Trailing varieties are best grown in gardens while compact bush varieties such as ‘Barbara’ do quite well in pots. However, you should know that not all butternut squash varieties are ideal for container gardening. If you do not have a kitchen garden and really want to have some butternut squash growing around the house, well, you can use a pot. The reason for taking out some plants is because butternut squash takes up much space as they produce extensive vines and might seem overcrowded if more than 3 seeds are planted in a small space. The ideal space for growing the plants is a hilly part of the garden and so if your garden has several small hills, plant 4 or 5 seeds on each hill.Īfter they sprout, thin down to 2 or 3 plants. If you are planning to put seeds straight to the garden, be sure to plant them the same time as you would put out the transplants. Photo by Flickr/ SummerAndStephen Planting Squash Seeds Directly in the Garden Water the plants gently with a watering can or spray with a garden hose.

Plant one plant on top of each planting pocket, approximately 1 inch deep and cover with soil.The soil should be amended and fertilized as butternut squash plants are heavy feeders. Use a small tiller to turn the soil and mix in compost and fertilizer. Fill the holes with a mixture of compost or well rotted manure and soil and sprinkle fertilizer over the soil.Do this by making a hole about your garden spade’s depth, width, and height. Make planting pockets, approximately 3 feet apart.The seeds are relatively easy to sow and won’t take up much of your time or energy. However, you need to do so before the last frost in your region. Thus, if your season is a bit short, you can start the seeds indoors and direct them outside once the weather warms up. The butternut growing season is approximately 110-120 days for fruit maturation. Sowing Squash Seeds and Transplantingīutternut squash seeds will only germinate in warm soil, so it’s best to plant through summer. The warm temperature is extremely crucial because butternut squash plants are tender and the seedlings will basically freeze with the slightest frost and seeds will only germinate in warm soil. This means that the soil should be well warmed by the sun, approximately 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit (15-18 C) at a 4-inch depth. Its growing season begins during summer for harvest in autumn. In particular, it’s relatively high in beta-carotene (characterized by firm orange flesh), which is converted by the body into Vitamin A.īutternut squash is relatively easy to grow. Characterized by a distinctive pale yellow color and a pear-shaped fruit, the squash is a valuable crop with high amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. Butternut squash is one of the many different kinds of winter squash such as pumpkin.