Cushaw Golden Squash - Cucurbita argyrosperma

Cushaw Golden Squash is a Native American, pear-shaped variety, sometimes with a twisted neck. Its fruit weighs up to 7 kg and reaches a length of 50 cm (20in). Its light yellow flesh is tender and slightly sweet and its skin is striped with golden yellow and creamy white, giving it a resemblance to courgette. Its very tender skin allows it to be prepared like courgette in gratins, ratatouilles, or mashed dishes, etc. Cushaw Golden can be stored for a long time and makes a good decoration. This plant can spread over more than 4 m (13ft) so leave enough space in your vegetable garden for the production of its fruits. Squashes are greedy and thirsty. With such dimensions, consider layering the stems by covering them with soil. This will generate new roots at that spot, which will draw the nutrients that the fruits need to become as beautiful as possible. To grow Cushaw Golden Squash, sow the seeds from April to June and harvest from August to October.

Orange, green, red, yellow, black, or even blue, smooth, ribbed, warty, with tender skin, etc. squashes and courgettes offer us an astonishing variety of shapes, colours, and sizes, as they easily hybridise. That's why there are so many varieties.

The name 'winter squashes' refer to all kinds of pumpkins, potimarrons, butternut squashes, etc. with tough skin and delicately sweet flesh. By summer squashes or courgettes, we mean the different varieties that are harvested when the skin is still tender. The latter are eaten with the seeds.

All of them originate from America, belong to the large cucurbit family and were introduced to Europe in the 16th century.

There are about ten species of squashes, of which four are the most cultivated in our vegetable gardens. These are Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita moschata or winter squashes, Cucurbita maxima, and finally Cucurbita argyrosperma.

• Cucurbita pepo: these are the most represented in vegetable gardens, including some pumpkins, zucchinis, pattypan squashes, etc. They are generally recognised by their rigid and dissected leaves and their angular peduncle with at least 5 ribs that do not widen at the point of attachment to the fruit.
• Cucurbita moschata or winter squashes: they have soft leaves. The peduncle is highly ribbed and visibly widens at the point of attachment to the fruit. The leaves are heart-shaped.
• Cucurbita maxima: these are mainly pumpkins. Their peduncle is rounded and has a slightly spongy appearance. As the name of the species suggests, it mainly concerns varieties with large fruits. The leaves have 5 lobes.
• Cucurbita argyrosperma: very few are represented in our gardens, they have trilobed leaves and a very thick, robust, and non-ribbed peduncle.

They are generally trailing and will cling to any support using their tendrils. Female flowers can be distinguished from male flowers by their inferior ovary (below the flower), which resembles a small fruit. In many regions, male flowers are harvested just after pollination to be stuffed or made into fritters. There are many ways to consume squashes and courgettes. Sautéed, fried, gratin, soups, or stuffed. Courgettes are essential in Provençal ratatouille, Italian caponata, North African couscous, or many Mediterranean dishes.

Harvesting: Squashes and courgettes need a lot of water to give their best. Squashes are best when harvested ripe. Zucchinis are harvested young and fresh, still immature. All of them must be handled with care and not damaged.

Storage: Courgettes can be cut into pieces and frozen. Their fragile skin is not suitable for storage otherwise. Winter squashes with tough skin can be stored for several months and consumed throughout the winter. Unlike other fruits and vegetables, they need warmth for optimum storage. There is no need to store them in a dark place, so you might as well keep them where their silhouette can be appreciated.

Gardener's tip: Place a slate or a tile under the fruit. It will then no longer be in direct contact with the ground, thus avoiding rotting due to humidity. They particularly like slightly moist soils. Remember to mulch around the plants, especially during the peak of summer. Squashes and courgettes are very prone to powdery mildew (a fungal disease that leaves a white fuzz on the surface of the leaves). Be careful not to water the leaves or flowers. Grow your squashes with alliums like chives, onions, or shallots, or with legumes like beans or peas. Growing squash near cucumber may be detrimental to both parties.