The low down on my Cucurbits

 Pumpkin/ Squash: The family, the genera and the species.  

This is an important family in that they are VERY productive, and if you choose well they will keep right through the winter.  Some are also useful in terms of containers/ taonga puoro like HUE, and much adored like Kamokamo.  All of them like a very fertile soil.

Kamokamo

The Cucurbits are a promiscuous bunch; so here's some korero to get you going.

If you choose one of each genus in the cucurbit family, they won’t cross. I’ve made up a diagram of the ones I like to grow, just with Family, Genus and Common Name (see below). But check out the book “Seed to Seed” by Suzanne Ashworth, or seed saving websites to find out the whole cucurbit family and the ones relevant to your family. 

If I grow 1, 2, 3 out the front and 4 & 5 out the back they won’t cross. 

Or, here’s the fun part. You can hand pollinate. This means identify a male flower of the plant of the same species. Maori have a history of fertilising gourd (hue) of the same cucurbit family* (see Elsdon Best's Maori Agriculture page 250). 

Bees in the pumpkin flowers

The female flowers are the ones with a little bulb behind the blossom. Pick the male flower, a few to be sure, pull off the petals so you can see pollen on the end of the anthers (it’s the yellow powdery stuff). These are the plant’s boys bits. Rub these on the female flowers especially the very middle bit call the stigma, this will be connected to the fruit (ovary) below by a tube called a style (in case you’re wondering how I know this… I studied Botany at University and needed to draw the distinguishing characteristics of all the plant families).

Now, back to the pumpkin flowers, when you’ve fertilised the female flower you then need to tape up the petals or tape on a paper bag so that no bees or other pollinators can get in. Also, mark this flower with a brightly coloured tie so it won’t be eaten, or rather the seeds will be saved before it is eaten. The seed from this pumpkin will be pure and will be good for saving and sharing.

Cucrubit family showing genera and common names