Pumpkin Kumi Kumi Seeds
$3.90
Unit price perCucurbita pepo
Kumi Kumi, also known as Kamo Kamo, is a traditional New Zealand heirloom Pumpkin or squash producing distinctive round, heavily ribbed fruits. Vigorous, hardy and productive, it is particularly valued because the fruit can be harvested at two very different stages, as a tender summer squash when young or as a mature storage pumpkin.
Young green fruits can be picked and cooked much like zucchini, with tender skin and mild flesh. Slice them into stir-fries, grill or sauté them, grate into fritters or add to soups and curries. Left to mature, the rind becomes extremely hard and changes from green towards yellow-orange, while the flesh develops a denser texture and fuller pumpkin flavour suitable for roasting, baking and soups.
Kamo Kamo has a strong association with Māori food culture in Aotearoa New Zealand and has been grown there for generations. The name is commonly applied to these distinctive ribbed squash, which became an established part of New Zealand home gardening and cooking.
The exceptionally hard shell of fully mature fruit also has a practical use. Once the flesh and seeds have been removed and the shell thoroughly dried, the sturdy rind can be used to make decorative bowls and containers.
Plants are fast-growing, sprawling vines and perform best with plenty of room to spread. As a Cucurbita pepo, Kumi Kumi grows readily in warm conditions but also performs well across cooler temperate regions provided it is planted after frost.
Approximately 10 seeds per packet
When to Plant (Australia)
Tropics: March–August
Subtropics: August–February
Mild climates: September–January
Cold climates: October–December, after frost risk has passed
Planting / Sowing
Sow approximately 20–30 mm deep directly into warm, prepared soil, or raise seedlings in pots or trays for transplanting. In frost-prone climates, wait until all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed before planting outside.
Grow in full sun in rich, fertile, well-drained soil. Allow approximately 1–2 m between plants and provide plenty of additional room for the vigorous vines to spread.
Keep plants consistently watered during active growth, flowering and fruit development. Water deeply at soil level where possible rather than regularly wetting the foliage.
For use as a summer squash, harvest fruits while young, green and tender. Regular picking encourages continued production. For mature pumpkins, leave fruits on the vine until the skin has fully hardened and developed its mature colouring and the stem begins to dry.
Cut mature fruit from the vine with a section of stem attached and cure in a warm, dry, well-ventilated position before storing.
Due to quarantine restrictions, TAS has an 800g limit per each seed variety and WA has a 10,000 seeds limit per variety.
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