An ornamental and delicious squash all in one — its white, flattened fruits with scalloped edges are a showstopper in the garden and a treat in the kitchen.
About the variety. Custard White produces disc-shaped, white fruits with ruffled ends weighing 500–600 g. A bush-type variety, its flowers are also edible and attractive to bees. Harvested young, the skin is tender and does not need to be removed.
Itinerário técnico
Como cultivar squash custard white?
Um guia de cultivo passo a passo, da sementeira à colheita.
pH ideal 6.0 to 7.0Temperatura ideal 20 to 30 °CCompasso 50 cm in the row, 100 to 120 cm between rows
Sementeira
Sow in individual pots two to three weeks before planting out, two or three centimetres deep with the seed on its edge, at 20 °C to 25 °C, or direct where it is to grow with two seeds per station once the soil passes 15 °C. Germination takes five to ten days. It grows fast: do not leave it in the tray more than three weeks or it goes leggy. The first flowers are all male and set no fruit; if later the small fruits shrivel, pollination is failing: hand pollinate early in the morning with a brush. This is a compact variety that does not run long vines, taking about one square metre per plant; the closed habit traps humidity, so remove the old leaves at the base so air can move.
Solo
It wants deep, loose soil, very rich in organic matter and free draining, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. The classic approach is to open a wide hole, fill it with mature compost and plant on that spot, which gives the plant the reserve it needs. Rotate on a four year cycle with crops from other families.
Clima
It wants full sun and temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C. It is greedy for space: one plant easily fills a square metre, and planting too close is the commonest mistake, because it kills airflow and brings powdery mildew straight away. It does not tolerate frost: plant after the last frost and, in the south, a second sowing in July gives courgettes into October. Inland in Portugal and Spain heat rather than cold is the limiting factor: in weeks above 35 °C the plant stalls and light shade over midday pays for itself. In France outdoor growing is reliable from the centre southwards, while in northern France and in Germany a greenhouse, a polytunnel or a warm south facing wall makes the difference, and planting out should wait until after the mid May cold snap.
Fertilização
Work two to three kilos of well rotted compost into each square metre before planting and add a handful of wood ash to top up potassium. Once growth is away, feed with a liquid organic fertiliser every two or three weeks, moving from a balanced formula to a higher potassium one as cropping begins. Avoid excess nitrogen, which gives lush leaves, a poor crop and a lot of aphids.
Rega
It needs plenty of water while cropping, but always at the base and never over the foliage. Water deeply two or three times a week, or daily at the height of inland heat. A straw mulch cuts water use and keeps the fruit clean.
Controlo de Infestantes
The critical period is the first month, before the foliage covers the ground. Hand weed in that phase and, once the vines start to run, stop disturbing the soil: from then on the plant smothers weeds itself. A straw mulch under the foliage keeps the fruit clean and dry and greatly reduces losses to rot where fruit touches the soil.
Controlo de Pragas
The main pests are aphids, red spider mite, thrips and whitefly, and on young plants slugs and snails, which can cut down a newly emerged seedling in one night. Protect the seedlings with a cut bottle or an ash barrier for the first weeks. Against aphids and whitefly use potassium soap in the late afternoon; against red spider mite, which appears in dry heat, wet the leaves in the morning and use neem oil.
Doenças
Powdery mildew is practically unavoidable and shows as white dust on the upper leaf surface, above all from midsummer on. It is checked with potassium bicarbonate or sulphur applied at the first signs, together with removal of old leaves and good airflow. Cucurbit downy mildew gives angular yellow patches bounded by the veins and thrives in coastal humidity. Anthracnose and collar rot appear in waterlogged soil. Use a four year rotation and clear all crop debris at the end of the season, because that is where the fungi overwinter.
Colheita
Pick young, at five to eight centimetres across, while the skin still marks under a fingernail, every day or every other day in full production. A forgotten fruit goes hard and seedy and stops the plant producing, which is the classic mistake of anyone who goes on holiday. Cut with a knife, leaving a stalk. The male flowers are also worth picking for the kitchen, always leaving some for pollination. Allow about 100 to 110 days from sowing to the first harvest of this variety. The reference colour is white, and that is what tells you it is ready.
