in a moderately warm, dry area.
Pro Tip: The way to protect your squash from squash borers is to plant it FROM SEED in late June. Another deterrent is to plant radishes and nasturtiums in your squash patch. The Clearwing Moth does not like either of these two plants, especially the radish.
Inspiration
Squash, beans, and corn, known as the "Three Sisters," formed the trinity of the staple diet of Native Americans. Remains of wild or possibly cultivated squash have been found in Mexico dating to 9000 BCE. Similar archaeological evidence has been unearthed in South America, Central America, and North America. Pink Banana squash is native to South and Central America, where it has been cultivated for more than 1000 years. Pink Banana was introduced in the United States around 1900.
Eighteenth-century Williamsburg was the home of many ardent gardeners and plant collectors who often exchanged seeds with fellow enthusiasts in Great Britain. Gardeners obtained their seeds from store merchants or from traveling seedsmen. Today, the Colonial Williamsburg seed program continues the tradition by offering many varieties grown in the 18th century.
