Butternut Squash

[Veg Learner]

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all well.

Just a quick question aimed at anyone who can help me. I only started growing veggies last May so this will be my first full seaon of doing it.

I now have a 5 month old daughter who totally loves pureed sweet potato and buternut squash. Does anyone have any tips on growing these vegetables? Can they be grown in Scotland [Gretna]? How do I start them off and when do I plant them out?

Current knowledge = zero.

Cheers

Ross

[di]

Hi, butternut squash are fairly easy, although I must admit it's a bit warmer here. Sweet potato I don't think is so simple, there's a few threads you can look up. My guess, and it is a guess, is that they need a warmer climate?

As you can tell, I don't really know, just wanted to say good on you feeding your babe your own creations. If you don't manage the butternut or sweet potato, I'm sure come the Summer she'll be happily munching on finger foods like carrots and peas and broccoli. All the best.

[sowitgrowit]

My little girl loves them too so we're having a crack at them this year, albeit up a trellis rather than sprawling.

[zazen999]

My advice, grow some other squash types. Butternuts are notoriously hard to crack whereas a nice sweet squash would grow better and probably mean you can omit the sweet potato in the first place.

[TrixC]

I used to grow sweet potatoes in the north of New Zealand but it has not occurred to me to attempt them in the UK - they are essentially a tropical plant and need a really long growing season. Squash would be more suitable in your climate, although I have found butternut to be one of the more temperamental varieties.

[stella]

I have always found butternut tempermental. However last year I noticed one growing out of the compost heap, it must have germinated from a seed that had been thrown away, it grew to a nice size as well

[smallblueplanet]

Try some 'red onion' squash they seem a relatively easy squash to grow and have a good taste too.

[Alison]

I grow sweet potatoes in my polytunnel, they don't do very well but I get enough for a good few meals and they keep well too. Have tried them outdoors and it just doesn't work.

[Ian_5]

i've tried butternut 2 years in a row with limited success... i had read somewhere that a variety called cobnut are the easiest to grow (as in earliest to ripen but aren't as big) but have never tried myself.

last year i grew 'sweet dumpling' which seemed much easier to grow and have a great flavour - growing them again this year as well as crown prince (also meant to be a bit more resiliant and good flavour).

growing for a similar reason, only ours is a 4 month old.

[di]

Sweet Dumpling is one of my favourites.

I know you're thinking of your little one but they make a not only tasty, but also impressive looking dinner, baked whole and stuffed with wild rice.

[Ian_5]

Not tried it like that Di but have heard that it's good...most of mine ended up in risotto.

Veg Learner - a fella called realfood put the following on a thread i started which might be useful:

winter_squash

ian

[gardenpassion]

We are not very far away in Cumbria and I managed to grow some last year. Used lots of well rotted manure and fed it regularly with growmore. Got two squashes but it was worth the effort as they were very tasty!! Dont plant out before May though and I think I have read somewhere that they dont transplant well. So try seed straight in the ground.

[Jeanied]

Sow third week in April, plant out 4th week in May - don't know where I got it from but I wrote it on a scrap of paper in my gardening notebook!

[di]

Try some 'red onion' squash they seem a relatively easy squash to grow and have a good taste too.

I just googled these as they sounded interesting, would seem I grew them last year ( Uchiki kuri) One of my few squash that did well from neglect. Also, they obviously store well as my last one is still in the kitchen. I have a friend round for lunch on Thursday so shall make sure and do something with it.

[Jeanied]

If they are anything like my red kuris they are divine