Organic Squash ‘Buttercup’

£2.70

Availability: 11 in stock

Soil Association Organic Logo           Cucurbita Maxima – 10 Seeds        

The buttercup squash is an heirloom from 1925 and is one of the sweetest flavoured winter squashes.

It is dark green in colour with no ribs and has a sweet, mild and creamy texture. 

Buttercup squash was developed by Dr Albert F Yeager at the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station by accident! 

Dr Yeager was trying to develop a squash that could be used as a substitute for the sweet potato which was difficult to grow in the region and the buttercup squash emerged by chance from a patch of quality squash and an Essex variety.

The seeds should be sown in 8cm pots in the spring. Plant out when the risk of frost has passed at around 90cm apart. It should be harvested in the Autumn before the first frosts.

Seed Story

Squash originated in Central America around 8,000 – 10,000 years ago but they were unknown in Europe until the late 16th century.

They are one of the largest and most diverse types of fruits in the plant world. 

Squash is notorious for cross pollination which has resulted in the diverse variety we know today.

There are different types of squash; winter and summer. Winter squashes tend to have harder rinds which assists with storage whereas summer squashes like the courgette have a much thinner rind and grow a lot faster. 

Winter squashes are often vining, long season plants and can be used to help with ground cover to prevent weeds whereas summer squashes tend to be bush plants.

Indigenous tribes in Native America used to use squash as part of the ‘three sisters’ method of planting. This method uses corn, beans and squash. The squash is used for ground cover, the corn is used to support the beans and the beans fix the nitrogen in the soil for the benefit of the corn and the squash.

Did you know that squash flowers are edible? They can be eaten fresh, steamed, fried, baked or stuffed!