Squash Butternut Waltham Seeds

Waltham Butternut is a full-vine Cucurbita moschata winter squash with creamy-tan skin, orange flesh and good storage potential after curing.

Grow it successfully: Read the exact South African Squash Grow Guide module.

Quick Grow Facts

• Plant Type: Warm-season edible squash
• Variety: Waltham Butternut
• Scientific Name: Cucurbita moschata
• Outcome: Mature storage squash; cure before cool, dry, airy storage.
• General Sowing Time: Sow after frost once soil is at least 18°C. In cool districts use September–December and sow early enough to finish before autumn frost or prolonged winter rain.
• Position: Full sun
• Seed Form: Raw, unpelleted seed; sale form does not confirm chemical-treatment status
• Active Pack Sizes: 10 g raw seed, 100 g raw seed, 500 g raw seed
• Growth Form: Full trailing vine; allow at least 2 m of run or use an exceptionally strong trellis and support every developing fruit. No routine pinching is required.
• Pretreatment: None; sow dry unless the delivered lot label says otherwise
• Method: Warm direct sow preferred; transplant only a young intact plug before it becomes root-bound
• Sow Depth: 3 mm under the exact current Ubuntuberg label; keep the very shallow cover continuously moist. The separate Starke Ayres Waltham packet uses 20 mm.
• Germination: 7–14 days at a 21–30°C seed-zone target; do not direct sow below 18°C
• Final Spacing: 50 cm between plants and 150 cm between rows is the stocked-label minimum; allow about 2 m of clear vine run.
• Harvest: Plan on 90–110 days in warm conditions; the current stocked label gives a broader 90–120-day window. Harvest only when the tan rind is hard and the stem is dry and corky.

Why Grow This Variety

• The full-vine plant produces the familiar tan butternut shape.
• Orange flesh suits roasting, soups, stews and baking.
• Mature, undamaged fruit can store after proper curing.
• The exact module corrects the live page's C. pepo identification to C. moschata.

Garden Uses

Harvest fully mature fruit for roasting, soups, stews, curries and baking.

Growing Notes

• Direct sow is preferred. If starting early, use one seed per deep cell and transplant at two true leaves before roots bind.
• Keep the root zone evenly moist through flowering and fruit fill; reduce irrigation as mature fruit hardens.
• Keep fruit on dry mulch or a board and leave a short stem when cutting for curing.
• Do not rely on the stated calendar alone: frost, cold soil and insufficient remaining season are hard stops.

Seed safety: Raw seed is the unpelleted sale form, not proof of untreated seed. Do not eat seed or use it for feed, sprouts or microgreens; follow the delivered lot label.

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