Related
Butternut squash is a type of winter squash that grow throughout the spring and summer for a tumble harvest . you could grow many varieties , from ' Honeybaby ' to ' Honeynut ' to ' Butterscotch , ' to name a few . When stored decent , butternut squash has a retentive ledge life , lasting for months . It ’s an splendid crop to grow if you want to extend your gardenharvest into the late falland store food throughout the winter .
disclose five tips to successfullygrow butternut squashin your nursing home garden . get wind about the proper growing requirements for butternut squash , when to harvest , how to cure squash for wintertime computer storage , and more !
1. Choose the Right Growing Location
Butternut squash take a location in the garden that receives full sunshine ( from six to eight hour daily ) . This trailing type of squash will stretch along out and grow on farseeing vines , so choose a localization with adequate space . Butternut mash typically needs anywhere from 50 to 100 substantial feet to straggle out . However , some varieties like ' Honeybaby ' or ' Honeynut’grow more compact , take them perfect for smaller space . or else , you could instal a largetrellis for your squashto develop up and plunk for it to maximize your garden space .
Butternut crush does not tolerate cool temperatures . Direct seed your seeded player in the bound after the last rime , when outdoor temperatures reach 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit . Sow seed 1 in deep and give 2 to 3 human foot between plants to accommodate their trail growth habit . Or , sow seeds in small mounds in rows with 3 to 6 feet of space between them . inseminate seeds in Hill or hill increases soil temperature and drain .
2. Water Regularly and Apply Mulch
Butternut squeeze preferswell - drain soilto flourish in the garden . The stain should be nourishing - rich and moist but not inert . This type of plant involve plenty of water system , command about 1 inch of water per hebdomad . When lachrymation , do not get the leaves or yield lactating ; instead , apply piddle directly at the base of the plant . The dependable meter to water plants is in the former morning when temperature are cooler and the Lord’s Day is not as vivid .
To better retain soil moisture , apply a thick stratum ofmulch around your plants2 to 3 inches thick . Mulching around squash vine slow urine evaporation , suppresses dope , and regulates land temperature . Also , butternut squash is a heavy yield that sit on the priming as it maturate . mulch around the flora helps to scale down the fruit from rooting in dampish soil . Mulch usingstraw , fallen leaves , forest chips , orgrass trimming .
3. Fertilize Your Plants
Fertilizebutternut squash regularly throughout the growing season . Before planting , apply abalanced fertilizerwith a 10 - 10 - 10 proportion into the top few inches of soil . After the first blooms seem on your works , fecundate again with an all - aim organic fertilizer . study 2 tablespoons of fertilizer into the soil , avoid contact with the stem of the plant , and piss thoroughly subsequently . Popular constitutional fertilizers admit profligate meal , bonemeal , alfalfa meal , and compost .
If you are growing squash racquets in words , use a technique phone side - dressing . grok a oceanic abyss 2 inch abstruse and 3 inches away from your plants . Apply a few tablespoon of organic plant food , cover with soil , and irrigate your plants . When the squash starts growing , apply fertilizeragain with a 12 - 10 - 5 ratio using the same techniques above .
4. Ensure Proper Pollination
It ’s important to ensure that your butternut squash plants cross-pollinate properly to produce their yield . Butternut squash will produce two type of flowers , both male and distaff . manly bloom will form and seem first on the plant , followed by distaff flowers with a bantam immature yield behind them . To produce plenty of squashes , the manlike bloom must cross-pollinate the distaff ones .
Plants with poor pollenation will not bear fruit or produce small squashes . To ensure proper pollination , works various flowersthatattract beneficial pollinatorslike bee and insects into your garden . Using a paintbrush or cotton swab , you may also hand pollinate andtransfer the pollenfrom the male prime onto the female ones .
5. Harvest and Cure Butternut Squash
Harvest butternut squashwhen the fruit has mature to full sizing , around 100 to 120 days after sowing . Squash is ready for harvest when the vine change by reversal brown , the stem has dried out , and the skin is firm to the cutaneous senses . The yield should be between 2 and 3 pounds and appear orange or tan . To reap , use needlelike pruning shears and sheer the squash at the stalk , leave behind a few in of stem intact . Do not carry the harvested fruit by its stem , as it necessitate to remain unhurt to in good order heal the fruit .
Next , you need to bring around your butternut squash before stack away it . Doing so hardens the tegument , forbid bacteria or fungi from forming , and permit the squash to last up to six months . To do this , localize the squash in a strong , dry spot at 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit . Choose a site indoors or outdoors with a humidness of 80 percent , as long as the temperature never drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit . Allow the squash to heal between 10 and 14 years . Once the curing is done , store your white walnut squash in a cool localization at 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit .
Enjoy Delicious and Sweet Butternut Squash
Growing butternut squash in the garden is a fun and rewarding experience , allowing you to harvest and store multiple squashes for months to amount . With regular tutelage and fertilizing , butternut squash will be quick to reap in recent fall , between September to October . revel its nutty , sweet flavor in varioussoups , stew , and baked goods , or roast it in the oven .
