{"product_id":"squash-north-georgia-candy-roaster","title":"Squash North Georgia Candy Roaster","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSquash North Georgia Candy Roaster is a rare Appalachian heirloom, originally cultivated by the Cherokee Nation and kept alive over generations by home gardeners in the region. It is a genuinely uncommon variety to find in New Zealand gardens, with a history that makes it as interesting to grow as it is to eat.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe fruit is unmistakable once you see it: long and banana-like, in a soft pinkish-orange shade with a distinctive green or blue tip. Inside, the flesh is smooth and sweet with good flavour, placing it among the finest eating squash you can grow, particularly for baking, pies and roasting, where its natural sweetness really comes through.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike other winter squash, it is a vigorous vine that needs a full warm season and plenty of room to sprawl, so it suits gardeners with some space to dedicate to it over summer and autumn. Given that room and a sunny position, it will reward you with a crop of fruit that stores well once cured, ready for the cooler months ahead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrowing a variety like North Georgia Candy Roaster is also a small way of keeping a piece of agricultural history going, a squash bred and selected by Cherokee growers long before it found its way into wider cultivation, and one still relatively rare outside its home region today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSowing and Growing Squash North Georgia Candy Roaster\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSow indoors or under cover from September to November, maintaining a temperature of 20-30°C for germination, which typically takes 5-10 days. Once frosts have passed and seedlings are established, transplant into a warm, sunny position with fertile, well-drained soil, spacing plants 100cm apart within the row and 200cm between rows to give the vines room to spread.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePROTECT FRUIT\u003cbr\u003eThe bottom of the squash can be susceptible to rot where the fruit sits on the ground. It can be beneficial to place something under the fruit for protection such as a piece of cardboard, lid or \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewool mulch mats are great for this.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHARVEST\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSquash can be harvested approx 120 days from transplant, when the skin is hard and the stem is drying off. The stem is also known as the wick. The wick drying off is an indication of maturity. When the wick dries off there is no more moisture going to the fruit, so the fruit will not continue to grow. The foliage will also be dying off and you should be able to see your crop. Another tip is to use the thumbnail test - it is ready when it resists puncture by a thumbnail.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRemove the squash from the vine with a sharp knife or pair of secateurs, leaving a good wick on. This aids the curing process and treating the wick with care will help to increase the storage life of your squash. Picking your squash up by the wick is not a good idea as it may damage the skin, allowing rot to set in.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHANDLING\u003cbr\u003eWhen harvesting squash, it is important to handle the fruit with care to avoid bruising or cutting the skin. Despite its tough appearance fruit is easily damaged allowing entry points for decay organisms. Pressure bruises can reduce storage life, so avoid rough handling, tight packing or piling fruit too high.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDISINFECTION\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWiping fruit with a cloth soaked in apple cider vinegar or diluted bleach to disinfect the skin of the fruit once harvested can assist with storability. This should kill any spoilage causing bacteria or fungi that may be present on the skin of the fruit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCURING\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll squash will improve immensely in flavour and sweetness when left for around 2 weeks to cure after harvesting. The curing process also allows the skin to harden, harvest wounds to heal and immature fruit to ripen further, thereby enhancing storage times. Place squash in a warm, dry area with good air circulation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSTORAGE\u003cbr\u003eAfter curing, move squash to a dry, well-ventilated storage area. Fruit temperature should be kept as close to the temperature of the air as possible to avoid condensation, which can lead to rot. Ideally, the storage environment should be kept at 13-16\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\"\u003e°\u003c\/span\u003eC with a relative humidity of 50-70%. Chilling injury from very low temperatures will cause fruit to break down over time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCHECK\u003cbr\u003eCheck your fruit regularly to identify any early signs of decay. Eat fruit that has been damaged or showing early signs of decay first. Gently flip fruit from time to time to ensure aeration around the whole fruit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSHELF LIFE\u003cbr\u003eSquash that have been allowed to mature and cure should last 2-3 months in storage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kings Seeds NZ","offers":[{"title":"10 seeds","offer_id":49212444115252,"sku":"V8443.pkt","price":6.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false},{"title":"100 seeds","offer_id":49212444148020,"sku":"V8443.100sdsW","price":19.45,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false},{"title":"250 seeds","offer_id":49212444180788,"sku":"V8443.250sdsW","price":43.8,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false},{"title":"500 seeds","offer_id":49212444213556,"sku":"V8443.500sdsW","price":74.45,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false},{"title":"1000 seeds","offer_id":49212444246324,"sku":"V8443.1000sdsW","price":119.15,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0729\/0555\/6276\/files\/V8443-W.png?v=1784973417","url":"https:\/\/www.kingsseeds.co.nz\/products\/squash-north-georgia-candy-roaster","provider":"Kings Seeds NZ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}