🎃 Butternut squash

Butternut squash has a sweet, nutty orange flesh, among the best of the winter squashes. It needs a longer, warmer season than courgettes, but compact varieties ripen reliably in sunny English summers, and it stores well into winter.

Plants are vigorous trailers that can be trained up a trellis or frame to save space. Choose an early variety such as Hunter or Harrier, bred for cooler climates, and give them rich soil and plenty of water.

Varieties to try

Hunter (early, reliable in the UK)Harrier (good UK performance)Waltham Butternut (classic)Ponca (early, compact)Honeynut (small, very sweet)

Sow indoors from mid-April to May, with seeds on their edge, 2 cm deep, in 9 cm pots of multipurpose compost at 18–21°C. Seedlings emerge in about a week. Keep them warm and bright, and avoid sowing too early.

Harden off and plant out in early June, once the frost has gone, in a sunny, sheltered place, in soil enriched with compost or manure. Allow 90 cm to 1 m between plants, or train up a strong trellis, supporting the fruits in nets or tights.

Top tips

• Sow seeds on their edge.
• Do not sow before mid-April.
• Plant in rich soil in a sunny spot.
• Support climbing fruits in slings.

Water deeply and regularly, especially in dry spells, and feed weekly with tomato fertiliser from the time the first fruits form. Pinch out the main growing tip when the stem is 1.5 m long, and restrict the plant to 3–4 fruits for good-sized squashes.

Keep fruits off wet soil with a tile or board. Hand-pollinate if there are few bees about. Slugs, powdery mildew and aphids can be a problem; remove affected leaves and water at the base. In September, remove leaves that shade the fruit, to let the sun ripen them.

Top tips

• Restrict to 3–4 fruits per plant.
• Pinch out stems at 1.5 m.
• Remove shading leaves in September.
• Water at the base.

Watch out for

SlugsPowdery mildewAphidsFruit not ripening in cool summers

Harvest in late September to October, when the skins have turned from green to a deep tan colour and are hard enough that a fingernail will not dent them, and the stalks are dry and corky. Cut with secateurs, leaving a long stalk, and never carry by the stalk.

Bring in before the first frost. Cure the fruits in a sunny, dry place for 10–14 days to harden the skin. Unripe squashes can finish ripening on a sunny windowsill, but they are less sweet and keep less well.

Top tips

• Leave a long stalk on each fruit.
• Cure in the sun for 10–14 days.
• Harvest before frost.
• Handle gently to avoid bruising.

Roast butternut squash in wedges with olive oil, garlic and herbs, blend into soups, mash, or add to risottos, curries, stews, lasagne and pies. The flesh is sweet and creamy; the skin is edible once roasted, saving peeling. Roast the seeds for a snack.

Cured whole squashes keep for 4–6 months in a cool (10–15°C), dry, well-ventilated place; do not stack them. Once cut, wrap and refrigerate for a week. Cooked squash and soup freeze well for up to six months.

Top tips

• Roast with the skin on to save peeling.
• Store whole squashes in a cool, dry place.
• Freeze soup or purée.
• Do not stack stored squashes.