Permapotes

Red kuri squash

Red kuri squash: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar

Red kuri squash is an annual member of Cucurbita maxima, in the Cucurbitaceae family. Known in French as potimarron, it is valued for dense flesh and a flavour reminiscent of chestnuts. That association describes its culinary character, rather than a botanical relationship with a chestnut tree. It is a squash, not a cross between a squash and a tree. Related kuri types can differ in fruit size, colour and shape.

Familiar examples have orange to reddish orange fruits that are rounded or slightly pear shaped. ‘Red Kuri’, also associated with the name ‘Uchiki Kuri’, is a well-known example. Beneath the skin lies yellow to orange flesh surrounding a central cavity containing seeds. The outline and colours help identify the fruit, but they do not imply that every related cultivar has exactly the same flesh thickness, texture or intensity of flavour.

The plant develops herbaceous stems, usually with a trailing habit, and broad leaves that give it a strong presence in the vegetable garden. Yellow male and female flowers occur on the same plant. A female flower has an ovary at its base that already looks like a miniature squash. Pollinating insects help transfer pollen between flowers. Flowers and developing fruits form part of the annual life cycle, without promising an identical number of fruits from every cultivar or in every garden.

Kuri squash belongs to the winter squash category, a term associated with using mature fruits and their suitability for storage. It does not mean that the plant grows through winter frosts: its leaves and stems remain sensitive to freezing temperatures. The firmer outer covering and dense flesh distinguish the mature fruit from summer squashes commonly eaten while young. The botanical name maxima also does not imply that every fruit will be enormous.

In the kitchen, its flesh lends body to soups, purées and gratins. It also appears in roasted dishes, fillings, ravioli and some sweet preparations. Its gentle sweetness and chestnut-like note work with herbs, spices, other vegetables and cheeses. The squash contributes both warm colour and a substantial texture to meals, while its foliage and fruits add another form to the wide diversity of edible squashes in the garden.

Red kuri squash
Characteristics
  • Lifecycle : Annual
  • Exposure : Full Sun
  • Frost Hardiness : Frost Sensitive
  • Cultivation Difficulty : Easy
  • Mature height : 30 cm
Sowing & Planting
  • Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
  • Sowing Depth : 2 cm
  • Plant Spacing : 120 cm
  • Row Spacing : 120 cm
Maintenance
  • Maintenance : Moderate
  • Water Requirements : High
Other characteristics
  • Soil Type : Humus-rich
  • Soil pH Preference : Neutral
  • Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Pollination : Insect-pollinated
  • Propagation : Sowing