100 Waltham Butternut Winter Squash Heirloom Seeds
Heirloom Waltham Butternut (Cucurbita moschata) is known for its uniform shape and rich dry yellow-orange flesh. This one has a nutty flavor and is a high-yielding vine. Fruits are 3-6 pounds and are very good keepers. 83-100 days.
***SQUASH GROWING GUIDE BELOW***
Squash is a seasonal vegetable. It is very susceptible to frost and heat damage, but with proper care it will produce a bumper crop with very few plants.
There are many varieties of summer squash to choose from, including zucchini. The main difference between winter and summer varieties is their harvest time; the longer growing period gives winter squash a tougher, inedible skin. Here are their various botanical names: Cucurbita pepo (Summer squash/Zucchini), C. maxima (True winter), C. pepo (Acorn, delicata, spaghetti) , C. moschata (butternut).
PLANTING
If you wish to start seeds indoors due to a short gardening season, sow 2 to 4 weeks before last spring frost in peat pots. However, we recommend direct-seeding for squash because they do not always transplant well. If you do transplant, be very gentle with the roots.
If you wish to get an early start, it may be better to warm the soil with black plastic mulch once the soil has been prepared in early spring.
The soil needs to be warm (at least 60º at a two-inch depth) so we plant summer squash after our spring crops of peas, lettuce, and spinach—about one week after the last spring frost to midsummer.
In fact, waiting to plant a few seeds in midsummer will help avoid problems from vine borers and other pests and diseases common earlier in the season.
The outside planting site needs to receive full sun; the soil should be moist and well-drained, but not soggy.
Squash plants are heavy feeders. Work compost and plenty of organic matter into the soil before planting for a rich soil base.
To germinate outside, use cloche or frame protection in cold climates for the first few weeks.
Plant seeds about one-inch deep and 2 to 3 feet apart in a traditional garden bed.
Or, you could also plant as a “hill” of 3 or 4 seeds sown close together on a small mound; this is helpful in northern climates as the soil is warmer off the ground. Allow 5 to 6 feet between hills.
Most summer squashes now come in bush varieties, which uses less space, but winter squash is a vine plant and needs more space. They will need to be thinned in early stages of development to about 8 to 12 inches apart.
All multiple orders of the same seed are put in the same bag. For example if you order 500 beefsteak tomato seeds x 3 then 1500 seeds will be put in the same bag. We do not send out 3 individual bags with 500 in each. This goes for all seeds unless they are listings of different seeds.
NOTE: ALL GROWING INFO AND INSTRUCTIONS ARE ON ITEM PAGE.
If you can’t find germinating and instructions online you can find them on the item page. Our goal is to save money everywhere we can so we can pass those savings on to you.
