Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Waltham Butternut Squash is a historic heirloom squash variety that produce elegant fruits reaching up to 9 inches in length and 5 pounds in weight. Their rich yellow-orange flesh is buttery and nutty in flavor and mature fruits can be stored for up to 6 months. This variety of butternut is uniform and has smaller seed cavities than other varieties, making it the preferred crop for culinary uses. Excellent roasted with cinnamon and sugar.
NAME: Squash (Cucurbita moschata)
VARIETY: Waltham Butternut
DAYS TO MATURITY: 85 – 100
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Annual
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 3 – 11
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun
SOIL: Fertile soil with a pH between 6.5 – 7.0
PLANT HEIGHT: 16 – 26 inches, vining
SPACING: 4 – 5 feet
TEMP: 50 – 85°F
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Start seeds 2 weeks before your last local spring frost.
Sow 2 seeds 1/2 inch deep in a cell tray or in 4 inch pots that have properly moistened seed starting mix.
Provide a heated area or heat mats to keep the soil temps at 60 to 70°F.
Supply fluorescent/LED grow lights 3 inches above the cell trays or pots, 12 hours on, 12 hours off.
Keep the soil moist until seedlings sprout, germination will occur in 5 to 10 days.
Remove all but 1 seedling per each cell or pot as soon as they are 2 inches tall.
Once the soil reaches 60°F, direct sow into your pre-prepared beds, one seed 1/2 inch deep every 12 inches in rows that are spaced 3 feet apart.
Water generously and germination will occur in 5 to 10 days.
Once seedlings emerge, thin seedlings so they will are spaced 3 feet apart, which will allow them to have the space to fully mature and produce large crops; overcrowded plants will produce less.
In cool climates, Butternut Squash seeds should be started indoors.
Prep your planting beds by picking a spot that gets full sun and has loose, fertile soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8, removing any surrounding weeds and adding ample compost.
Avoid getting the leaves wet as this can cause diseases such as rot or mildew.
Butternut Squash plants have shallow root structures, so when the vines begin to develop, add a layer of mulch to help conserve moisture, control weeds and keep the squashes clean from too much soil contact.
Waltham Butternut Squash is ready for harvest when the fruits have turned a deep tan color and the skin is hard, which usually takes around 85 days.
Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut the squash from the vine, leaving a short stem attached.
Handle the squash carefully to avoid bruising or damaging the skin.
Harvest before the first frost in your area, as frost can damage the fruits.
