Have a compost heap? This is perfect if you want to grow pumpkins because they thrive here. How about the butternut squash?
The butternut squash belongs to the musk squash family and resembles a pear in appearance. It has an orange flesh that has a delicious aroma. It tastes slightly nutty and buttery and can not only be cooked, but also eaten raw. The mature specimen weighs up to a kilo and can easily be planted in the garden. Provided you keep a few important points in mind.
Growing Butternut Squash
Gourd plants are relatively easy to grow in the garden. They are not very demanding and are therefore also suitable for inexperienced gardeners. It is important that you pay attention to the following factors:
- Pumpkins are sensitive to frost - therefore do not sow before the ice saints
- You need a nutrient-rich soil with compost or humus
- They should be grown in pots from April onwards
Location and Substrate for Butternut Squash
The butternut squash feels best in sunny and sheltered locations. It is therefore advisable to plant the pumpkin in a south-facing position in a slightly elevated position where it gets a lot of sun.
You can ensure a high yield in the later pumpkin harvest by placing it directly on your compost. But you can also achieve good harvests with a nutrient-rich substrate, which you upgrade with compost.
Since the butternut squash does not tolerate waterlogging, you should loosen up compacted soil and make it more permeable to water. You can do this by mixing sand into the soil.
Prefer butternut squash
As mentioned earlier, butternut squash prefers heat. So it makes sense that you prefer the pumpkin. To do this, put the seeds individually in a pot with the propagation end from March and place it in a warm place. You must keep the substrate constantly moist. However, be sure to avoid doing so. that waterlogging forms. After the last ground frosts - usually in May - you can place the young plants in the garden. This makes it possible to enter the harvest timelittle preferable.
Tip: It is also possible to grow the butternut squash whole in one pot. However, it is advisable to move the plant to a larger pot as soon as the cotyledons are visible.
Sowing Butternut Squash
If you want to sow the butternut squash directly outdoors, you have various options. Many gardeners rely on the compost heap as a location because the butternut squash finds the best conditions and soil conditions here. But raised beds, greenhouses or ordinary beds are also suitable.
For sowing, use either your own dried pumpkin seeds or commercially available seeds. Simply put the seeds in the ground after the last frost - i.e. after the ice saints in May - and cover them with a thin layer of soil. Water the soil and keep the soil constantly moist. You will see after about a week whether the seeds are starting to bloom. Now the first seedlings are forming.
Plant Butternut Squash
In addition to pre-growing and sowing, you also have the option of planting pre-growing plants from the trade. In contrast to the other two options, this is also possible in June or July. When planting, make sure there is a sufficient distance of one meter between the individual plants.
Important: the plant must not dry out
The biggest danger when seeding butternut squash is that the plant will dry out. It is therefore advisable to spread a layer of mulch immediately after planting, which stores the moisture in the soil. Because the pumpkin needs a constantly moist soil, which - as already mentioned - must not be characterized by waterlogging. Therefore, water regularly and as close to the ground as possible.