About
'Cucurbita maxima 'Red Kuri' is a winter squash variety characterized by its distinctive orange-red, teardrop-shaped fruits. These typically weigh between 1.5 to 3 kg and measure about 15 cm in diameter. Each plant generally yields 2 to 3 fruits, featuring a moist, golden-yellow flesh that is dense and offers a sweet, nutty taste.
About the genus
This genus consists of small, annual herbaceous plants that either climb or trail. Several species within this group are cultivated for their edible fruits and other applications. They originate from Central and South America. The flowers are typically solitary and star-shaped, exhibiting a golden-yellow hue. The leaves are characterized by their palmately lobed structure and are adorned with fine, prickly hairs.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial, Fruit Edible
- Habit
- Trailing
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1 year
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden
- Toxicity
- Humans/Pets: If crop is bitter, don't eat or feed to pets. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in rich, fertile, well drained soil in full sun. Start indoors from mid-late April, sowing in individual pots with seeds on their side about 1.5cm deep. Harden off before June then transplant outdoors to final growing position. See pumpkin cultivation or squash cultivation for further advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to slugs and snails
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to grey moulds and powdery mildews