{"product_id":"magdalena-big-cheese-squash-seeds-southwestern-heirloom","title":"Magdalena Big Cheese Seeds, Southwestern Desert Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne of the rarest squash in the American seed market. One of the toughest we grow.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0.8rem 0;padding:0.6rem 1rem;background:#f0f7e6;border-left:3px solid #6b8e3a;font-size:0.9rem;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e🌱 Free Shipping on Orders $35+\u003c\/strong\u003e, ships from Newton, Kansas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0.5rem 0 1rem;font-size:0.9rem;\"\u003e📖 \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/growing-guides\/magdalena-big-cheese-growing-the-southwestern-desert-heirloom-in-kansas\" style=\"color:#6b8e3a;\"\u003eRead our complete growing guide for this variety →\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eMagdalena Big Cheese is a Southwestern desert heirloom that barely exists in U.S. seed catalogs. A handful of sellers carry it. We're one of them. We're one of them, and every seed we ship is part of a very small preservation chain. If you want something almost nobody else in your gardening circle has ever seen, this is it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe fruit is a flat, cheese-wheel shape with soft buff-tan skin and deep ribs. Think Long Island Cheese scaled up and dialed in for a hotter, drier climate. Flesh is sweet, dense, and holds up beautifully for pies, soups, and long storage. It was selected over generations in the Southwest for one thing: surviving heat, drought, and pest pressure without flinching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnd because it's \u003cem\u003eCucurbita moschata\u003c\/em\u003e, it comes standard with the trait we build our whole catalog around: \u003cstrong\u003eresistance to squash vine borer\u003c\/strong\u003e. The thick, fibrous stems stop SVB larvae cold. On Kansas soil, where vine borer pressure peaks mid-June through July and routinely flattens pepo-type squash plantings, that genetic armor is the difference between a harvest and a loss. Vine borer resistance is kind of our thing at Autumn Prairie Pumpkins, and Magdalena Big Cheese is one of the reasons we lean into it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eVariety Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpecies:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eCucurbita moschata\u003c\/em\u003e. Heirloom, open-pollinated\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sonoran Desert, northern Mexico (Magdalena de Kino region)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFruit size:\u003c\/strong\u003e Large flat cheese-wheel shape, 10–20+ lbs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSkin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Buff-tan with deep ribbing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlesh:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dense, sweet, deep orange , excellent pie and storage squash\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDays to maturity:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~110 days\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStorage:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4–6+ months cured\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVine borer resistance:\u003c\/strong\u003e High. Thick-stemmed moschata genetics\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDrought tolerance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Very high. Southwestern desert heritage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRarity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Extremely uncommon in U.S. seed catalogs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eIn the Kansas Garden\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFull sun, well-draining soil, and real space. Plan 10–12 feet per plant. Direct sow after soil hits 65°F, or transplant 3–4 weeks before last frost in Zone 6b. Magdalena actually prefers the heat most gardeners complain about, and it holds up through Kansas July better than almost anything pepo. Mulch heavy to stretch soil moisture, feed with compost, and rotate out of cucurbits year to year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRead the full  for planting dates, spacing, and curing tips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy Autumn Prairie Pumpkins\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe're a small Kansas seed operation that built its whole catalog around \u003cstrong\u003evine borer resistance\u003c\/strong\u003e. Every variety we sell is hand-selected, hand-packed, and shipped from Newton, Kansas. Strong soil builds strong plants, and the right variety makes the whole job easier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e🌱 \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/vine-borer-resistant\"\u003eBrowse all vine borer resistant varieties →\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e🌻 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/autumnprairiepumpkins.com\/pages\/kansas-garden-seeds\"\u003eSee our Kansas growing guide →\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Autumn Prairie Pumpkins","offers":[{"title":"10 Seeds","offer_id":46529407975613,"sku":"APP-SEED-MOS-MBC-10","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20 Seeds","offer_id":46529408008381,"sku":"APP-SEED-MOS-MBC-20","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/0335\/5581\/files\/MagdalenaBigCheeseSquash4.jpg?v=1773844158","url":"https:\/\/autumnprairiepumpkins.com\/products\/magdalena-big-cheese-squash-seeds-southwestern-heirloom","provider":"Autumn Prairie Pumpkins","version":"1.0","type":"link"}