This is the only northern-friendly butternut. The 10″-12″ buff-colored fruit is uniform, and the semi-bush plants produce extensive runners which are quite productive. Its dry, fine-grained flesh has a good, sweet, squash flavor. A favorite for making “pumpkin” pie or a hearty winter soup.
Winter Squash – Butternut – Cucurbita moschata
Soil & Water: Provide squash plants with deep mounds of organic matter, rich soil, and heavy, even water. All squash are extremely frost sensitive, so use mulch to heat soils in early spring and row covers to protect from frost at both ends of the growing cycle, especially in short growing seasons.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost, or sow seed directly once soils are at least 70F.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest when stems begin to shrivel or you can no longer pierce the skin with a thumbnail, but be sure to harvest before the first hard frost. Cut squash from the vine leaving 2″-3″ of stem attached. Allow to cure in the sun for 10 days to finish hardening the skins. Store in cool, dry conditions.
- Soil Temperature: 70-95F
- Planting Depth: 3/4″-1″
- Germination: 6-12 Days
- Height At Maturity: 12″-18″
- Days To Maturity: 75-110 Days
- Sun/Shade: Full Sun
- Spacing After Thinning: +18″
