We seek to find, protect and preserve the seeds of the people of the Greater Southwest so that these arid adapted crops may benefit all peoples and nourish a changing world.
Cucurbita argyrosperma. Planted with the rains, or "aguas" by the Tarahumara peoples at the bottom of Copper Canyon in Mexico. Small to medium-sized fruits have light orange, very sweet flesh. From our Seed Bank Collection.
The squash vines have grown much larger than I anticipated. There are about 20 square yards of squash vines from just three hills I planted. The lovely gray-speckled leaves are up to two feet in diameter and provide a canopy cover that keeps the soil moist and shaded, needing very little additional irrigation. There are some squash forming, but I don't know how to tell when they are ripe.
I am planting this one for the first time, and so far so good. I am planting it in a large Earthbox which has water reserve and the seed germinated quickly and is currently looking like a nice healthy plant... even have some small flower buds started. I look forward to seeing how well it holds up to the summer heat and what I end up getting for a winter squash from this.
