PlantFiles: Delicata Squash, Winter Squash
Cucurbita pepo 'Cornell's Bush Delicata'

Total crop failure. I am curious about the positive ratings. Probably because of its "bush" nature it lacked vigor, despite a good location and frequent feeding. It was late to produce any flowers at all, and very late to produce any females. Only one fruit survived long enough to be harvestable, and it is so poor quality it would be considered a "cull" by a farmer. Contrary to advertisement it not only got powdery mildew it is the ONLY cucurbit in my yard that got powdery mildew, and furthermore, it collapsed and died while others are still limping along and ripening fruits. I have a few photos documenting its poor performance. I've considered that my latitude (47.5 degrees) might have contributed to its poor performance, but another bush-type squash, a Styrian Hulless type, did fine. Squash rated for much longer growing seasons also handily outperformed it. I suggest caution with this cultivar; if that had been a survival crop my family would have starved. Grow just a few and see how they do for you before committing too much time, effort, and space to them.

Delicatas, for me, are the best tasting winter squash. This bush variety produces more, in a smaller space, and is more disease resistant than the older varieties. Bake or boil; split and remove seeds; maybe add a bit of salt and butter; eat with a spoon. Doesn't get any better. often called the sweet potato squash as the flavor/texture is much like sweet potatoes.

Beautiful vigorous plant, that produces delicious, thinskin squash, white with greenstripes at maturity, 6"-8" long. Have lost several fruits, brown end rot, probably from moist soil contact. Growing in raised bed, 50-50 mix planting soil & compost. Aphids really love this plant, so invest in ladybugs. Little fertilizer, once a week, for 3 weeks while less than 2' hi.

New variety bred by Cornell University, with more disease tolerance (particularly to powdery mildew) and better yields in a smaller space. Winner of the 2002 AAS award, it has the added bonus of being open pollinated, rather than an F1 hybrid. Produces 1 1/2 - 2 pound fruit, maturing in 80 days. Will store for approximately 100 days.