Tips for Growing Delicata Squash

There’s a lot of different types of squash out there, from tiny little pattypans to massive pumpkins, and all of them have slightly different colors, flavors, and textures from one another.

So you’d think with all the variety out there, it would be hard to narrow down just a handful of favorites.

But not for me. No question, I could happily live the rest of my life with a garden full of just ‘Delicata’ and maybe some Hokkaido.

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It’s all right there in the name: “Delicata” perfectly evokes the tender, airy texture of the flesh of these squash.

But that’s not what they’re named for. It’s the tender rind of this plant that sets it apart.

You don’t have to painstakingly scrape and cut away the skin of this squash. It’s perfectly soft and edible, and adds flavor that skinless winter squash lacks.

Think of the skin like that of young zucchini. Tender and flavorful. Inside, the flesh is nutty, sweet, and creamy.

It’s no more difficult to grow than any other variety of winter squash and we’ll help you succeed.

Before you know it, you’ll be smothered in tender, tasty squash. Before that can happen, we need to go over the following:

‘Delicata’ squash is a winter type, and winter types are usually characterized by tough, thick skin.

Pumpkin, kabocha, acorn, and spaghetti are all common examples of winter varieties. They all have thick skin that makes them last a good, long time in storage.

And that’s where the name “winter” comes from – you can enjoy them during the winter when the growing season is over, whereas summer squash needs to be eaten