Squash
Butternut squash
Butternut squash: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Butternut squash belongs to Cucurbita moschata, in the Cucurbitaceae family. Its elongated fruit has a relatively narrow neck and a swollen base, giving it an outline reminiscent of a pear or a bell. The skin usually becomes tan to pale ochre at maturity. Butternut is a squash type encompassing several cultivars, whose fruits can differ in size and in the proportions of their neck and base.The distribution of flesh is one of its most distinctive features. The neck contains a fairly continuous mass of flesh, while the swollen lower part surrounds the cavity holding the seeds. Beneath the relatively smooth skin, the flesh is orange and firm when raw. A cross-section through the neck therefore looks different from one through the base. ‘Waltham Butternut’ is a familiar example of the group, but it does not represent every cultivar or every possible fruit shape.The plant is annual, with large leaves carried…
