Big Max
Big Max is a type of squash that can grow to be more than 100 pounds. They can also be 20 in (510 mm) in diameter if they are grown properly.[1][2] They are commonly called pumpkins, but this is not entirely correct; Big Max are instead "squash-type pumpkins".[3] They have a bright orange color, with fine-grained, yellow-orange flesh. The skin has deep lines in it and is slightly roughened, and can be up to 3 to 4 in (76 to 102 mm) thick. This makes Big Max squash good for keeping.[4] The flesh is good for being canned and frozen.[1]
However, because they are so big, cooking with these squash is hard.[5] They are said to not be as flavorful as smaller pumpkin varieties.[6] The variety was hybridized, or created, for its large size.[7] They have been grown as big as 300 pounds.[8] Individual fruits are round to slightly flattened.[2]
Growing
[change | change source]These squash are best planted between two and four weeks after the average last frost, and they become ripe 110 to 120 days after being planted. The plants need lots of room to grow well, and to get them very big, only one fruit should be grown on one vine. They are harvested before the first light frost, when the plant's leaves die.[9] Although recommendations are different, seeds are often planted at 1 to 3 cm (0.39 to 1.18 in) deep, spaced 3 to 8 cm (1.2 to 3.1 in) apart.[10]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Pumpkin Seed — Big Max Pumpkin". Gurney's Seed and Nursery Company. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Big Max Pumpkin is Monster". The Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 22, 1964. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ↑ "Pumpkin". Aggie Horticulture. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ↑ "Big Max Pumpkin Seed". Sustainable Seed Company. Archived from the original on 2010-10-06. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ↑ Georgeanne Brennan, Jennifer Barry (2003). Holiday pumpkins: a collection of inspired recipes, gifts, and decorations. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 1580085350.
- ↑ Vegetarian Times. Active Interest Media, Inc. October 1996. p. 44. ISSN 0164-8497.
- ↑ Earl Aronson (January 11, 1964). "The Weeders Guide". The Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ↑ "Foreign Pumpkin is Top Squash at Great Weigh-Off". Toledo Blade. October 12, 1981. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ↑ "Pumpkin Big Max Organic Seeds". Botanical Interests. Archived from the original on 2009-03-11. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ↑ "Big Max Pumpkin". neseed.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-28. Retrieved 2009-10-07.