No doubt my non-South African readers are scratching their head and asking what the hell is a gem squash and why do we need a whole post dedicated to them. Well, let me tell you – it is probably the thing that South Africans abroad crave the most, and one of the more frustratingly unobtainable. In fact, when my half-sister emigrated to France in the 1970’s she missed gem squash so much that she smuggled a packet of seeds into France with her and planted them in her garden there, just so that she could have a steady supply. Biltong is now made in most countries where Saffers congregate; to get boerewors, all you need is a good spice blend and a tame butcher to make it for you; and Rooibos tea has practically conquered the world. But gem squashes seem to be the holy grail for expat South Africans, judging by the deluge of comments that have followed my two previous posts on them.
So what is this mythical vegetable of which I speak? Gem squash (similar – possibly genetically identical – to rolet squash, 8-ball squash or courgettes ronde) originated in Central America and belong to the botanical genus Cucurbita, which includes most gourd and melons and can be subdivided into Cucurbita maxima (Hubbard squash and buttercup squash); Cucurbita mixta (cushaw squash); Cucurbita moschata (butternut squash); and Cucurbita pepo to which gem squashes belong, together with most pumpkins, acorn squash, marrows and cucumbers. More generally, though, squashes are categorised as summer or winter squash, which has little to do with their time of availability, but rather their time of harvesting and degree of maturity at harvesting. Winter squashes are generally left on thne vine until the end of summer before they are harvested, making their skin hard and tough, which makes it possible to store them for consumption at a later date. Summer squashes, on the other hand, are picked when they are still young and tender. They need little or no cooking (e.g. zucchini) but don’t keep as well as winter squashes. Included in this family would also be the wonderful pattypan squash (also called scallop squash) which was a staple food back home but not something I’ve seen generally available in UK supermarkets 🙁
Gem squash falls into the summer squash category, but I must say that the gem squashes vary greatly in terms of how thick their skin is – a function of how early or late they were picked. The ones we get in we get in South Africa (often sold by the roadside in 5 or 10kg bags) tend generally to be pretty thick-skinned and once cooked, hold their shape to form their own little biodegradable bowl. The ones sold in the UK, however, live up to their summer squash description and the skin is often soft enough to eat once cooked. In South Africa we also get baby gems – approximately the size of ping-pong balls and cooked in the blink of an eye. You just eat the whole thing, no mess, no fuss – and they are SO sweet and delicious.
So if the supermarkets don’t sell them, the only way forward is to grow your own. Judging by the number of queries I have received, lots of expats want to know how to grow gem squash, so here is a little guide, collated from various websites and reader comments.
HOW TO GROW GEM SQUASH
- Choose your location wisely as gem squash need a lot of space to grow. They send out long vines and will take over your vegetable patch if you allow them to. Some growers construct A-frame trellises for the vines to trail on which keeps the plants off the rest of your garden, and the fruit off the ground (where they might rot).
- They are not frost tolerant and require temperatures of between 18C to 27C for optimum growth. The frost free growing season in the northern hemisphere is roughly between April and November.
- Sow your gem squash in the sunniest spot in your garden (particularly in colder countries), in rich, well-drained soil. Add some compost to the soil before sowing for best results and sow the seeds in rows, 2cm deep and 1m apart. Keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged as this will cause the seeds to rot. Mulching is not necessary as the large leaves of the squash plant provide similar protection from moisture loss.
- A handy hint from reader UK Stephen Brosin is to “dig the planting hole far too big, place a handful or two of 3-4 day-old grass clippings in the hole, add some compost and some slow-release fertilizer and then plant your seedlings on top. If you have a compost heap, grow your gems on the heap!”
- Gem squashes have similar growing requirements to cucumbers and prefer organic liquid feeds high in potassium.
WHEN TO HARVEST GEM SQUASH
Harvest takes place in early Autumn. If you are living in a warm climate and are planning to store the squashes for a while, the fruit is ripe and ready to be picked when the skin is too hard to pierce with your fingernails. However, it is unlikely that you will get to this stage in the cool Northern Hemisphere (see below for the problem of powdery mildew), so probably better pick to pick them as soon as they approach the size of tennis balls (or even earlier), regardless of how soft the skin is. If growing Rolet F1 squash, UK reader Stephen Brosin says: “Rolet F1 , if left just a bit too long, gives a very fibrous squash not at all like a pukka gem. When picked young, however, the Rolet F1 makes a very passable substitute and is most enjoyable”.
DEALING WITH GEM SQUASH PESTS
The one problem that WILL arise when growing gem squash (or butternuts, courgettes and cucumbers) in cool climates is powdery mildew, a fungus which strikes later in the growing season. The growing season simply is not long enough and the onset of the cooler weather stresses the plants which makes them vulnerable to mildew for which there is no cure. To try and fight the onset of powdery mildew, readers have sent the following tips:
- Grow the plants in full sun.
- Take care not to wet the leaves when watering – rather make sure you water the soil directly, not the plant.
- If possible, construct a temporary greenhouse over the plants with wooden battens and clear polythene sheeting, to keep water and cold winds off the plants.
- Reader Ed says: “Gardeners and farmers in the USA use a fungicide containing myclobutanil for it. In the UK it is only approved for ornamental plants and fruit trees but I figured if it’s good enough for American gardeners I should give it a go!”
- Some gardeners have experienced success by spraying affected leaves with a mixture of 1 part skim or low-fat milk to 9 parts water (a 10% solution of milk, in other words). Others say that 1 tsp. (approx. 5 ml) of baking powder (sodium bicarbonate) dissolved in 1 quart (just under a litre) and sprayed on the leaves will knock it back. Although these may slow the powdery mildew, they will not kill it, but at least the plant may survive long enough to mature your crop.
- Cut off badly affected leaves to encourage air flow and light to all parts of the plant.
HOW TO HARVEST GEM SQUASH SEEDS
If you are lucky enough to have grown a mature crop of gem squash, then you can harvest seeds from the fruit before cooking and grow more next year. Reader Keith Meintjies has this advice: “To harvest the seeds: Leave the squash on the vine until the vines die back, or buy mature squash that are not all green but have a touch of yellow/orange colour on their skin. Halve the squash, and scoop out the seeds before cooking. Rinse the seeds to remove them from the squash strands. Dry the seeds on paper towel at room temperature for a week or so, then store them in a resealable plastic bag or old plastic 35mm film cannister.”
GEM SQUASH NUTRITIONAL VALUE
The gem squash is high in fibre, low in calories and contains useful amounts of vitamin A and C, as well as iron, folate, potassium and niacin. It has a similar nutritional profile to spaghetti squash.
WHERE TO BUY GEM SQUASH SEEDS & GEM SQUASH
Depending on where you live, it may be possible to buy gem squash fruit, seedlings or seeds. Here is a list of the places I have found and that readers have told me about to buy gem squash, Rolet squash, courgettes ronde, 8-ball squash or Tondo Chiaro di Nizza – if you know of others, please e-mail me or leave a comment and I will add them.
In the UK:
- Gem Squash UK (they also send out growing kits with instructions & all you need to get started)
- Premier Seeds Direct (as Little Gem squash seeds)
- Mammoth Onion (W Robinson & Sons) (as Little Gem squash seeds)
- Kings Seeds (as Little Gem Rolet squash seeds)
- Chiltern Seeds (as Tondo Chiaro di Nizza seeds)
- Seed Parade (as Little Gem 8 seeds)
- Moles Seeds (as Rolet squash seeds)
- More Veg (as Rolet squash seeds)
- Nicky’s Nursery (as Rolet squash seeds)
- Sow Seeds (as Eight Ball F1 squash seeds)
- Amazon (GROSEEDS) (as Little Gem seeds)
The fruit themselves are very seasonal and available from Waitrose, Borough Market in London (and probably other farmers’ markets), and sometimes the large branches of Tesco & Sainsbury’s. They also crop up fairly often in the Abel & Cole and Riverford organic boxes, as well as independent greengrocers. South African shops in the UK sometimes briefly stock them when in season.
In Australia:
- http://www.thesouthafricanshop.com.au (as fruit, when in season)
Shop 7 & 8 Upper Level Templestowe Village
Shopping Centre,
112 James Street
Templestowe
VIC 3106 - Hahndorf Vegetable Market near Adelaide (as fruit, when in season)
- Southern Harvest (as gem squash seeds)
- Springbok Foods (as gem squash fruit, Nov to Apr)
- Diggers Club (as gem squash seeds)
In NZ:
- www.kingsseeds.co.nz (will deliver to the UK)
- The Farm Store Kerikeri
8 Hall Rd Kerikeri
New Zealand
ph 09 4077607
Gem Squash seedlings. $2.50 pot of three
In the USA:
- The Seed Stead (as Rolet Gem Squash)
- Twining Vine Garden (as Gem Squash)
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (as similar Tondo Scuro di Piacenza)
DO YOU KNOW OF A GEM SQUASH SEED OR FRUIT SUPPLIER IN YOUR COUNTRY? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS SO I CAN ADD IT TO THE LIST!
HOW TO COOK GEM SQUASH – GEM SQUASH RECIPES
OK, I hear you ask, that’s all fine and well, but what do you do with a gem squash?
- You can peel and quarter the gems, scoop out the seeds and roast with olive oil. But personally, if I can avoid peeling a squash then I will!
- You can do what my dad still does to this day: slice the squash in half around its equator, boil (or steam or microwave) until the flesh is soft enough to scoop out the seeds easily. Then add a knob of butter in each hollow, mash the flesh inside the skin and season with cinnamon sugar.
- Alternatively, if the idea of sweet vegetables is off-putting to you, try the same idea but with sea salt, black pepper and thyme. I have even mashed mine up with a balsamic dressing which worked well. For something creamier, try my Rozenhof creamy gem squash recipe.
- Prepare and steam the squashes as above, then fill each hollow with a spoonful of vegetables of your choice mixed with pesto and serve (also ideal as a vegan meal).
- You can make gem squash stuffed with a beef mince and tomato ragu – hubby’s favourite.
- You can make gem squash stuffed with a spicy creamed sweetcorn mixture and topped with cheese – my favourite way of eating them!
For more gem squash recipe inspiration, have a look at my dedicated Pinterest gem squash recipe board:
Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff’s board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.
As one of those who hankers after that taste I have repeatedly tried to grow them, but up here in the australian tropics they take off and then just wilt from the heat, whatever the season. Thanks for showcasing this wonderful vegetable.
Gillian,
Are you from Cape Town by any chance??
I’m also having frustrating experience in the Queensland sub-tropics. Big healthy vine, lots and lots of female fruit, plenty of bees, but not one has grown in average temperatures of 23-32. I suspect it might have something to do with either temperature or day length. Anyway next time I’ll try planting late in the summer and see if they will crop into winter.
I was just saying to my wife last night that it would be nice to have a veggie garden at home. The only problem is that I’m a bit lazy to weed and we can’t water garden with a hose at the moment.
Hi everyone,
Can you add another shop that sells gem squash regularly every summer in Australia please. it is the Hahndorf Vegetable shop, as you approach Hahndorf from Adelaide, South Australia on the left about a kilometre out of the village. I have just bought some now, in August which is his last until the next season. They grow them in Murray Bridge. It is also easy to grow them in southern Australia and has got my into growing my veggies in a huge vegetable garden which supplies us all year with salad and lots of fruiting veggies in the right season.
‘Boerewors and Biltong’ in Rouse Hill, NSW. Just bought a pile and at home enjoying the trip…
Wow, didn’t even realise gem squash was virtually unknown outside of South Africa! The little things we take for granted, eh?
I love the way you right! You even make squash sound entrancing and fun! I never liked squash growing up but am now discovering it little by little and you make it sound so delicious and so necessary!
I am never without these in my kitchen, they are pantry staples! I couldn’t live without them. One more reason to stay in SA!
I live in Seapoint Cape Town , have you any idea where I can find them ?
Thank You
Mac
How do i store gem squash?
OHH the best way to store a ‘Cricket Ball Marrow’ is in ur tummy hell they don’t last. I grow them here in France and they can’t keep up with us. As an exRhodesian can’t live without them.
People crave this? Srsly? *shudder* I can’t tell you how glad I am to have left them behind…
hahaha were you born there?
hmm rather like the idea of growing it over a trellis thanks Jeanne.. this season’s vegie garden is just starting to come alive !
Of course I learned something new today since I have not heard of this special treat until now.
You speak as though boerewors was a given! Nee nee nee nee nee, bokkie :-)- ons sukkel nog! Taming a New York butcher is risky business. But I hope to have good news, soon.
Must say I have not had gem squash for…a long time. When I ate them, growing up in SA, the poor things were boiled to death. But they are delicious when treated with respect and good butter. And the gardener in me is happy to see a How To for growing the sweet little squash…
I love how you cover a whole topic indepth. Who knew this much about gem squash. Fab.
My favourite way to eat gem squash is to cut them in half, boil them, scoop out the pips, fill the hollow with hot creamed sweetcorn and then grate mature cheddar over the top. YUM
cut in half, seeds scooped out, add butter and a bit of onion, wrap in tin foil on the braai…mmmmm!
Sjoe, nooit besef dis so skaars in ander lande nie! Hier raak ons soms skoon moeg vir hul 🙂
I guess I will never have these as I live in my tiny apartment and cannot grow them. Woe is me!
*cries* I tried growing them here, but the constant rain at the time killed them. In no time, they fell to the ever-present ellendige mould. Now if I had read this post first, I may have had the savvy to put a cover over to protect them from too much rain. Live and learn, though I’ve used up all the seeds in that attempt. Hm… I must find me someone willing to mail to Brazil 😉
Boerewors here is a no-no unless I make it myself. The butchers wail and beat their chests if I so much as mention mincing something like pork or bacon.
i had my first gem squash of the year last week – boiled, seeds scooped out, a bit of butter added and some garlic puree. absolutely wonderful.
What a gem 🙂 I need to order some seeds online for next year – so all your information is much appreciated, Jeanne!
Thanks for the advice on growing them. Gemsquash are unfortunately no easier to get hold of here in Germany. You will occasionally find some at an autumn fair, but I’d never seen them in the shops until last weekend, when I was delighted to find a few in a box full of assorted decorative gourds(of the knobbly, colourful, inedible kind), which were on offer. I picked them out and took them to the till, where I was warned that they are inedible and strictly for decorative puposes! Interesting, given that they are not only delicious, but not all that decorative! I stupidly told the cashier that I knew this particular kind and they were good too eat, and she became very distressed, worried that I would be poisoned. I had to assure her that I wasn’t really intending to eat them and just wanted them to decorate my flat(!?), before she calmed down. Crazy germans.
I need help,planted some gem squash seeds from SA,plant’s were strong with lots of flower’s but never got fruit,what happend?I now live in SW of France,same thing happend with my butternut.yet baby marrows go mad.
Hello Heidi, Male plants will not fruit ,try and plant a number of seeds in a propagation tray,
place the small tray in a white pail with lid in full sun April+ do not over water,plant a raised bed when 8-10” high use bamboo stakes to trelliss the vines Pick the gems at tennis ball size and store, hang in orange net bags in shed will keep for 3-6 months.Good luck Alan
Hi, its akways better to impregnate female flowers with male pollens. They really grow better doing this as you cant always rely on the bees.
This method is called a hand-job !!
hi there another one in SW France. I grow mine fine ok lost a few before thither fully developed but they do good here in Perigueux
I rather like the cinnamon sugar idea! I shall keep my eye out for these. Actually, if I plant some next year, maybe it will keep the garden weeds down…
I loved them on our first visit to SA. Now we’re living here I rather take them for granted and don’t do as much with them as I could. I’ll have to try some of your ideas for serving them soon.
You are so right about missing these little babies , I have not had these for so many years now. It was one of the few veggies that i loved as child I remember always having two halves on my plate and a little butter in each – hmmmm bliss . Thanks for the heads up on where to get them .
I have bought a huge pocket full and am worried that they will deteriorate before my family eats them. How well will they respond to freezing? After cooking maybe?
Thanks for sharing your info on the gems. I am in Scottsdale, Arizona, missed having them so I have grown some here, but the moment the temperature goes over 100F (38C)they dont stand a chance. Fortumately the winters are mild so that is when I start planting.
Okay I thought I was wierd, missing Gem Squash! have tried to grow them in Holland, but no luck. This year inside in front of the sunniest window, WOW, growing like crazy, full of flowers. BUT I do understand the birds and the bees bit, but seeing as I don’t have bees inside… the polination is not happening. I also can’t tel the male from the female flowers, they all seem to have a bulge below the flowers and when I open them there is a single (stamen – or whatever it is), does this mean that the female flowers are still on the way? the flowers are starting to drop off. ANYONE in the know please help, I NEED my gem squash on the table!!!!
Hello from another Gem squash fan….My sister sent me some seeds a few months ago and they are growing like crazy in the garden……..IN…….SWEDEN!! Imagine that!
I have been growing them for years here without any problems.
Hej/Hi
Saw your comments on “cooksister” re GEM SQUASH that you’ve been growing in Sweden. Where in Sweden? I’m in the Stockholm skärgård area. When do you plant the seed? Direct outside or first in pots inside? Is the season in Sweden long enough for the gems to mature?
I lived in Zambia for many many years and really miss gems.
Hello from Pieter and June in Cross Gates , West Yorkshire. We’ve always loved
gems especially the young ones when we eat them skin and all.We have miss them terribly since coming to live in England. The few times that we’ve found them for sale in the shops we bought the entire remaining stock !Now we’ve decided to grow them in a decent little green house at the back of our house.We got our seeds from Robinsons.Wish us Luck!
Hi P A Smuts, the lovely Gem needs constant sunlight. A green house? I have my doubts. I grew them in Derby out in my allotment and they grew long and healthy, mayne 8 feet in length. After the fruit was about the size of a golfball, the leaves started becoming dry, but no wories. I continued to water the main plant and the gems grew to about a tennis ball size. Must have had about 60 in all. I stored them in my shed through the late autumn and into early winter. They were great. I was born in Florida, Old Tvl. S.A.
Sure hope you will e-mail me,I would love to have seeds from your squash
Hi, I have five plants growing nice but loose the fruit at marble size only three will mature. Do you have to take off the male flowers like you would do with cucumbers?? Peter
My husband composted our front garden with our own compost and low and behold, there are loads of gems and butternuts now growing. Picked the first 4 today and they are presently cooking and will accompany the ‘braai’ today. Lucky us.
Hi again, Sorry I had no help from all you nice people but thought someone would give me some help. regards, Peter Kent (16/11/2011)
Peter Kent, no you don’t remove the any of the flowers, the problem is probably the location of the plants, ie too windy, too sunny, too cold, too dry, too wet…etc…try planting in a different spote and wind free. Mine grow in the southeast corner of the garden in deep potplants, free from wind, they are watered about once a day during the hottest period. I sow them indoors first and plant them out when temperatures are around 18 degrees night and day. I normally get about 5 kg of gemsquash from 6 plants (in sweden!!) hope this helps. Good luck
Hi All,
Had no Joy for seeds from “Eureka Farms”
Have asked Keith and Charlotte to help.
Adrian
I am harvesting gem squash on a daily basis lucky me! Would love a gem squash soup recipe!!
Thanks, Riana
Seeds are avaible from http://www.amazon.co.uk or
http://www.mammothonion.co.uk/shop/5/index.htm
Peter Kent – sounds like the bees are not pollinating the flowers. I had the same problem growing gemsquash this year until I remembered that I need to do the job myself – now i have loads of mature squash on my vine. I check the plant daily to see if new female flowers (with the fruit forming below them) are open, and if they are, I either break off a male flower and use it to pollinate, or use a paintbrush to transfer the pollen from male to female. It’s amazingly effective, and without this method I find that the squash shrivel and fall off as you describe. I have no idea why this is never mentioned on the seed packets! Hope this helps someone…
Thanks for all the info. I am one of those gem-starved SAffers wanting to produce my own in Brisbane.
My plants are growing very well and I keep them well fertilized. I do have a problem though in that the fruit get ‘weened’ off when about marble size. I have tried bicarbonate of soda and also use fertilizer containing 10% potassium but this does not solve the problem. I can certainly accommodate some use full advice here.
Many thanks in anticipation.
Jan
Thank you for all the information – but I want to know if it is possible to freeze gem squash
I Tershia-Marie – I have not tried but I doubt it – I think because of their high water content, they woul just be much when you defrosted them. But the whole fruit, it picked after the skin is too hard to pierce with a fingernail) will keep for 2 months or more in a cool dark place. Or you could cook them, mash them with butter and then freeze the mash? Good luck!
I have been getting one or two requests for seeds per week for the past six years or so. Send an e-mail with your snail mail address to [email protected]. (USA only.)
Interesting question, freezing gem squash. I imagine it would be fine: Cook the squash, scoop out the flesh, add butter, salt and spices to taste, and freeze in a ziploc plastic bag.
By the way, Gem Squash are winter squash. They can be eaten when immature, skin, seeds and all. But, if you let them mature, they develop their distictive taste, and the shell can become quite hard. The skin is normally a very dark green, but may develop orange areas as it matures.
There have been references to 8-ball squash. These are round zucchini (Italian squash, courgettes). They are summer squash, and are not gem squash.
Keith
Hi there Thank you the answer I shall try it out Have a nice day
Please can anybody tell me where I can buy GEM SQUASH??? I live in East Anglia..
When is the best time to plant the seeds? I live in New Zealand North Island…
this is my third season growing gem squash, but this year for some reason a lot of my early females are turning light green and eventually dying—i do have some good healthy gems but am baffled by this
rob
I’m growing gems in the greenhose, and have trained them up canes and across the roof.
the problem is that after the flower has dropped off the fruit begins to rot from the flower end and drops off.
any Ideas why?
Hi Joe, are you growing by hydroponics?
I have squash growing in my vegetable garden but I cannot identify the type. Please can you help?
thanks
Hi Jane – do you have a picture of the squash that you can e-mail me?
I brought a packet of Mayford Rolet Gem Squash seeds back from SA on our last trip. I started by germinating some seeds in a small bowl sandwiched between paper towel and kept moist. After about a week or soon later I had some healthy seedlings. I then transferred them to a seedling tray with potting mix for another 2 weeks. When they had grown to a height of 75mm I transplanted them in well manured and composted soil under 70% shade cloth. I planted them out about a 6 weeks ago and the plants are becoming well developed. The only concern is the pollination of the flowers when they appear as I have heard that I may have to self pollinate. Any comments?
Hello – thanks for the interesting info on gems!
I am in Perth, Western Australia and have been able to get gems quite cheaply of late so am able to satisfy my SAfrican pallate in that regard.
I have been trying repeatedly to be grow these tasty veggies for the past 4 months and they flourish UNTIL the evil powdery milldew engulfs them and that is the end of the line. I have even tried growing them in my outdoor hydroponic system and have tried to treat them with the milk solution you mentioned but still the powdery milldew is relentless and the milk solution has no effect.
It must be possible to grow them here – based on the plentiful supply of them in the veggie stores.. so for now, the quest continues to overcome the scourge of the powdey stuff. I would be interested to hear from anyone who lives near the coast in Perth who has found a way to beat the problem.
dan in perth
Hell Dean,
I have grown a few plants from shop bought gem squashes and so far have numerous little squashes developing. Now I am worried about the mildew and wondered if something like a Bordeaux spray may help. Mildew of a sort affects my Gooseberry plants (like kills them ) and my grapevine,
regards Aylwin, Doubleview, Perth
Mine definitely self pollinated maybe we have more bees here
My daughter lives in Zimbabwe. When visiting her I really liked gems. We are planting some today. We can’t wait for them to grow and then we can enjoy them.
Hello from Russia
Once I was been in SA and tried a tasty Gem Squash…wow…it’s wonderful!
I’m waiting seeds from England now.
Please answer me: is anybody growing Gem Squash by hydroponics method? Which size of length root gem squash?
I lived in the UK for many years and used to buy my precious gems at Waitrose. I would literally buy the entire stock if i found them, which was often, in winter.
I have been in the USA now for 15 years and miss my gem squash the most. Found some seeds 2 years ago and have been growing my own since then. A little bit of heaven!! so far away from home.
Hi growing some gem squash in my UK garden (in the north) and they are growing and cropping well on trellis……
I got the seeds from Amazon.co.uk They are much larger than a tennis ball i would say twice as big, should I harvest them as they grow to this size or leave them ? Also should I gradually pick them? as most plants have 5 fruits so far but with many more flowers ready to grow more, does harvesting help the the little ones grow better ?
For the first times thanks to this forum I have managed to grow a handful of gems (I go out every morning and do the bees job for them and pollinate the female flowers) can anybody tell me if you are meant to pick them and leave them to dry a bit before cooking them as my first one was quite watery and not a very strong flavour?
You may have picked your gems too soon. What is your location? Did you plant from seeds purchased? When did you start planting the seeds and how long did it take to get your gems ready for picking.
Hi growing some gem squash in my UK garden (in the north) and they are growing and cropping well on trellis……
I got the seeds from Amazon.co.uk They are much larger than a tennis ball i would say twice as big, should I harvest them as they grow to this size or leave them ? Also should I gradually pick them? as most plants have 5 fruits so far but with many more flowers ready to grow more, does harvesting help the the little ones grow better ?
Hi Helen – we grew them the past 2 years on our allotment in London and I would say although they DO get bigger, harvesting them when they are slightly larger than a cricket ball is probably about optimal in terms of eating. We gradually pick ours as they get to this size, allowing the plant to concentrate on growing the little ones. If you harvest once the skin has hardened, they keep for 2 months or more in a cool dark place, so unlike zucchini you don’t have to cope with a tsunami 😉
I tried the same technique and got some good seedlings and once planted out in the garden, I got some good growth with lots of male flowers and very few female ones. Before I could pollinate the few females, the leaves started to go mildew and the plants started to die. Does anyone know what causes the mildew rot?
Just love them & am so happy I have found them I am going to try & grow them wish me luck
Where can I buy or order gem squash seeds in Australia? Thank you very much.
I bought a gem squash and took out the seeds and dried them for few weeks. Planted them and now have beautiful plants with lots of fruit in my garden. Help them to pollinate. In Perth WA on the coast
A few expats have smuggled gem seeds in and I’ve just got a friend to grow some gems in her garden as I have only a small deck. My gems came up but shrivelled at 2″ which was very sad. Hers did well and I’ve had quite a few. The climate here is quite similar to Cape Town. Would love to get recipes, news, etc.
Is it true that Mugabe has banned everything white in the country, e.g. cars, fridges, shirts? They all have to be repainted. God help the white cats and goats! People here just don’t believe me when I tell them these stories.
Greta happily on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Hello dear
Does anyone know the company in South Africa that export gem squash to Russia?
Hi Alwyn,
I did the same as you, had a good start on the growth of the vines, lots of flowers, but almost all male flowers and very few female so was not able to pollinate them by hand. Then the mildew started and killed off the plants. So have started again and just finished planting out my seedlings growth from seeds collected from Gems bought from an IGA supermarket inMyaree, Perth WA. I believe that a spay will be needed to control the mildew. I am going to talk to the dept of Agriculture this week on the subject.
I’m about to try growing some squash in Thailand. If anyone has any advice or has tried this before I would love to hear from you. I’ll try to remember to tell you all how it went.
I was brought up on these lovely Gem Squash. My Grandma used to grow them.
When we moved to the UK she must have brought some seed over with her, as I remember having these when I went to visit or stay with her.
Would love to get some or some seeds.
Try pollinating some of the flowers by hand and then cap those flowers with a paper cone. Use a couple of male flowers and make sure they are full of mature pollen.
Are you over fertilizing? The plants need lots of water on the ground – don’t spray the leaves or the flowers. Google how to ….. and read.
Hi there,
Inplanted some seeds. How long before i will see something growing?
Hi, just to let you know that there IS a cure for powdery mildew. Every year my squashes and courgettes got the mildew, so this year I googled it and found that gardeners and farmers in the USA use a fungicide containing myclobutanil for it. In the UK it is only approved for ornamental plants and fruit trees but I figured if it’s good enough for American gardeners I should give it a go.
It’s sold as Systhane and stopped the first signs of mildew dead in its tracks. American sites recommended leaving at least three days between spraying and picking.
To stop mildew you need to create an alkali on the leaves. Use tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda, with a gallon of water – add tablespoon of cooking oil and tablespoon of liquid soap, mix together, and spray both sides of leaves and stems before midmorning on a sunny day. Use a frame and pots and keep separated by a couple of meters to prevent spread of mildew.
How are gem squash pollinated? I am growing them on my balcony and there are NO insects up here (except flies…) so I feel that I will have to pollinate by hand. The only problem is that although there definitely me flowers, I have not seen any female flowers, so I have no idea how pollination happens.
Hi,at last I have grown gem squash in the West Midlands ,England,yes seeds from SA,but will save seeds,started the seeds on the cold greenhouse,then pricked out when had 2 true leaves,planted outside in June.,not much protection,ambled along,now fruits,have just picked 2good size ones ( slightly bigger than a tennis ball. And skins hard).but on reading need to leave 6weeks from picking to allow starches inside to go sweet.picked 2years ago gem squash I grew,then cooked,bitter as hell,’,,we have had s good summer,more squash to come,
Hello All,
I have grown Gem squash here in Cornwall UK for the past 3 years on Bamboo trellises ,this year being rather wet and cool I am experiencing a lot of leaf mildew and strip off the leaves but it is difficult to stop it ,will try milk and also baking soda .I have used seeds from So.Africa , Namibia,Zimbabwe and Lydl Stores.Thank you for the recipes. Happy growing.Alan
Squash plants do not have male and female plants. They all give rise to both male and female flowers and you can use the male bits to fertilise the female ones by rubbing some pollen from male into the female. If there are no female flowers you might like to add some potassium into the soil. ASk a nursery.
Hi
Please can you help me. I planted some gem squash and all the little gems are turning yellow and falling off. Why do you think that is. Please could you reply to my email address.
Many thanks
Hi – in the UK we get Gems once a year – in October. We buy as mush as we can but is there a way I can freeze them whole? I have in the past cooked and mashed them and then frozen them, but I would really like to try and keep them whole.
Grew a bumper crop of gems this year ( my cousin, allotment in Wood Green North London) and have just finished eating some for lunch. we cook them whole in boiling water having pierced them first with a fork. When the shell becomes soft enough to push in with the back of the fork they are cooked. Add butter and pepper.
INTERESTED IN GEM SQUASH. I WAS INTRODUCED TO THIS GEM WHILE VISITING SOUTH AFRICA (GEORGE) A FEW YEARS BACK……AND LOVED THEM. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND SEED AND SO FAR I HAVEN’T FOUND ANY HERE IN THE USA. I AM A FARMER AT HEART BUT CONFINE MY FARMING TO MY LITTLE GARDEN.
I DO LIVE IN THE SOUTHERN U.S. AND THE YEAR ROUND TEMP IS MODERATE. DON’T THINK THAT WILL BE A PROBLEM HERE. I WILL TRY THE U.S. WEB SITES THAT YOU HAVE LISTED. THANKS, EDI
I the seed still good for planting after the gem has been cooked, i.e. from the leftovers on plates? We are currently paying $2 per squash in Sydney (about ZAR20).
Nope. But buy another one for $2 and take the seeds out before you cook it – in the oven instead of boiling it – and dry them on a piece of paper towel having rubbed off most (but not necessarily all) the flesh. They don’t need stratifying and keep for years so you will have a good stock.
I stumbled across these as an ‘odd’ item available from our local supermarket a year or two back and bought one out of curiousity. Turned out to be an inspired idea and got our neighbour (ex South Africa) extremely excited to know they are available here in New Zealand. 🙂 Anyway, with not a clue with how to cook the first one I bought I allowed instinct to run amok and hoped for the best. And they were… the best. Love them! I simply cut them in half, deseeded them and added a scoop of butter, a sprinkle of garlic salt and a healthy slurp of maple syrup then threw them in the oven to bake. And that’s still how I do them. They’re one of the few veggies that my husband and I prefer over anything else on our plates when we have them. Maybe I should just cook up an entire meal of them once a week while they’re in season and stop kidding myself that anything else on the plate can compare. 😉
Please remove my name from being a gem squash seed supplier
Thank you
Done 🙂
Hi.
I live in Oregon in the US. I used to live in Namibia and enjoyed gemsquash (which we also called skorsies. I was able to buy them in Kenya when i lived there.
Now, here in the US, I was getting them from Eureka farms near San Diego, CA but they lost their import license.
I got some seeds from Canada last year, but I do not remember where.
Please send me some Gemsquash or skorsie seeds so I can plant them in a month or two. I will send you a check if you tell me how much.
My Address is 4675 Hayesville Ct., NE, Salem, OR 97305
Thank you very much.
LeRoy Judd
Some seeds in the post for you. Good luck with them.
Regards
Tony
can you please tell me where I can buy Gem Squash and seeds in Sydney cheers Gary
Hi Gary, you can order them from Diggers on line. or you can order them from Mark at
https://www.africashop.com.au/shop/ He will post them.
cut and paste that link looks like it is not going to work, as is.
sew in spring. easy to grow. Spray with a mixture of 1/3 milk to water if it rains to prevent mildew which may plague you in your wet summer climate. that is to prevent mildew…not cure it.
I’m too emotional too say anything fabulous (lol) except: thank you for providing this lovely site and access to all thing we miss so bl***y much! Cheers! I live 2 hours NW of NYC, near the Delaware River. My garden NEEDS gemmies this year, I hope I can get hooked up through Keith. <3
This website is fantastic and provides really useful inforation. I was looking for a long time and couldnt find anywhere in the UK where they sell the seedlings ready to plant and therefore started doing this myself with seeds from Africa. They have worked fantastically and am currently selling the seedlings for now and the gem squash to follow when they have grown.
please let me know if you will be interested in the seedling plants or squashes.
Hello Tony,
I have a few seeds available from Namibia I had purchased when we were there last year , just pay the postage from UK . Alan
Thanks for this post! I bought a gem squash for its good looks, and it sat there for a while before I knew what to do with it… Eventually put it in a delicious curry – hope this is not gem squash blasphemy!
I’m in Perth, Western Australia – another supplier for your list is 2nd Ave Supa IGA, Mt Lawley.
Dear Jeanne,
Thank you for this post. My RSA son, now living in Canada, misses gem squash. I’m forwarding this web address to him and trust he will find a seed merchant near him.
Your recipes read delectably and I have requested email updates.
Keep up the good work,
Kind wishes,
Merle
Hi, ya im trying to grow gems in south Florida, the vine is awesome and rapidly moving across my fence with hundreds of male bloomers….. That said, a little green/yellow worm, tiny tiny is destroying the leaves…. Any ideas to stop the little punks, second, i had about 30 gems themselves but at about golf ball side they die and shrivel up…. Its been grown in full sun good water for about 4 months…. I love gems and need help, anyone got suggestions thanks… JD
I resided in Tampa Bay for twenty six years and had success in growing Gem squash in slightly shaded conditions by using cane or bamboo racks over the plants ,also on trellises in slightly shaded
beds , one has to treat the plants against cut worm , slugs etc by using slug bait . We are now in Cornwall UK and have had great success here to !We place the fruit in orange bags and place them in a wooden shed hanging from cup hooks from the roof. Good luck Alan.
Hi Jeanne,
I stumbled upon your site while looking up “how to grow gems this year?”. I grew some last year and had a small crop as I sowed late. This year I planted early and I am seeing lovely gems getting bigger every day. I justed wanted to let you know that in Canada I purchased my gem seeds from the website
https://www.seeds-organic.com/catalog/shopping_cart.php?sort=2a&osCsid=nihuv1feqogcolg0ictuo7nsk4
Maybe some Canadians (ex SA) are also looking for seeds.
You have a great blog with a lot of interesting posts. Anita
Another awesome way to eat gems is cut them in half, par cook them, scoop the seeds out and stuff them with sauted mushrooms, crushed garlic, crispy bacon bits and top with a good matured cheddar, then grill till the cheese is brown and crispy. Not very healthy but we south Africans are not known for our healthy eating habits.
great post!, we will keep looking at further dates . thankyou ( ex~ durbanites )
Hi there!
Thanks for a great article about one of my favourite squashes and being a Saffa I can totally appreciate the effort required to grow these little is SO worth it :o)
I thought I’d share an effective mould treatment I discovered recently that worked amazingly well – mix up a 40/60 milk to water spray and apply to leaves in hot weather – best to apply from the outset as prevention is better than cure but this works well even after the mould hits – happy gemming!!
I’m in SA and will be planting these for the first time (they are readily available in any supermarket here but I wanted to try growing them myself).
Just wanted to give my own advice when it comes to cooking them. I usually don’t cut them in half before cooking, I puncture them a few times with a knife and then put them in the pot to boil. When they are ready (the skin is softer to the touch), I take them out, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Then you can add butter and sugar or spice them to your preference.
If of course you want to preserve the seeds, then you need to remove them before cooking the squash.
Thank you for this wonderful post!
I would try not puncturing them before you boil them as they will get very watery inside. 20 mins after putting them in boiling water is fine. They are only likely to burst if you leave them in too long.
I put a bit of water in a pot and then put the quash in a metal colander held up by the put rim. Cover with the pot lid and the squash are steamed in no time. In my view this retains the flavour as none of it gets diluted in the boiling water. In fact I cook all my vegetables this way – even potatoes.
Oh yea! I lived in South Africa on and off for years starting in the mid 1980’s. I love gem squash! On my last trip, I brought some seeds back with me to the US. I now live in Italy and found the seeds I have taken all over the world (it’s a long story). Now I know when to plant them. I hope they will sprout come spring time! Cheers, or uh Ciao!
Ja drol,
I love this article! Thanks for the tips …
Donnie
Hi ‘ Cooksister’….love the name nearly as much as I love koeksusters!!!!, was so thrilled to find your site on gems. I live on the Gold Coast. aUst….near Brisbane….so sub-tropical…..hot & humid in summer! Just like Durban. There is an SA shop here & get gems twice a year from a grower about 2 hrs from….BUT OMG…do they know how to charge. There is no competition so guess they can charge what they like due to a HUGe demand from expats! …$6.50 a kilo.equates to about R42…. Outrageous! But we pay because we can’t go past them….my very fav veg! I bought some over Xmas & have kept & dried the seeds. Do you think I’ll have a problem growing gems in the humidity? Or should I grow them during winter when it is cooler…..but never too cold. Many thanks fo your advice & any hints you may have as I have never grown them before.
Happy new year & kind regards Jan
Hi Jeanne,
Been such a long time since I had gem squash, my daughter has recently grown her own, I know that the skin can be hard but has she harvested too early if it is really hard that she cannot cut through it. Should she boil it a bit and then cut it to put into the oven or whatever she wants to do with it.. I would love your opinion and great website too by the way.
Cheers Lynn
Lynn
Sounds as if they have been grown in too cold conditions or have been left on the plant too long. You don’t say where you are but we grow them in England and get 50 or 60 off two plants each year. It is only the last of the season where the skins get tough.
Hi sorry we are in qld Australia
Great article on Gem Squash in SA but I would like to know if they can be frozen as I have sooooo many in the garden. Thanks.
Hi
You can add Tony and Marks, 555 Portrush Road, Glenunga SA 5064 as a source of gem squash in Adelaide.
Great article! I live in Texas and 30 years ago we could by gems in the south near the Mexican border. But now I just get family to mail me a packet of seeds from RSA.
Question: My bees are very low in numbers this year and so I want to assist by manually pollinating them. My problem is I have difficiulty telling the boy gems from the girl gems. Do you have photos or a diagram that would help?
Nutmeg! Butter. Big flakes of salt. That is all.
Actually, no – I feel I have to say this too: IMHO, the fact that a fungicide is permitted on food products in the USA (no disrespect to State-siders), is unfortunately by no means a safety endorsement… I would err on the side of caution.
Can’t wait to see how my first attempt at squash goes here in Victoria (Australia).
I have two gem squash plants in my veg garden, both of them growing very well indeed however i have had ample flowers on both but then die off and no gems. i have not had one gem.Please could you give me some insight as to why this might be and why i am not getting the gems.
Thanks for your information on gem squash. I am now close to 80 and grew up in the Cape.
We ate a lot of gem squash because of its fibre. It was cut in half and boiled with the seeds
for extra flavour. If it is a young soft one, we boiled it whole. I loved the seeds then. We served
it with some butter and NUTMEG. And there is nothing nicer than gem squash and mashed potato
mixed with bit of butter. Baby’s first solid food!
I am very excited about being able to grow a gem squash plant.
I have one plant which is doing very well in a very large pot – my garden soil is atrocious, I have made a frame for it to spread over and that is working well. What I want to know is how the fruits’ appear. I have two ‘fruits’ which do not seem to have come from the base of a flower – so where do they come from? And what should l look for?
So glad I came across your article om gem squash. Can they be frozen or preserved in any way?
Hi there I am a lover of Gem squash from South Africa.
Baking them with a dollop of butter and finely cut garlic is YUMMMMY 🙂
I purchased a bag and was wondering which would be the best way to freeze them, any advice would be welcome.
Thank you ~•~
Hello
I reside in Sweden and took with me some seeds from a gem i had at my moms place. The seeds are dry and eagerly waiting to be planted (i hope).
I was wondering if it’s possible to grow the stuff inside the house. I have a spot where there’s always sunshine.
This is my first time attempting such a thing, so you might say that i’m a rooky. My plan is test it out with a few seeds and see the outcome so at to not waste the entire batch. i really hope to succeed in this. it is currently May now and mid-spring.
Kind Regards
Samuel
They grow quite long or tall if you train then upright something like a grow bag system you use with tomatoes and supports to train the plant would do it if you have the space and manual pollination
Yes i would. But there is the possibility of growing outside too.
Dear Cooksister,
several times I was working as biologist in South Africa and Namibia and was fascinated about Rolet Gem Squash. I collected seeds and cultured the plant in my garden in Germany with success. Every year, I have taken seeds from a ripe fruit and growed them in the next year. In the last years the growing success was not so good, and several other forms occurred, e.g. yellow balls, and green elongated fruits. I could send you a photo of the green (normal form) and the elongated form. What do you think, are these effects of hybridisation, and can I also use the the abnormal forms also in my kitchen?
Best wishes
Lothar
Hi, I have also been growing gem’s from seed. Last year I received some seeds that did produce fruit even though the seeds were really old. Therefore I collected seeds from one fruit that I left on the vine an extra long time to allow the seeds to mature.
This year my gems are elongated! even though the vines the same, the leaves are the same, the tendrils are the same, my mother insists that I made a mistake and didn’t plant gems… o.0 I only have the one type of seed.
Are my plants oval gems? or another type of squash? or a product of reproducing the fruit from seed made in Canada?! lol… ??
Best,
Kimberley
I have found the answer as to why my gem’s were oval and elongated.
I accidentally created a squash I am calling a “Gemcchini”… This would be a cross pollinated gem and zucchini.
Last year I planted gems and zucchini in the same garden. They are both from the cucurbita pepo family and they can cross pollinate.
Cross pollination will not affect the fruit the year it happens but it WILL affect the seeds….. Therefore last year I ate perfectly normal gems, and zucchini’s from my garden.
Then come spring I (of course) planted my gem crop from last years plant seeds.
Welcome to the garden Gemcchini❗
Hello Jeanne
I brought gem squash seeds from south Africa last year and today I have a bounty of these squash from my garden.
Can I store them by par steaming them or just freeze them whole. Or any other methods you suggest is apppreciated
Cheers
-jack
I’ve just received a surprise gift from my lovely niece – 5kg of beautiful gem squash! Ordered online from https://kensonsfarm.wordpress.com/gem-squash/. Bliss. In this neck of the UK none of the supermarkets stock gems, so I’m over the moon.
Battling with eyesight but your site is the best I’ve ever seen. I am a very busy gardener on almost a hectare of garden 7 km South of Mbombela ( Nelspruit) . Have planted 113 trees over the past 20 odd years, but have NEVER tried vegetables and battling ! Will definately read on ! Thank you.
I just tried them for the first time they are being grow in abundance at my work in Ayrshire, Scotland. Not much taste on its own but gets better with seasoning, just looked at other recepies and will try them .
If you decide to boil the gem squash whole, make Shute you pierce it with a knife a couple of times so that the steam created inside can release. My grandmother had a very nasty experience when a gem squash she was boiling exploded and she got boiling hot gem squash all over her face. Boiling it whole stops it becoming watery which can happen to the gems that are cut in half.
I live on the Coromandel peninsula in nz & have a fantastic crop of gem squash this year..would luv to send you a picture of a basketful of them
I haven’t seen any in Northland in NZ Lyn, as I’ve been on the lookout – dying for a soft, young gem or two. I’ve only seen the old hard ones in the shops in the Waikato. No baby green ones anywhere! I will have to grow them next summer.
Could I grow gem squash in a large plastic bin ? I live in Melbourne and germinated my own seeds but we’re heading for winter in a few months. Will the plants be ok
In Perth, Western Australia, gem squashes are available at Farmer Jacks supermarkets
I loved your article on Gem squash. I live in Thailand and it is so true about missing the veg., almost as much as missing mielie pap!!!!
Having no access to the squash I bought a packet of seeds when I left RSA, to immigrate to Thailand 4 years ago, only to have mislaid the packet. My wife swears she planted the seeds, but nothing came of them. I think the summer season is too wet for them, because the only pumpkin vine that grew, developed flowers and then baby fruit which all rotted away before fruiting developed. So now I need to wait for my next trip to buy more.
I am so happy with your blog. Thank you
Good article. We love Gem squash.
We moved to Canada in 1971, and early in our new country received a packet of gem seeds from relatives back home.
Faithfully we have a separate small gem patch and for years have mixed and matched five or more mature gem squash seeds to eat good yummy Gems. Our neighbours also enjoy them.
Somehow in the past ten years, one of the bad Gems cross pollenated with something else in the neighbourhood and try as I can to separate and catalogue, and experiment, I have not been able to get back to the true gem.
The seeds I tried from USA tasted of Zucchini and were a little too large – awful!
What I have for current seed (2017 harvest) still produce a nice good-looking gem, but I need to get fresh new seeds.
Where can I buy real gem seeds for Ontario Canada.
I boil my gems whole, my mom taught me that way because it eliminates the gem becoming water soaked. I just stab a small crack in the hard outer shell to prevent them from bursting. Way tastier than boiled open.
Hi I enjoyed reading your article, I am starting to plant Gem Squash in Portugal, I have a land of 7600m2 which I am using for the Gem Squash it will be the first in Portugal.
Regards
Claudio
Ok…I live in East Tennessee now and was lucky enough to source some gem squash seeds from a very kind gentleman in Michigan if I remember correctly. We planted out this year and the crop is FANTASTIC! I have one important question….on the off chance we have more than I can eat (highly doubtful)…is there any way to can freeze them or in some way preserve them? My email address is [email protected]. Thank you!
My husband visited SA last November, and I told him not to come home without gem squash seeds. I have a couple of plants on the go and have harvested about a dozen squash so far. I’ve given seeds to gardening friends and they have all really enjoyed the fruits of their labour (literally!) We have had such a hot, dry summer that some of the leaves are looking “burned”, but it’s getting near to the end of our growing season anyway. (I live on Vancouver Island, Canada)
I’d like to know …. other than cooking them, is there any way to keep them for any length of time?
Hi Rosemary, I have kept ripe (hard) gems for many months in a dark area of the pantry. Up to 6 months and they are still fine to eat. In fact I always let the biggest and best gem of the season get ripe on the vine (my vines climb so no gems are on the ground) and then keep it whole for seeds for next season. They will eventually turn yellow and become stringy inside but if kept in a darkish and dry environment they store well.
Have been growing gem squash now from my own seeds here in Christchurch for about 15 years.
Mark
Do you need a male and separate female plant to successfully grow gem squash?
No, there are male and female flowers on each plant, male flowers tend to come first but both appear as the plant grows. Male flowers have a single stamen, female flowers have a bulge under the petals that grows into a squash if pollinated.i tend to hand pollinate my female flowers by breaking off a male flower and painting a female one.
How to freeze this squash?
Here in the uk. My father in law and myself have a competition every year to grow gemies!! So far he has been winning!! BUT NO MORE!!
The wife, being South African, introduced my to gems many years ago. Since then we’ve grown them in a vertical, 4’x6’ area in the garden. Our kids refer to it as “dad’s garden art”, built with sticks and branches from the surrounding woods. Last year it was 5.5’ tall, and still going, making harvesting like picking apples. Keeping it off the ground also allowed the air to circulate and held off the powdery mildew here in the Pacific Northwest.
Hi
Great article thanks. How and for how long do you store gem squash when ripe and picked from the vine?
Thanks for a great post! I introduce foreign visitors to gem squash and most like them but I am often asked how to grow the baby ones that you see in the supermarkets that are (as you say) about the size of a pingpong ball. We like to eat the skin which you certainly can with those little ones. Question is, do I just grow normal sized gems and pick them when they are still small or are they a special baby breed? (I could try to grow from the seeds of the baby ones I suppose). thanks for your help.
regarding Gem Sqash:
1: old seed do not germinate
2: plant seeds in used egg-holders filled with light soil ad compost half/half
3: keep this in the garage or where the temprature is warmish.
4: keep damp, not soggy
5: wait for new leaves, then transplent – not during a cold spell
Many years ago, I was having lunch with a new girlfriend’s parents.
Amongst the many things on the plate were young gem squash with very soft skins. I gave up trying to scoop them out and ate them skin and all, ala zucchini/courgette. This raised some eyebrows from my Afrikaans hosts. C’est la Vie.
For what it is worth, this evenings supper is Frikkadelle, gem squash, mashed potato and broccolli (with a cheese sauce).
As a South African immigrants into New Zealand, one thing that we missed most (besides the cries of the fish eagles) was gem squash. Last year I was given some seeds by a Katikati SA couple living off the land. I grew them with complete success in Whanganui. However, we have discovered that they are Gem/Zucchini cross. Bigger than ordinary gems, tastier, still the gem flavour and just incredibly delicious. We are binge-eating them, cut in half, steamed, butter in and salt and pepper and in heaven. Will definitely grow them again next season.
Many years ago my mum sent me a packet of seeds over by mail, I have been growing them every year since then and keep the best gem squash each crop for seeds for the following year. Have been doing this for about 18 years now.
Poor crop this year, must be the weird weather we have been having….
email me and I will send you some seeds later on – Mark (Christchurch)
markdotventeratxtradotcodotnz (hope you can decode that 🙂
I grow the seeds same as Francois said above but don’t plant out until the second full set of leaves have appeared. I normally start them around late October/Early November as soon as the weather is warm enough. Have a good crop from about Mid December onwards.
The name assured me I would find a South African writing this ! Hooray. This year I have found it difficult to find gem squash seeds, but it is not too late! I agree with your correspondent about Rolet Squashes, If you keep them and I like to do so, they become very fibrous.
Regards,
Claire
I grow them very successfully in south West France. I have yet to persuade anyone french that they are delicious!
Have grown them here in Calgary Canada – mom brought me some seeds. The white mildew is an issue here as well as we have a short season here. What was interesting I planted them once at our Church in the community garden to educate people about this wonderful veggie. Mine grew the second year faster and wilder than I have ever seen them – why? Found out that they cross pollinated with, Zucchini So I had Squachini’s. They were huge but did not taste like the real McCoy. Made eventually soup from it which was great and I had a lot of them
I started growing gems successfully this year in the UK, however one plant seems to be growing long squashes that look like a courgette rather than a gem! Has anyone else had this happen? My zim friend has had same happen. I got the seeds directly from a gem so can’t be another squash so I’m scratching my head.
We’ve had the same this year for the first time – I suppose the flowers must have been pollinated by a courgette or marrow.
They hybridize really easily. If the gem you got the seeds from was planted near other types of squash, it probably. cross pollinated.
Thanks for the feedback – that’s so interesting! Guess I have a courgem now! 😀
Make a little “dunce-hat” out of waxed paper (cone-shaped) to put over the flower as soon as it has opened and you’ve pollinated by hand. That stops the insects getting to the flowers. Start the whole process off in the first place by planting certified gem-squash seeds – are you sure you have a gem-squash plant and not some other type of squash growing there. Buy certified seed each season.
Thanks. We don’t normally keep our own seed but this year were given some which had been collected. Must have been from a cross-pollinated plant.
I need seeds, where to get please. In the USA
Hi Peter, I have seeds. Alfred Little in Benoni South Africa – whatsapp me on 00 27 844465429
I grow gem squash and keep bees in Colorado. Purchased the seeds from a South African fellow off Etsy. He sent a very nice hand-written note warning me to save the seeds from my crop, which I have done religiously ever since. No one around here seems to know about them. I scoop out the seeds to be washed, dried and toasted with a bit of salt–delicious–then bake the squash halves with a little salt and olive oil. The toasted seeds are high in zinc and taste like popcorn! Almost as good as the flesh itself, though I need to remember to save some for planting each year…great blog, thanks, and I got a big laugh from the comment of poster Tamaryin back in 2010.
Just bear in mind the last few posts. If you use your own seed make sure the plant they come from hasn’t been cross-pollinated with a courgette or that is what you might grow, like us this year!
After years of trying I finally found a UK supplier of gem squash seeds and now have a number of plants growing! You may like to add ‘The Gem Squash Guys’ to your list. They don’t seem to have a website but their e mail is [email protected]
Hope this helps,
Aiden
I moved here from SA to near Dresden-Germany. I teach English and one of my scholars brought some Gemsquash seeds from SA. This year the gems grew really well but I discovered they don´t set fruit if the nights are cold. August was ideal. My friend has been more succesful as he has less trees in his garden. I Have one place where the gem grows up a bush so a natural trellis. So far no really good squashes but growing over my lawn works well. Do gems need nutrition from their vines and the little roots they put down. The original stem seems to die back a bit. Can anyone answer?
Public relations for gem squash
I live In Napier New Zealand my fitst crop is sproting from some seed I got from a Gem last year.. 12 plants… Watch this space
Can anybody tell me where to buy Gem Squash in Austria.Don’t think I have ever spotted one in our supermarkets.
Where in Aus? springbok foods in gold coast sell them and the seeds can be bought from most heritage seed places now ( diggers club is one)
I am growing them hydroponically in dutch buckets this year for the first time, they are growing like crazy but man are they thirsty.
Struggling with the heat and mildew though.
I think the question related to Austria, not Australia!
Hi, very instructive read. I was wondering are they good to grow in South. Florida, USA. Alo, my mother from Cuba would talk about a squash that was very sweet and that the Chinese population on the island would do a kind of candied squash. Is this the squash used. Miami.
Hi i am a 80yr. Young man from Benoni South Africa. I planted a gem squash.it grew very well. The first gem was very big it weighs 5 kgs. I would like some one to tell me if this is normal thks Alfred Little 0844465429 i am on whatsapp.
Site looks good. Will look at the recipes. I want to grow my own gem squash.
Have the seeds. I am situated near Adelaide in Southern Australia. Just wandering when is the best time to plant my gem squash seeds.
Thanks for the reading material.
Back in the bad old days after I’d left South Africa for the UK, I missed gems so much that I pinched some seed from a fresh gemsquash while on a business trip to Zimbabwe. I planted them the following year and we ate gems, re-harvesting the seed each year for the next. All baiia lekker until the gems cross pollinated with a nearby courgette and we started getting strange elongated, sausage shaped squash! We then moved house and I never tried growing them again until this year. I managed to obtain some seed (very expensively) and I’ve built an A-frame like you suggest and planted the seeds, though rather later than you suggest to be frost free (we had two weeks of solid frost at the end of April in the south of England and then the rain arrived!). We eagerly await the harvest.
I have grown gem squash on my allotment for the first-time ever.. I have put 6 plants in the ground with a climbing frame and strong netting. In about 6weeks I have about 30 gems growing . I live on the north Yorkshire coast
Hi, Just found this post as I was searching about gem squash. Really missed it here in Canada until my mom sent me some seeds from home.
What intrigues me about your article though is that you mention Saffers. As a Saffer I am wondering if you are one and which ‘limb’ you belong to. I am on the Liebe Leah branch.
PS I am a different Gillian from the one who commented in 2010
Hi Gillian – thanks for visiting. I am indeed a Saffer, which is UK slang for South Africans, rather than a family surname (which I suspect it what I suspect your question was referring to 🙂 )
Absolute adore gems! Managed to get three this weekend at a farm shop nr Hastings. Other than butter and sugar they are also delicious stuffed with wilted creamed spinach.
Kalahari moon in Bristol UK sell.gem squash
Awesome article thank you! I struggled with the powdery mildew in Australia, but after reading this I realised its due to a very wet season and my sprinklers run over them not under. I will do it differently from now and also do tge A frame thing. My planters are a little deep and found not ONE fruit (gem) will grow inside but rather all over the sides etc. So helpful thank you. Another Saffa shop in Aus is Biltong and Boerewors, excellent shop.
Anyone ever try grow gem squash in thailand ?
If I don’t have bees near my gemsquash and butternut plants, am I likely to get any fruit.
Have seen them very infrequently in Waitrose Canary Wharf,London. I think they are grown by a farmer in East Sussex. They were delicious as to be expected.
First off.
I love your humour, you gotta be a Saffa.
Second I grow my gems in big pots, 3 plants up a bamboo trellis, 6 to 8 foot high, store bought soil and topped up with my own compost with loads of rotted grass cuttings.
Third yes the skins do go very hard here in the UK. Maybe climate change? I only get 2 or three per plant. But, my good they are HUGE 500g on average! Bigger than I have ever grown in SA.
Fourth, but by by no means least. Long gone time for regular veg famers to grow these in abundance. Saffa shops sell at £1.00 each! That’s a lot of moola! When it’s so easy grow your own!
Happy Saffa gem grower.
Where can I buy gem squash in the USA
How to pollinate Gem Squash when just an Female open first and no Male open yet.
I have Butternut but I guess I can’t use the male from them to polinate my Gem Squash. My first time grow Gem Squash. Sorry if it a silly question to ask.
Thanks Magda (AUS)
Loved this post. I only get to eat gem squash when I visit my family, so I now have some and will enjoy them so much
I saved the seeds from some gemsquash that I bought online and they have germinated in some wet kitchen roll. I would like to try and plant the in a pot as I live in a flat. I’m nervous about this next step.