Growing Guides
Pumpkin and squash growing guides from Kansas. Vine borer prevention, pest control, companion planting, soil prep, and heirloom varieties. Zone 6b tested.
Cucurbita moschata vs. Cucurbita pepo: Why Your Pumpkin Species Matters
Walk into any garden center and you'll find dozens of pumpkin varieties. But almost every one falls into two species, and understanding...
Read guide →New England Cheddar F1 Pumpkin: Growing the Orange Pie Pumpkin in Kansas
New England Cheddar F1 is the pumpkin that bridges two worlds: it looks like a classic orange jack-o'-lantern pumpkin but performs like...
Read guide →Best Pumpkins for Hot Climates: Heat Tolerant Varieties That Thrive in Kansas
Kansas summers don't forgive weak plants. By August, when the heat index pushes past 105°F and the ground bakes between rain events,...
Read guide →Vine Borer Resistant Pumpkin Seeds: The Complete Kansas Grower's Guide
You planted your pumpkins in May. By July, they were lush, sprawling, full of promise. Then one morning you walked out to...
Read guide →Autumn Crown Pumpkin: Growing This Moschata F1 Hybrid in Kansas
Autumn Crown is a Cucurbita moschata F1 hybrid that does something most moschata varieties don't prioritize: it looks stunning. The skin has...
Read guide →Xiye Butternut: Growing the Heat Tolerant Storage Variety in Kansas
Xiye Butternut is a variety selected for two things most butternut growers want and rarely get together: extreme heat tolerance and exceptional...
Read guide →Mrs. Amerson's Pumpkin: Growing the Southern Heirloom Pie Pumpkin in Kansas
Mrs. Amerson's Pumpkin is one of those varieties that survived because somebody's grandmother refused to let it disappear. It's a Southern heirloom...
Read guide →Magdalena Big Cheese: Growing the Southwestern Desert Heirloom in Kansas
Magdalena Big Cheese is a Southwestern heirloom from the Magdalena area of New Mexico, where it's been grown by Native American and...
Read guide →Lungo de Napoli: Growing the Italian Heirloom Winter Squash in Kansas
Lungo de Napoli, "Long of Naples", is the squash that's been a cornerstone of Neapolitan cooking for centuries. It's a massive, elongated...
Read guide →Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck: Growing the Appalachian Heirloom in Kansas
Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck is one of the great old butternut-type varieties from the mid-Atlantic region, a big, curving crookneck squash with a...
Read guide →South Anna Butternut: Growing the Virginia Heirloom in Kansas
South Anna Butternut takes its name from the South Anna River in central Virginia, where this heirloom variety has been maintained by...
Read guide →Baker's Branch Butternut: Growing the Appalachian Heirloom in Kansas
Baker's Branch Butternut is a Southern Appalachian heirloom that's been passed down through families in the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia...
Read guide →Chinese Tropical Pumpkin: Growing the Moschata Heirloom in Kansas
Chinese Tropical Pumpkin is the workhorse squash of Southeast Asian cooking. Walk through any Chinese, Vietnamese, or Thai market and you'll see...
Read guide →Tahitian Melon Squash: Growing the Giant Pacific Heirloom in Kansas
Tahitian Melon Squash is the gentle giant of the Cucurbita moschata world. Fruits regularly reach 20–40 lbs, with some growers reporting 50+...
Read guide →Guatemalan Green Ayote: Growing the Tropical Moschata Heirloom in Kansas
"Ayote" is the word for squash across Central America, from the Nahuatl ayotli, and this Guatemalan variety is one of the most...
Read guide →Jamaican Tropical Pumpkin: Growing the Caribbean Heirloom in Kansas
In Jamaica, pumpkin isn't a fall decoration, it's a year-round staple. Jamaican Tropical Pumpkin is the variety that shows up in pepper...
Read guide →Cuban Neck Pumpkin: Growing the Caribbean Heirloom Crookneck in Kansas
Cuban Neck is one of those Caribbean heirloom varieties that looks almost comically oversized, a massive crookneck squash with a long, curved...
Read guide →Autumn Frost F1 Pumpkin: Growing the Cold-Hardy Moschata Hybrid in Kansas
Autumn Frost is a relatively new Cucurbita moschata hybrid that solves a real problem: most moschata varieties need a long, warm season...
Read guide →Thai Kang Kob Pumpkin: Growing the Disease Resistant Asian Heirloom in Kansas
Thai Kang Kob is the variety that Southeast Asian cooks reach for when they need a squash with real backbone, dense flesh...
Read guide →Honeynut Squash: Growing the Mini Butternut Heirloom in Kansas
Honeynut is what happens when you take a butternut squash and concentrate everything good about it into a personal-sized package. Developed by...
Read guide →Shishigatani Squash: Growing the Rare Kyoto Heirloom in Kansas
Shishigatani is one of the rarest squash you can grow in the United States. It's a traditional heirloom from the Shishigatani district...
Read guide →Cushaw Green-Striped Pumpkin: Growing the Southern Heirloom in Kansas
The Cushaw Green-Striped is one of those old Southern varieties that your grandmother probably grew if she grew anything. It's been a...
Read guide →Black Futsu Squash: Growing the Rare Japanese Heirloom in Kansas
Black Futsu is one of those varieties that stops people in their tracks. The skin is dark, nearly black when immature, covered...
Read guide →Musquée de Provence: Growing the French Heirloom Pumpkin in Kansas
Musquée de Provence is the pumpkin you've seen in every French market photo, deeply ribbed, flat and round, turning from dark green...
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