long-island-cheese-winter-squash-maxima Long Island Cheese Cucurbita moschata## HOW TO GROW WINTER SQUASH MOSCHATA Start indoors 3–4 weeks before last frost, plant out 2 weeks after last frost. Start 3 seeds in flats or 4” pots, thin to 1-2 plants. Direct seed after last frost or soil 70˚F. Seeds will rot in cool wet soil. 5-6 seeds to a 12” diameter hill or disturbed area. Can transplant end of last frost with row cover. Cucurbita moschata needs more heat than C. pepo and C. maxima to mature fruit. Pinch new blossoms midsummer to encourage larger fruit. Will not store well after hard frost damage. Store in a cool, dry place. Ideal temperatures are between 50–60° F and humidity of 50-70%. Once the fruit has matured, the seeds will be done developing. Seed development is unrelated to the ripening process of the fruit. Soil pH 5.8-7.0. Hardiness zones 4-11. Annual.Days from maturity calculated from the date of seeding. Average 176-300 seeds per ounce. Average 15M seeds per acre. Federal germination standard: 75%. Usual seed life: 6 years. Isolation distance for seed saving: 1/2 mile.Planting Depth 1/2-1”Soil Temp. Germ. 70-85˚FDays to Germ. 3-10Plant Spacing 18-24”Row Spacing 6’Days To Maturity 100–110Full Sun, Moist Well Drained ##Flattened, ribbed, buff-colored fruits, with sweet orange fine-grained flesh. Excellent in pies. Tan fruits average 8 lbs. and store well. Named for its resemblance to a wheel of cheese. Old New York heirloom variety. Commercially listed at least as far back as Bernard McMahon's 1806 seed catalog, when many of the early seed companies began offering varieties. For example, J. M. Thorburn Seed Company of New York City offered it in their 1824 seed catalog. But like so many other old-time seed varieties, cheese varieties almost disappeared by the 1970s. According to the Garden Seed Inventory, the last variety was dropped from commerce between 1988 and 1991. Thankfully, Ken Ettlinger, a Long Island seed saver, recognized that the cheese squashes were disappearing from all of the local farm stands. He collected squashes from several farms and began growing seed. Because of the efforts of Mr. Ettlinger, the seed found its way back into broader circulation and into seed catalogs once again. Tags: Type: Moschata, Color: Gold, Shape: Flat, Heritage: Heirloom,New Listing, Season: Late Summer Fall, Certification: Organic.
