Red Kuri Squash

Cucurbita maxima

Also known as: Uchiki Kuri, Orange Hokkaido, Baby Red Hubbard, Potimarron


A small, teardrop-shaped Japanese winter squash with brilliant orange-red skin and dense, deep-golden flesh. Fruit averages 1.8–3kg — a single squash is the perfect size for a family meal, so nothing goes to waste. The flavour is sweet, mellow, and chestnut-like, and the skin becomes tender enough to eat once roasted. Stores well through winter and holds its flavour for months. Trailing vine with a shorter run than most winter squash — needs room but not the acreage of a large pumpkin.

Days to harvest Around 14 weeks (100 days) from sowing
Fruit size Teardrop-shaped, 1.8–3.5kg
Sowing depth 2cm
Germination 6–10 days at soil temperature 21–30°C
Spacing 1m between plants, 1m between rows
Aspect Open, sunny position; deep, well-drained soil rich in organic matter
Frost tolerance Sensitive to frost at both ends of the season — sow after last frost, harvest before first frost

Growing notes

A warm, sunny position with plenty of room to run suits it best. Red Kuri sets its fruit and then puts on serious weight through summer, so preparation up front pays off.

Soil preparation: Deeply worked beds with generous well-rotted compost and aged manure. Squash are heavy feeders — build the bed before sowing and top-dress as the vine takes off.

Sowing method: Sow 3–4 seeds in raised mounds spaced 1 metre apart, directly where the plants are to grow, then thin to the two strongest seedlings per mound once they're up and true leaves have formed.

Support: Usually left to trail along the ground. Can be trained up a sturdy trellis with fruit slings if space is tight, but the vine will sprawl 2–3m if given the room.

Watering & feeding: Deep, consistent watering at the base, especially through fruit set and swell. Overhead watering invites mildew. Side-dress with well-rotted manure or a balanced liquid feed once flowering starts.

Harvest: Ready when the skin has turned a deep orange-red, the stem has started to dry and cork, and the shell no longer marks with a fingernail. Cut with a generous length of stem attached — this helps with storage. Cure in a warm, dry spot for a week or two before storing.

Timing: Around 14 weeks from sowing to harvest.

Key features

  • Compact winter squash on a manageable vine
  • Sweet, chestnut-like flavour
  • Edible skin once roasted
  • Family-meal-sized fruit at 1.8–3.5kg
  • Excellent long storage — three months or more
  • Reliable cropper in cooler climates

Short season tips


Direct sow into warm ground from mid-spring to early summer once frost risk has passed. In Coonabarabran and similar inland zones, that means mid-November onwards. If time is tight, start seed indoors in large pots 3–4 weeks before transplanting — squash resent root disturbance, so handle carefully and move on with the root ball intact. A black weed mat under the vine warms the soil and buys extra days at both ends of the season.

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall
  • Corn, climbing beans, nasturtium, borage, marigold
  • Potatoes, other cucurbits within cross-pollination distance if saving seed


A Japanese heirloom winter squash bred in Hokkaido from Hubbard-type squash introduced to Japan by American traders in the late 1800s. Selected over generations for its small size, sweet chestnut flavour, and excellent storage, it spread through European and Australian gardens in the twentieth century — sold in France as Potimarron and in Australia most often as Red Kuri. Kept in wide cultivation today because it earns its place at the kitchen bench.