Delica F1 is a kabocha-type squash from northern Italy, where it is sold by name in shops because the eating quality is that good. Dark green skin, dense orange flesh with a sweet, chestnut-like flavour. Stores for months in a cool room.
Vigorous and productive plants carry round fruits weighing 1 to 1.5kg each. Roast it, make soup, or cut it into chunks for a risotto. The flesh holds its shape when cooked, which makes it more versatile than watery butternut squash.
🌱 Sowing depth: 2-3 cm
📅 Sow (Ireland): under cover March-May; plant out or sow direct late May-June after frost risk has passed
☀️ Light: full sun
🌡️ Germination: in warm conditions (typically 7-14 days with temperatures above 18-20 °C)
📏 Growth: vigorous vines; fruits round to slightly flattened, usually 1-2 kg
🪴 Spacing: about 1-1.5 m between plants or hills
⏳ Harvest: around 90-110 days from planting, when skin is dark, hard and stalk is corky; flavour improves after a short curing period
