Ode to butternut squash
What's so great about butternut
squash?
1. It grows and grows with
little attention.
2. Predator bugs are
afraid...very afraid to come near them.
3. If picked and cured right
they store nicely on an indoor shelf.
4. They make the most delicious
pie.
Anna harvested our second
round of butternut squash recently which makes this year's yield our
biggest ever.
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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.
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Yum! Remember the year you got four (squashes)? That was a funny post.
I've got just three (butternuts) this year, and four Guatemalan Blue Banana, which I think you would like. I'm so jealous and inspired seeing that picture of the wheelbarrow half full.
Wonderwoman --- We do tend to get squash bugs too, but I generally ignore them, and our plants carry on through. Planting extra seems to help.
Paul B. --- I'll bet you're remembering our 2010 harvest? A few more than four, but still not many compared to this year's haul. I not only filled that wheelbarrow to the brim, I went back and got a second wheelbarrow full! (Also, I'm very impressed by your memory --- I'd forgotten that post....)
Deb --- I like to wait until the whole thing has turned tan, with no hints of green (except for a few lines radiating out from the stem). I did pick a few that were still a bit green, though, because you want to get them in before the frost.
One thing to be aware of is that they really need to be cured for a couple of weeks at a moderately high temperature (80 to 85 is optimal, but you can cure longer at a lower temperature) if you want the best flavor and storage potential. You might let yours sit for a couple of weeks and then see if they've oranged up inside.
Anna, thanks, I have read that about curing them. Oranged up- I like that!
Just read about another squash that sounds very interesting - I believe it is the kobocha- can be used like butternut or pumpkin, but supposedly sweeter and meatier. Now, will it grow in zone 5?
Starting on my no till garden! Got a big stack of newspapers, raking up pine needles ( lots do those since we live in a pine forest) lots of bark bits from splitting wood, the manure is just waiting for me to go shovel it, and some nice straw . Hoping that the fresh manure will compost by planting time next spring!
Deb --- I have to admit, I've stopped trying new winter squash varieties, even though I've heard folks praise many (like delicata). Butternuts just work so well for us, and I can't imagine anything that tastes better!
Have fun with your kill mulch.