Variety field guide
What to expect from Gold Nugget Winter Squash
Gold Nugget makes small, golden-orange winter squash on compact bush plants.
Open the complete descriptionHide the complete descriptionVariety traits, flavor, garden use, and the complete description
Gold Nugget makes small, golden-orange winter squash on compact bush plants. Developed at North Dakota State University, it earned an All-America Selections award in 1966. The sweet, starchy flesh was bred as an alternative to sweet potatoes in northern gardens and is useful baked, roasted or mashed. Small fruits suit one or two servings. Let rinds harden fully before harvesting for autumn meals.
Minimum seeds per packet: 25 seeds.
Small golden squash with sweet flesh and a compact habit.
Variety and background
Gold Nugget was developed at North Dakota State University and received an All-America Selections award in 1966. The small orange winter squash grows on compact bush plants. It is not a generic name for any orange squash.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Cucurbita maxima Duchesne |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Annual |
| Maturity / harvest basis | 80-89 Days |
| Seed depth | 1 in |
| Germination | 7-10 days |
| Germination temperature | 75-90 F |
| Plant height / spread | 25–30 in |
| Habit | Bush |
| Plant spacing | 24 in |
| Row spacing | 48 in |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Pollination type | Open-Pollinated (OP) |
Starting from seed
Direct sow after frost, 1 in. deep in warm soil, or start indoors 3 weeks before planting out. At 75-90 F allow 7-10 days. Set 24-36 in. apart, rows 4-6 ft. apart. Give sun, fertile soil and even water; remove row covers at flowering.
Planting and care
Compact bush winter squash suitable for a large, well-drained container. Give the foliage room to spread, maintain even moisture and fertility, and allow pollinators to reach the flowers.
Direct sow after frost, 1 in. deep in warm soil, or start indoors 3 weeks before planting out. At 75-90 F allow 7-10 days. Set 24-36 in. apart, rows 4-6 ft. apart. Give sun, fertile soil and even water; remove row covers at flowering. Gold Nugget won All-America Selections in 1966.
Harvest and use
Check near 85 days from sowing; harvest hard-rinded fruit before frost, keeping stems. Cure warm with airflow 7-10 days; store at 50-55 F. For seed, isolate other C. maxima and save cleaned, dried seeds from mature fruit.
Saving seed
Seed saving for Gold Nugget 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 Gold Nugget 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
What distinguishes this selection?
Gold Nugget won All-America Selections in 1966.
How should I start it?
Direct sow after frost, 1 in. deep in warm soil, or start indoors 3 weeks before planting out. At 75-90 F allow 7-10 days. Set 24-36 in. apart, rows 4-6 ft. apart. Give sun, fertile soil and even water; remove row covers at flowering.
When and how should I harvest?
Check near 85 days from sowing; harvest hard-rinded fruit before frost, keeping stems. Cure warm with airflow 7-10 days; store at 50-55 F. For seed, isolate other C. maxima and save cleaned, dried seeds from mature fruit.
Can I save seed?
Seed saving for Gold Nugget 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.
