Keep it Green, by Michael Womack
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Saturday, October 20, 2001

Shedding light on jack-o’-lanterns

With Halloween just around the corner, we decided to scare up a few facts about jack-o'-lanterns.
   This favorite cucurbit is a member of the squash family and is a type of winter squash. In fact, only a few minute differences exist between pumpkins and some of the larger fruited varieties of squash.
   Most true pumpkins have angular, tough stems while squashes have round, rather tender stems. However, unless you're a stickler for details, it really doesn't make any difference because their appearance and taste are identical.
   Winter squash are those varieties that are primarily vining plants whose fruit is harvested when mature and the rind is hard.
   These species are referred to as winter squash because they store well over winter. Other interesting species of winter squash include:
  

Acorn squash - Primarily a round, deeply ribbed, dark green fruit.
  

Butternut - Pear shaped with a long, thick neck.
  

Hubbard - Large, round or oval, ribbed, bumpy fruit, blue-gray in color.
  

Turban - A flat, rounded fruit, some of which have a distinct center that resembles a turban with multicolored rinds.
   Winter squash and pumpkins are not for those gardeners short on space. An extensive root system and a vining nature can create a need for 200 square feet of garden space per single hill of seed.
   Pumpkins are heavy feeders and require generous amounts of organic matter, as do most squashes. Pumpkins are a long season crop requiring 90 to 120 days to mature and are harvested in the fall when the rind hardens and the foliage begins to die.
   Cucurbit pests include aphids, squash vine borers, squash bugs, cucumber beetles, powdery, downy mildew and virus diseases.
   You can succeed with the smaller, cooking, earlier varieties such as 'Spirit' and 'Autumn Gold'.
   The next best thing to carving creative faces in your pumpkin is eating the tasty meat it provides. Pumpkin also is an excellent source of vitamin A and magnesium.
   Another creative and less messy idea is to make a Jack-o'-lantern without cutting open the pumpkin. Use red and green peppers, small yellow squash and radishes to make the face.
   Use toothpicks to attach radishes for eyes, and place rings of red pepper around the eyes for glasses. A green pepper cut vertically in half with one of the lobes at the bottom makes a unique nose. Attach small, yellow crooked-neck squash to the pumpkin for ears.
   Any pumpkin or winter squash can be steamed, baked or broiled.
   To speed baking, cut squash in half and place cut side down. Bake until nearly tender, then turn right side up, adding butter and seasonings, then cook another 15 to 20 minutes.
   Eat straight from the rind or scoop out the flesh and dress it up with cream, brown sugar, and butter. Winter squash takes to sweet spices, seasonings and many garnishes. Even pumpkinseeds can be eaten. In many Central and South American countries, pumpkinseeds are sold much like the peanut here in the U.S.
   Try roasting pumpkinseeds by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Put seeds in a pan with a little butter, and place in a hot oven and toast until golden brown. When toasted, shake and rub lightly remove husks. Salt to taste.
   Happy pumpkin hunting!
  
  

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Michael Womack is a horticulturist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. Got a question? Michael Womack will answer landscape and gardening questions. Call 886-4648, category 3025 to record your question. Write Keep It Green, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, P.O. Box 9136, Corpus Christi, TX 78469 or email wm-womack@tamu.edu

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