Variety field guide
What to expect from Green Striped Cushaw Winter squash Seeds
Green Striped Cushaw Winter squash seeds produce green winter squash, large fruit; final weight varies widely with heat, vine vigor, and spacing, on vining/climbing plants.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Green Striped Cushaw Winter squash seeds produce green winter squash, large fruit; final weight varies widely with heat, vine vigor, and spacing, on vining/climbing plants. It is best suited to warm-climate gardens, pies, soups, roasting, preserving, seed saving, and traditional southern kitchens. mild, smooth, gently sweet flesh that takes well to spice and slow cooking Grow the striking curved-neck Southern heirloom valued for warm-season vigor, smooth flesh, pies, and preserving.
About Green Striped Cushaw
Green Striped Cushaw is an annual winter squash with green color, 97–120 in mature height or spread, and a vining/climbing habit. Harvest form or size: large fruit; final weight varies widely with heat, vine vigor, and spacing. Botanically it is Cucurbita argyrosperma K.Koch. Maturity or first bloom: 90-99 Days; germination: 7-10 Days at 75–90 °F. Best for warm-climate gardens, pies, soups, roasting, preserving, seed saving, and traditional southern kitchens. Mild, smooth, gently sweet flesh that takes well to spice and slow cooking.
History and provenance
Cushaw squash belongs to Cucurbita argyrosperma, a crop species with deep Indigenous agricultural history in the Americas. Green Striped Cushaw has been carried through Southern and regional food traditions, but the named cultivar should not be assigned to a particular tribal nation without documentation. Botanical record: Cucurbita argyrosperma. The broader crop history is kept separate from the documented history of the named variety. Where an exact breeder, introduction date, family story, or cultural attribution cannot be supported by a credible record, repeated claims are not presented as certain. Green Striped Cushaw squash seeds produce large curved-neck squash with green-and-cream striped skin and pale orange flesh. The defining kitchen quality is mild, smooth, gently sweet flesh that takes well to spice and slow cooking. Green Striped Cushaw squash seeds are warm-season seed. Give runners a planned direction so leaves receive air and fruit can rest on a dry surface.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Cucurbita argyrosperma K.Koch |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Annual |
| Maturity / first bloom | 90-99 Days |
| Germination | 7-10 Days at 75–90 °F |
| Seed depth | 1 in |
| Plant height / spread | 97–120 in |
| Growth habit | Vining/Climbing |
| Spacing | 36 in between plants; 72 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Green Striped Cushaw from seed
How to grow Green Striped Cushaw Winter squash
Botanical identity: Cucurbita argyrosperma K.Koch. Life cycle: Annual.
Sow 1 in and use a seed-zone temperature near 75–90 °F. Expected emergence: 7-10 Days. No stratification; direct sow into warm soil or start briefly in biodegradable cells and transplant young
Plant during Late Spring. Space plants 36 in apart with 72 in between rows or planting bands.
Provide Full sun, moderate water, and loamy near pH 6.0–6.5. Support: No-Support.
Garden performance and care
Give Green Striped Cushaw enough room for its vining/climbing growth. Direct irrigation to the soil, keep developing fruit on dry mulch or boards where rot is common, and leave seed-saving fruit on the plant beyond the eating stage. Expected emergence is 7-10 Days; the listed maturity or bloom timing is 90-99 Days.
Harvest, bloom, and uses
Green Striped Cushaw is best for warm-climate gardens, pies, soups, roasting, preserving, seed saving, and traditional southern kitchens. Harvest form or size: large fruit; final weight varies widely with heat, vine vigor, and spacing. Color at the principal harvest or mature stage: Green. Mild, smooth, gently sweet flesh that takes well to spice and slow cooking.
Saving seed
Seed saving for Green Striped Cushaw Select several healthy, true-to-type plants so the saved lot represents the variety rather than one unusually early or large individual. Squash and gourds are insect-pollinated and cross readily with other varieties of the same species. Confirm the species identified for this crop, then isolate by distance or controlled hand pollination. Mark seed fruit and let it reach full biological maturity; summer squash must become large and hard, winter squash must develop full rind color, and luffa or hard-shell gourds must mature well beyond the edible stage. Cure sound fruit before extraction when the crop benefits from curing. Remove, wash, and dry seed to a hard, storage-ready condition. Maintain several representative plants and record species, population, isolation, fruit selection, curing, cleaning, and test date.
Common problems
Watch Green Striped Cushaw for cucumber beetles, squash bugs where applicable, aphids, powdery or downy mildew, bacterial wilt, crown rot, poor pollination, and fruit damage on wet soil. Rotate cucurbit crops, provide airflow, water at the root zone, protect young plants before flowering, and remove covers when blossoms need pollinators. Do not work wet vines.
Frequently asked questions
When is Green Striped Cushaw ready?
90-99 Days from warm direct sowing or equivalent established transplant
How long does germination take?
Expect 7-10 Days near 75–90 °F; actual emergence changes with moisture, seed condition, and soil temperature.
How large does it grow?
About 97–120 in with a vining/climbing habit. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container?
Best in open ground or a large raised bed; mature vines require substantial horizontal or vertical space.
How is it used?
Primary uses: warm-climate gardens, pies, soups, roasting, preserving, seed saving, and traditional Southern kitchens. Mild, smooth, gently sweet flesh that takes well to spice and slow cooking.
Can I save seed?
Yes where the crop biology allows, but keep compatible varieties isolated, use several healthy plants, wait for full seed maturity, dry thoroughly, and label the lot.
Minimum Seed Count:25 seeds
