Pumpkin, Winter squash

Where does Pumpkin grow?

Found in: Africa, Albania, Andes, Angola, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bolivia, Bougainville, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Central Asia, Chad, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo DR, Congo R, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Liberia, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mariana Islands, Marquesas, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, Niger, Nigeria, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, SE Asia, Seychelles, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Helena, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Sudan, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, United States, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, West Timor, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Notes: There are 25 Cucurbita species.

Status: It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. In Papua New Guinea, a widely distributed and popular vegetable especially for leaf tips.

Growing Pumpkin, Winter squash

Cultivation: They are grown from seed. Usually 2 or 3 seeds are planted together in a mound. The distance apart depends on the cultivar. Some kinds are better for leaf tips. It is good to save seed of adapted kinds.

Edible Uses: The young leaf tips are eaten cooked. They can also be dried and stored. The fruit can be eaten cooked. They are baked, boiled, fried, steamed or mashed. They are used in pies and cakes. The seeds are edible, raw or roasted. They are also ground into a meal. The male flowers are eaten after removing the stamen and calyx.

Production: Fruit are ready for harvest after about 3-4 months. Seed can be saved from fruit for re-sowing but as pumpkins cross pollinate different types become mixed.

Nutrition Info

Pumpkin, Winter squash Photos

References

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