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Hubbard Golden Delicious Squash is a true heirloom winter squash developed by M. D. Ferry in 1898, carrying over a century of gardening tradition into your patch. Despite its name, this beauty wears a bright orange, bumpy warted rind that signals quality the moment you see it. The flesh inside is remarkably fine and flavorful, earning it a reputation as one of the finest baking squashes available. It thrives in zones 3 through 13 and reaches harvest maturity in 100 to 109 days, making it a reliable choice for most North American gardeners. Plant it in full sun with moderate water and well-balanced soil, and you'll be rewarded with substantial harvests of storage-worthy fruit.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-13
?in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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This is among the best baking squashes ever developed, with flesh so fine and tasty it transforms simple roasting into something memorable. The bright orange, distinctly warted rind is unmistakable in the garden and at the market, and it's earned its place as a genuine heirloom by surviving 125 years because it simply outperforms newer varieties. From its 1898 origins through today, Hubbard Golden Delicious has stayed in cultivation because gardeners keep choosing it over and over again.
Hubbard Golden Delicious excels as a roasting and baking squash, where its fine, dense flesh delivers deep, satisfying flavor. Its substantial size makes it ideal for turning into soups, pies, and purees, and the quality of its flesh means it's particularly prized by cooks who understand that the best squash dishes start with the right variety. Home gardeners and food enthusiasts choose this heirloom specifically because it delivers superior results compared to modern commercial varieties.
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Start seeds indoors 3 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds at 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit for reliable germination. Transplant seedlings outdoors only after the last frost date and when soil temperatures have reached at least 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Harden off seedlings gradually over 7 to 10 days before transplanting. Move to the garden after the last frost date when soil has warmed thoroughly. Space plants 3 to 4 feet apart in all directions to accommodate their vigorous vine growth.
Direct sow seeds into warm soil after the last frost date when soil temperatures are at least 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Sow seeds 1 inch deep in groups of 2 to 3, spacing groups 3 to 4 feet apart. Thin to the strongest seedling in each group once true leaves appear.
Harvest Hubbard Golden Delicious after 100 to 109 days when the skin has hardened fully and resists puncture from a fingernail. The rind should be a deep orange color with a matte finish, indicating full maturity. Cut the fruit from the vine with a sharp knife, leaving 2 to 3 inches of stem attached to extend storage life. Harvest before the first hard frost, as frost will damage the fruit irreversibly.
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“M. D. Ferry developed Hubbard Golden Delicious in 1898, creating a variety that would outlast countless modern competitors and remain in active cultivation more than a century later. The Ferry seed company's commitment to quality bred a squash so reliable and flavorful that it never disappeared from heirloom catalogs, even as industrial agriculture pushed hybrid alternatives. This open-pollinated, non-GMO cultivar represents a direct line of seed saving from Ferry's original work to today's gardeners, making every seed you plant a connection to Victorian-era horticulture.”