Jarrahdale Pumpkin Seeds

Jarrahdale is a baby-blue/slate-gray pumpkin that looks out of this world. A favorite pumpkin down under, Jarrahdale takes its name from a town in Western Australia. The exact origins of this unique pumpkin are unclear, but it’s presumed that it was a cross between Blue Hubbard Squash and Cinderella pumpkin. It spread throughout Australia and New Zealand and first landed in the United States in 1932 from Arthur Yates & Co. out of Sydney. 

The pumpkin is medium in size, typically weighing around 5 kg, and is ready for harvest in 90-100 days. The vines grow 3-4.5 meters long, producing 3-5 pumpkins per plant. The bright orange flesh, creamy and sweet, is quite the contrast to the cool coloured exterior. Let Jarrahdale ripen on the vine and harvest just before the first frost arrives. They can then be set out in the sun for a week to allow the rind to harden in preparation for storage. 

Uber versatile, Jarrahdale can be used for cooking, baking or carving due to its stringless flesh. Flattened and ribbed with an eye-catching colour, it will serve just as well adorning the front porch to add flair to your fall display. Jarrahdale makes a wonderful Autumn decoration and can be prepared in various ways, but perhaps its best quality is its long storage time. It can keep up to 12 months under the right conditions. Winter squash aficionados and preppers won’t want to neglect including this blue beauty in their garden plans. 

- Latin Name: Curcubita maxima
- Life Cycle: Annual
- Days to Maturity: 100
- Planting Depth: 2 cm
- Plant Spacing: 90 cm
- Row Spacing: 1.5-2 m
- Growth Habit: Vine

GROWING INSTRUCTIONS

Pumpkins are the quintessential, if unofficial, icon of autumn. Not only are they the embodiment of the fall, pumpkins are supremely nutritious and can be used in a number of ways. But to have a successful fall crop, vines and fruit must have long, hot seasons with space to spread out.

Sow seeds directly when soil temperatures reach 21°C. Pumpkins won’t tolerate cold. Pick a site with full sun and mix in plenty of compost ahead of planting. The bed should be of rich and well-drained soil, as pumpkins are heavy feeders. Seeds can be planted into small mounds, where the soil will stay warmer and drain well. Plant 4-5 seeds/mound 3 cm deep. Leave 1-2.5 m between mounds. With temperate soil, seeds should germinate in about a week.

When sprouts are 5-8 cm tall, thin to 2 or 3 vines per mound. Pumpkins will require a bit of water, at least 3 cm/week, and more when fruiting. Mulch around the plants to retain water and protect the shallow roots. Be careful not to harm roots when weeding or cultivating. Pruning and pinching the ends of vines are good strategies to concentrate energy into set fruit.

Choose a dry day to harvest. Pumpkins will store best when harvested fully mature. When fruit is deep orange and the skin is thick and firm, use a pair of clippers to cut the pumpkin from the vine. Leave a long stem to increase shelf life. Cure pumpkins for a couple weeks under the sun. After curing, store in a cool dry place, somewhere around 10°C.

Whether you want a canvas to carve spooky faces or bake homemade pies for Thanksgiving, make space for pumpkins in your home garden.

QUICK FACTS

- Native to North America, pumpkins are one of the oldest domesticated plants, having been cultivated as early as 7,500 BC.

- Pumpkin is a popular Halloween and Thanksgiving staple, and a traditional part of the fall harvest.

- Pumpkin seeds will remain viable for 4 years if stored in a cool, dark place, ideally between 4 and 10⁰C. After that, the germination rate may start to go down.