Buttercup squash is a unique winter squash variety known for its turban-shaped fruits with sweet, nutty orange flesh. Growing these heirloom beauties in your own garden can be highly rewarding, but does require some patience and TLC. This comprehensive growing guide covers everything you need to successfully cultivate buttercup squash, from choosing the right seeds to harvesting the mature fruits.
Selecting Buttercup Squash Seeds or Seedlings
The first step is acquiring buttercup squash seeds or transplants. When purchasing seeds, look for an heirloom variety such as ‘Burgess Buttercup’ or ‘Bonbon Buttercup’ which will produce the characteristic turban fruits. Buttercup squash can be grown from seed indoors or directly sown in the garden If buying seedlings, select young plants with just 2-3 true leaves
When to Plant
Buttercup squash needs a long growing season of approximately 105 days Plan your planting schedule accordingly
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To start seeds indoors sow 2-3 weeks before your last expected frost date.
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To direct sow seeds, wait 1-2 weeks after your area’s last spring frost.
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To transplant seedlings, wait until 2 weeks after the last frost.
Buttercup squash must have warm soil and air temperatures to thrive.
Where to Plant
Buttercup squash thrives in full sun locations with fertile, well-draining soil. Choose a site that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Amend the soil with compost or rotted manure before planting to enrich nutrient levels. The vines need adequate room to sprawl, so space seeds or plants 4-6 feet apart in all directions. Use trellises, cages, or allow the vines to spread over a slope.
How to Plant
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For seeds: Sow 2-3 seeds per cell in biodegradable pots or plug flats, 1 inch deep. Thin to one seedling per cell.
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For transplants: Carefully separate the root ball and plant in holes 2 feet apart and 2 inches deeper than the container. Refill soil and water in well.
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For direct sowing: Plant 2-3 seeds together in mounds 4 feet apart at a 1 inch depth. Thin later.
Cover all seeds lightly with soil and water gently after planting.
Caring for Plants
Buttercup squash vines require attentive care for optimal growth:
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Water 1-2 inches per week. Avoid leaf wetness.
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Fertilize weekly with a balanced organic fertilizer once flowering begins.
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Mulch around plants to retain moisture and deter weeds.
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Support vines by training them upward on trellises or providing ground support structures.
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Scout for pests like cucumber beetles and eradicate promptly by hand or organic methods.
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Remove competing weeds by hand pulling shallowly to protect squash roots.
With attentive care, your vines will flourish!
When and How to Harvest
Buttercup squash is ready for picking approximately 105 days from seeding. Watch for these tell-tale signs:
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The rind of the fruit becomes deep green and very hard.
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The stem near the fruit shrivels and dries.
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The bottom of the fruit (where it contacts soil) turns from white to a gold/orange hue.
To harvest, use pruners or a sharp knife to cut the fruit from the vine, leaving 2-3 inches of stem attached. Harvest gently to avoid bruising the tender flesh. Cure for 10 days in a warm, dry area before storage.
Storing After Harvest
Mature buttercup squash can be stored for 2-3 months in ideal cool, dry conditions between 50-60°F. Check regularly for signs of decay and use spoiled fruit promptly. Cured, uncut squash keeps longest.
With its sweet flavor and unique turban shape, buttercup squash is a fun heirloom to cultivate. Pay close attention to timing, spacing, soil prep, and moisture when growing these vines. Provide consistent support and scout for pests. Allow fruits to fully mature on the vine before gently harvesting. With just a bit of patience and care, you’ll be rewarded with a winter’s supply of delicious and nutritious buttercup squash straight from your garden.
Methods of Planting Squash
- Direct-sow (i.e., plant seeds directly in the ground) when all danger of frost has passed and the soil is at least 60°F, preferably 70°F. Squash is very sensitive to the cold.
- If you have a short growing season, start seeds in peat pots 2 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost date. Squash seedlings do not always transplant well, so handle the roots gently.
Most garden stores and nurseries also sell ready-to-plant seedlings—handy if you only want to grow a few plants.
Set your plants out after all danger of frost has passed. Start to acclimatize them to outside conditions two weeks beforehand. Leave them out during the day for increasingly longer periods and then, from the second week, overnight in a sheltered position. Plant trailing varieties up to five feet (1.5m) apart and bush types about three feet (90cm) apart. Thoroughly water plants into position to settle the soil around the rootball.
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Winter Squash Varieties
Ready to grow something that’ll stick around long after summer fades? Winter squash is your garden’s gift that keeps on giving—from velvety butternut to hearty acorn and cheerful spaghetti squash. These sprawling plants may take their sweet time, but they’ll reward your patience with gorgeous gourds and long-lasting flavor. This guide will walk you through every step of planting, growing, harvesting, and curing winter squash like a seasoned pro. Let’s squash it!
Because winter squash requires a long growing season (generally from 75 to 100 frost-free days), the seeds are generally planted by late May in northern locations to early July in extremely southern states. See your local frost dates and length of growing season.
Winter squash are harvested in late summer or autumn, just before or after their fruits reach full maturity. Squash has a relatively long shelf life. Some varieties will keep through winter, hence the name winter squash. Varieties include acorn, butternut, delicata, Hubbard, pumpkin, and spaghetti.
Squashes and pumpkins are among the most thrilling vegetables you can grow. One minute, the seedlings are tentatively pushing through, and then, just a few weeks later, they’re great sprawling monsters with masses of leafy growth and plenty of fruits. I love the fact they’re so easy to grow, too—as long as you can keep up with their insatiable appetite, that is!
Despite the great diversity of squash, most commonly grown, cultivated varieties belong to one of three species:
- Cucurbita pepo
- C. moschata
- C. maxima
Over several generations, these plants have been cultivated to produce fruit in all kinds of shapes, colors, and flavors.
Squash is one of the three plants grown in the traditional Native American style called the Three Sisters, along with beans and corn. When grown together, the squash serves as a ground cover to prevent weeds from growing, beans provide natural fertilizer for all three plants, and corn provides a support system for the beans. Learn more about the Three Sisters. Read Next
Squash love a warm, sunny, and sheltered spot—ideal conditions for good pollination and proper fruit development. The plants are hungry feeders and need rich, fertile soil.
Plant squash in a location with full sun and lots of space for sprawling vines. Most full-size winter squash varieties need 50 to 100 square feet to spread. Soil must be well-fed and moist (not soggy), and well-draining. Mix aged manure and/or compost (about 50% native soil to organic matter) deep into the soil a couple of weeks before planting.
How to grow Buttercup Squash #mrsgreenthumb #organicgardening #gardening
FAQ
Does buttercup squash need a trellis?
Butternut squash doesn’t need a trellis, but growing them up one has been gaining popularity for good reasons: Takes up less space. Lower risk of pests, disease, and rot.
How many buttercup squash can you get from one plant?
A single plant can produce between 12-15 squash. Fruit is dark green, slightly ribbed with golden orange, string- less flesh. Squash can weigh between 1.3-2.2 kg, (3-5 lbs.) each and have a gray button on the blossom end.
What is the best way to grow butternut squash?
The plants are hungry feeders and need rich, fertile soil. Plant squash in a location with full sun and lots of space for sprawling vines. Most full-size winter squash varieties need 50 to 100 square feet to spread. Soil must be well-fed and moist (not soggy), and well-draining.
What is the difference between buttercup and butternut squash?
… buttercup squash is round and dark green, the butternut squash, which is the most popular of the winter squashes, is easily identified as a tan bowling pin …Feb 25, 2022
How to grow buttercup squash?
For the other cucurbits, treat the P and K requirements to grow the crop as per the recommendations for buttercup squash, but assume total N requirements (from the soil and fertiliser combined) will be roughly half of those recommended for buttercup squash.
Can you grow buttercup squash indoors?
Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before planting out, or direct sow once all danger of frost has passed. Buttercup winter squash grown indoors will need to be hardened off before transplant. Transplant when they have two pairs of true leaves. Space plants or seed 6 feet (1.8 m.) apart. If necessary, thin plants to one per recommended spacing.
When should buttercup squash be planted?
As with all winter squashes, timing for buttercup squash is largely dependent on climate. They should not be planted outdoors until all danger of frost has passed. If you live in a warm area with a long growing season, you can plant seeds directly in your garden three weeks after the last spring frost.