Post by macmex on Mar 19, 2018 19:47:21 GMT -6
Seminole Pumpkin is an especially good squash for places with long hot summers. Originating in South Florida, it is especially well adapted for heat and humidity. The Seminole Pumpkin is resistant, not only to squash vine borers, but also to powdery mildew. Folk who grow these in hot humid places often say that they require little more than "neglect," in order to produce a crop. In fact, production is a hallmark of Seminole. This squash can spread out 50' from where it was planted and produce HUNDREDS of squash!
In 2016 I had pretty much a squash crop failure and some friends, Al and Carol Allen, dropped in and gave us an entire wheelbarrow full of Seminole pumpkins, which they had grown in their back yard. I understand that Carol, wanting to make some shade for her chicken coop, planted three seeds in a half barrel, thinking to let the vines climb over the chicken run and shade the birds during the heat of the summer. She wasn't focused on fruit, rather on vines and leaves. Seminole did provide shade for the Allens' chicken run. It also covered much of the rest of their back yard and part of the neighbor's! They harvested hundreds of fruit! Some of those fruit attained nearly 5 lb in size.
We were very grateful for those squash. Seminole has a very high quality flesh. I don' t believe it's my imagination. It also seems sweeter than most.
I suspect that "Seminole" is more of a land race than a variety, in the strict sense of the word. It shows a lot of variation in size and shape of fruit. In fact, it's not uncommon to get both crook necked and round fruit from a single vine. But some batches I've seen favor one shape more than another. Until recent years, most Seminoles Pumpkins I've seen, grown in our area, have tended more toward to the small bell shaped form, which, in my opinion, is a little bit on the small side. I like a larger fruit. However, in recent years (perhaps the last two or three) we've seen larger fruited Seminole Pumpkins, especially from seed obtain through Baker Creek Seeds. It's possible that there has been a cross. But then, it's also possible that this is no more than "the roll of the genetic dice," and larger size was hiding in the gene pool, surfacing just now.
Here's a picture of an immature Seminole Pumpkin, with a round shape.
I've seen some Seminole Pumpkins which were not much larger than a large grapefruit! But I've also seen some which probably topped 8 lb. and had crook necks.
There are some constants, though, with the Seminole Pumpkin. All of them mature to a tan or almost burnished orange color. All of them are exceedingly vigorous and show a strong inclination to climb.
Here's a picture of one which a friend of mine grew in 2014. The picture was taken early in the season. By fall, he was telling me that he might plant more in the coming year, as a way to shade HIS HOUSE and cut down on air conditioning!
All Seminole Pumpkins are extremely vigorous and heat tolerant. Perhaps "tolerant" isn't the best term. They're heat loving. Any time I've heard anything but glowing remarks about the Seminole Pumpkin, it's been from someone trying to grow it in the North. Glenn Drowns, in Iowa, mentioned to me that he saw nothing special about Seminole Pumpkin. In his climate it struggled to produce and, I suspect, it also struggled to produce the high sugar content many have found in its fruit. Seminole needs HEAT to shine.
Seminole Pumpkins also store exceedingly well. When harvested mature, the fruit has been known to store for over a year, at room temperature. Here's a picture of one, which I had stored on my sun porch (read: blazing hot in the summer and nearly freezing in the winter) for 17 months! That fruit was produced in the summer or fall of 2016, and I cut it in March 2018. It was in great shape!
Some fruit didn't last more than two or three months. This may have been because they were not fully ripe before harvest, or they may have had some damage to their skin. But others lasted over a year.
The flesh of the Seminole Pumpkin is similar to that of a butternut squash. It's GOOD!
Here's an article on Seminole Pumpkin by the University of Florida.
Seminole Pumpkin
In 2016 I had pretty much a squash crop failure and some friends, Al and Carol Allen, dropped in and gave us an entire wheelbarrow full of Seminole pumpkins, which they had grown in their back yard. I understand that Carol, wanting to make some shade for her chicken coop, planted three seeds in a half barrel, thinking to let the vines climb over the chicken run and shade the birds during the heat of the summer. She wasn't focused on fruit, rather on vines and leaves. Seminole did provide shade for the Allens' chicken run. It also covered much of the rest of their back yard and part of the neighbor's! They harvested hundreds of fruit! Some of those fruit attained nearly 5 lb in size.
We were very grateful for those squash. Seminole has a very high quality flesh. I don' t believe it's my imagination. It also seems sweeter than most.
I suspect that "Seminole" is more of a land race than a variety, in the strict sense of the word. It shows a lot of variation in size and shape of fruit. In fact, it's not uncommon to get both crook necked and round fruit from a single vine. But some batches I've seen favor one shape more than another. Until recent years, most Seminoles Pumpkins I've seen, grown in our area, have tended more toward to the small bell shaped form, which, in my opinion, is a little bit on the small side. I like a larger fruit. However, in recent years (perhaps the last two or three) we've seen larger fruited Seminole Pumpkins, especially from seed obtain through Baker Creek Seeds. It's possible that there has been a cross. But then, it's also possible that this is no more than "the roll of the genetic dice," and larger size was hiding in the gene pool, surfacing just now.
Here's a picture of an immature Seminole Pumpkin, with a round shape.
I've seen some Seminole Pumpkins which were not much larger than a large grapefruit! But I've also seen some which probably topped 8 lb. and had crook necks.
There are some constants, though, with the Seminole Pumpkin. All of them mature to a tan or almost burnished orange color. All of them are exceedingly vigorous and show a strong inclination to climb.
Here's a picture of one which a friend of mine grew in 2014. The picture was taken early in the season. By fall, he was telling me that he might plant more in the coming year, as a way to shade HIS HOUSE and cut down on air conditioning!
All Seminole Pumpkins are extremely vigorous and heat tolerant. Perhaps "tolerant" isn't the best term. They're heat loving. Any time I've heard anything but glowing remarks about the Seminole Pumpkin, it's been from someone trying to grow it in the North. Glenn Drowns, in Iowa, mentioned to me that he saw nothing special about Seminole Pumpkin. In his climate it struggled to produce and, I suspect, it also struggled to produce the high sugar content many have found in its fruit. Seminole needs HEAT to shine.
Seminole Pumpkins also store exceedingly well. When harvested mature, the fruit has been known to store for over a year, at room temperature. Here's a picture of one, which I had stored on my sun porch (read: blazing hot in the summer and nearly freezing in the winter) for 17 months! That fruit was produced in the summer or fall of 2016, and I cut it in March 2018. It was in great shape!
Some fruit didn't last more than two or three months. This may have been because they were not fully ripe before harvest, or they may have had some damage to their skin. But others lasted over a year.
The flesh of the Seminole Pumpkin is similar to that of a butternut squash. It's GOOD!
Here's an article on Seminole Pumpkin by the University of Florida.
Seminole Pumpkin