Calabaza Winter Squash Seeds – Jamaican Pumpkin

Grow a Caribbean kitchen favorite with Calabaza, also known as Jamaican or West Indian pumpkin. Its dense, sweet orange flesh is well suited to pumpkin soup, hearty stews, roasted sides, and baked dishes. Give these vigorous vines a sunny space and a warm growing season, then bring your own harvest to the table.

Variety Highlights

• Botanical name: Cucurbita moschata.
• Crop: Warm-season annual winter squash.
• Fruit: Rounded to flattened, with variable mottled green and buff-cream coloring.
• Flesh: Dense, sweet, and orange.
• Size: The supplied variety information describes fruits around 5–12 lb; actual size varies with strain and conditions.
• Habit: Vigorous spreading vines that need generous room.

The original listing estimates approximately 80 days from transplant, but ripening depends on the seed strain, climate, and growing conditions. Allow a long, frost-free season rather than relying on a fixed harvest date.

Available Seed Packs

• Packet of 10 seeds
• 25 seeds
• 100 seeds, bulk pack

Select your preferred quantity before adding to cart. This listing is for planting seeds, not live plants or harvested pumpkins.

Starting and Planting

Direct sow after frost danger has passed and the soil is reliably warm. For an earlier start, sow indoors in individual pots approximately 3–4 weeks before your intended outdoor transplant date. Harden seedlings off gradually and minimize root disturbance during transplanting.

Choose full sun and fertile, well-drained soil amended with compost. The supplied growing directions estimate germination in approximately 7–14 days under suitable warm conditions; cooler soil can delay emergence.

Spacing and Care

Allow approximately 4 feet between plants and 6–9 feet between rows, adjusting for the space needed by spreading vines. Water consistently during establishment and fruit development, directing water to the root zone where practical.

Flowers need pollination for fruit set. Allow pollinating insects access to blooms. Monitor plants for pests and leaf problems, and feed according to soil needs and fertilizer directions.

Harvest and Storage

Harvest mature fruits when the rind has hardened and their color has developed. Cut from the vine with a short section of stem attached rather than pulling. Handle carefully to avoid bruising, and store sound, mature fruits in a dry, well-ventilated location. Storage life varies with maturity and conditions.

Kitchen Uses

• Pumpkin soup, sancocho, and bean stews
• Roasted, steamed, or braised sides
• Curries, rice dishes, and savory fillings
• Pies, puddings, breads, and other baked dishes

Use the harvested flesh in recipes calling for pumpkin or winter squash, adjusting cooking time and moisture as needed. Do not eat the planting seeds in this packet. If roasting seeds from harvested fruit, clean and prepare them appropriately.