Hello, all! Going to Seed would like to offer a cushaw (C. argyrosperma or mixta) seed mix in 2025 but this will depend on if we receive enough seed to distribute. If you had a successful harvest and can spare some seed, please fill out this form and mail in the seed by the end of November.
If you would like to donate seed of other crops at the same time, include them on the same form and send in one box (each crop separately packaged and labeled, of course!). Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Thank you so much!
I will be offering some C. argyrosperma seeds grown at my farm, and some grown nearby, to Going to Seed for consideration.
Between the time I planted argyrosperma in 2023 and when I planted for 2024, I discovered that there are argyro varieties that keep much longer and have sweeter flesh than the ones Iâd been growing, which are better as summer squash. Commercial seeds sold simply as âGreen Striped Cushawâ or âWhite Cushawâ could be either a summer or winter type.
Iâve been reading a lot of cushaw seed catalog descriptions. Sometimes you will see clues that a cushaw is probably not a winter squash type like ânot a good keeperâ or âuse by Thanksgivingâ. There are some other terms that are not definitive, like âlight colored flesh/mild flesh/nutty fleshâ.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange does something helpful that few cushaw seed vendors do, they specify that their green striped type is: âNot a good keeper. Whitish-green skin with mottled green stripes. Thick, light yellow flesh is slightly sweet and medium-coarse.â
Southern Exposure also offers a white cushaw which does seem to be a winter type: â[Grown in s. Illinois since at least the 1830s, including by friends of Abraham Lincolnâs parents.] Long white 15-30 lb. fruits with large curved necks and some green mottled striping. Light yellow flesh has mild, pleasant flavor. Earlier and better keeping than Green-Striped Cushaw.â
Iâve been reading that there are varieties which are mainly valued for their seeds. Campeche is one. âThick Margin Silver Seedâ and âSilver Seedâ are two offered by Sandhill Preservation Center in the seed type.
Last week I decided to contribute my summer squash cushaw type seeds to the Serendipity Seed Swap! because I had the opportunity and I knew I wasnât planning to send summer types to Going to Seed.
I wonder if anyone else growing C. argyrosperma cushaw and thinking of contributing cushaw seeds this year has any thoughts on the different uses of different varieties. The two fruits I had from the best winter squash type of 2023 was still in good condition when I opened them up in April 2024.
In fact, I have what you could call a wishlist-in-progress of argyro cushaw seeds from catalogs that I have flagged as potentially having good winter squash characteristics. Why not share the list here in the forum?
Vendors of interesting cushaw seeds:
Sandhill Preservation Center
Possibly the greatest variety of cushaws offered by a single vendor. Some of the most interesting are: