SQUASH BUTTERNUT
(Cucurbita Moschata)
Heirloom. This variety, Waltham Butternut, has a hard, yellow to tan exterior but delicious sweet, orange flesh inside. Exceptional quality, no stringiness. This long-lasting squash stores all winter. Try it steamed, boiled or baked. Extremely rich in vitamin A. This is the most common winter squash used to make the popular, creamy soup by the same name, and it is a popular baking squash.

SOWING
Light requirements: Full sun.
Planting: Space 24 to 48 inches apart.
Soil requirements: All squash types need well-drained, nutrient-rich soil. Work at least 3 inches of compost or other organic matter into soil prior to planting. Create raised beds if soil tends to be heavy and poorly draining.
Water requirements: Keep soil consistently moist throughout the growing season. Before vines begin to run, mulch soil lightly to reduce water evaporation. Once vines spread, leaves shade soil and act as living mulch.
Common issues: Watch out for squash bugs, squash vine borers, and cucumber beetles. If pest problems start early in the season, grow plants beneath floating row covers. Squash can experience blossom end rot, where the end of developing fruits starts to rot. Powdery mildew often appears on leaves in late summer.



Harvesting: For best flavor, pick summer squash like crookneck and zucchini when fruits are small. Winter squash, like acorn, hubbard and butternut, should ripen as fully as possible on the vine, but gather all fruits before frost. Cut squash from vines, leaving an intact stem attached to squash. Having a stem section (one-half to 1 inch) is the secret to successful storage, both short- and long-term.