Japanese Black Kabocha Squash Seeds | Sweet Winter Pumpkin

Sweet, Nutty Kabocha for Homegrown Meals

Japanese Black kabocha squash produces globe-shaped fruit with dark, black-green skin and bright orange-yellow flesh. Cooked flesh has a sweet, slightly nutty flavor and a soft, fluffy texture reminiscent of sweet potato.

Grow a patch in your sunny vegetable garden, then enjoy the harvest simply roasted, blended into soup, or added to your favorite cooked dishes. These winter squash are grown during the warm season and harvested when fully mature.

What You Are Ordering

• Product: Seeds for planting, not live plants or harvested squash.
• Selection: Japanese Black kabocha, also sold as Japanese Black Pumpkin.
• Seed type: Open-pollinated.
• Pack options: Choose 5, 10, or 25 seeds from the available sizes.
• Fruit: Globe-shaped squash with black-green skin and orange-yellow flesh.
• Typical fruit weight: Approximately 3.75–4 lb under suitable conditions; size varies with growing conditions.

Planting Your Seeds

1. Prepare fertile, well-drained soil in a warm, sunny location.
2. Sow in late spring or early summer after your local frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed. Cold, wet soil can cause seeds to rot.
3. For hill planting, form a mound approximately 1 foot across and 3–4 inches high.
4. Space mounds approximately 4–6 feet apart and sow 1–2 seeds per mound.
5. Keep soil moist during establishment without leaving it waterlogged.

Vine Care and Fruit Development

Allow room for vigorous vines to spread. They may also be trained onto a sturdy support; support developing fruit separately if grown vertically. Water consistently during active growth and fertilize as needed according to the fertilizer label and your soil conditions.

Pollination is needed for fruit development. If flowers are not setting fruit and pollinator activity is low, hand-pollination may help.

Harvesting and Storage

Harvest mature squash once the rind is firm and before freezing weather. Cut fruit from the vine rather than pulling, leaving a short section of stem attached. Handle gently to avoid bruising or damaging the skin.

Cure sound, mature fruit in a warm, dry, well-ventilated location protected from rain and frost before storing. Keep stored squash in a cool, dry place, inspect regularly, and use damaged fruit promptly rather than keeping it for long-term storage.

Kitchen Ideas

• Roast wedges to enjoy the squash's natural sweetness.
• Blend cooked flesh into creamy soups or purées.
• Add cooked pieces to curries, stews, and other savory dishes.

Planting seed only: Do not eat the supplied seeds. Discard any harvested squash that tastes unusually bitter.