Japanese Pumpkin Kabocha Seeds - Open Pollinated, Heirloom,20 Seeds kabocha, in other parts of the country its known as butternut squash or Japanese pumpkin. No matter what you call it, it is an easy vegetable to grow and a hearty vegetable to eat. Despite being considered a Japanese vegetable, this type of squash was probably domesticated in Central or South America. It is now grown throughout the Pacific and is very popular in Hawaii. And with good reason  it is very adaptable and can grow in many situations, from coastal to upland areas. As mentioned above, this type of squash can grow pretty much anywhere you have the space. Space is the key word here. It is a vining plant that climbs via tendrils, rather than twining its stems around supports. It has a dark green or gray-green or orange skin with a rich golden yellow or orange-yellow flesh. Unlike many squash, the flesh is rich and flavorful. Kabocha can be substituted for pumpkin in recipes, or prepared Japanese style or like any other butternut squash. Cultivation As mentioned above, this type of squash can grow pretty much anywhere you have the space. Space is the key word here. It is a vining plant that climbs via tendrils, rather than twining its stems around supports. Although it can be grown sprawling along the ground, I have much better luck with it, and get better-formed fruit, if I grow it on some sort of support. Ive used fences, bamboo stakes formed into a tipi, and the stems left behind after trimming back pigeon pea bushes. Some people recommend the fruit be supported with some sort of netting but I find that its stems easily support kabocha fruit as long as there is a solid support for those stems. The tendrils are quite strong and if they have something to wrap around, theyll keep the fruit up and off the ground. Kabocha vines easily grow 10 to 15 feet long, so no matter what you decide to grow them on, they do need space. If you decide to let them sprawl, give them plenty of room to spread. They are annual plants, so they wont be in any one place for long (they tend to die after producing a few fruit per plant). Although they arent too particular as to soil type, they do prefer rich, well-drained soil. Plant squash after a bean crop to take advantage of the nitrogen left behind by the legumes. It is never a bad idea to use as much compost as you have on hand to enrich the soil and improve with the drainage (if the natural soil is clay) or the water-holding capacity (if its sandy). If you really feel the need to use chemical fertilizers then use a fertilizer balanced for fruit or vegetables.