Moxie Gardener

Butternut squash

Butternut squash has the tastiest flesh of any type of winter squash.  It lasts the longest in storage, too.  In fact, most canned pumpkin in the United States is actually butternut squash.  I use the fresh version, pre-baked of course, to make my “pumpkin” pie.

Butternut squash, classified botanically as Cucurbita moshata, are native to South America but have been spread around the world by humans.  Butternut squash are grown everywhere except the far northern areas of Europe, Asia, and North America.  The summers are too short and not hot enough for the squashes to fully mature in these areas.

Butternut squash mature in 80 to 110 days and cannot be planted until after all danger of frost is past and the ground is thoroughly warmed up.  They grow best in hot weather and will stop growing if you plant them too early and a late cold spell hits.

Butternut squash need well-drained, rich, fertile soil.  They don’t like excessive amounts of water but need regular watering throughout the growing season.

Plant butternut squash seeds in hills spaced 5 to 6 feet apart in all directions.   Plant 4 to 5 seeds per hill and thin to the strongest 2 to 3 plants.  For semi-vining or bush varieties, decrease the spacing to 3 to 4 feet apart in each direction.

Cultivate shallowly to keep weeds down until the vines become more robust.  The large leaves of butternut squash vines will control weed growth once the season is well underway.

Harvest butternut squash when the stems dry out and the squash have a deep, rich color.  Leave a two inch piece of stem on each squash to prevent disease organisms from entering the interior of the squash and causing premature decay.

Harden off butternut squash for about two weeks at temperatures above 68 degrees F.  After that, store in a dry, airy place between 45 and 60 degrees F.  Stored under these conditions, butternut squash will keep for six months or more.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 at 7:51 AM and is filed under Vegetables, fall. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.