How to Grow Butternuts, Pumpkins, and Any Other Winter Squash | A Complete Guide

In todays video we are exploring the wide world of winter squash.

Questions I address: how to grow winter squash, how to grow pumpkins, can you save seed on squash, how to cure squash, which squashes you need to cure, how to store winter squash and more.

Support our work (👊) at
or

[stonedapefarmer]

Just a note that Oregon State University found that unirrigated/dry farmed winter squash rated highest in taste tests as compared to irrigated squash. They also stored longer... you know, like actually through winter... even for varieties that are naturally poor storers.

For reference, we get less than an inch of rain per month during the growing season, and often no rain at all.

[hisroyalblueness]

I thought it might be worth mentioning that, for home growers with only a small number of squash to deal with, you can grow 2 or more varieties together, but prevent cross pollination of a few fruits for seed, by putting an elastic band round specific flowers and only opening them briefly to hand pollinate them before locking them away again.
It’s a bit fiddly but, if you have the inspiration and the patience to do it, it certainly works😊
Love the stuff you do farmer Jessie - you’re a fantastic resource for any grower! 👍

[BDThomas]

My only experiences with growing the squash family:
1.) In the 3rd grade we did a science project where the teacher had us plant zucchini seeds in little paper cups. We brought them home at the end of the project with 3 or 4 leaves on them. I planted mine in our back yard and it exploded into a monster-sized plant and absolutely inundated us with dozens upon dozens of zucchini. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to zucchini, lol. Oops.

2.) A few years ago a volunteer pumpkin vine popped out of our compost pile and aggressively overtook our backyard. It was HUGE... it bloomed, had some pumpkins developing, and then seemingly overnight it just dropped dead. Squash vine borers, apparently. :(

I am determined to someday grow one of those 1, 000-pound pumpkins you see in the news.

[briansakurada]

I always find it interesting that so many market gardeners say squash is not profitable. Squash is #10 in my top 10 crops on my micro farm in Japan. Butternut saves me every September when I didn't keep up with summer planting and all the summer fruiters are slowing down and there's no leaves available yet. I stick it in the ground and come back a couple months later, absolutely 0 maintenance, it's the best.

[renatehaeckler]

One year my pigs planted squash and I wound up with around 75 butternut and cushaw squash. I stored them decoratively in the living room, along one wall. Looking at them made me happy. I did share some with the pigs, mostly the ones that didn't have time to ripen before frost.

[PartTimePermies]

Last year, we planted winter squash and corn in our winter chicken run after moving the chickens to summer pasture. The squash really liked that spot

[mimi]

Quick thumbs up for the pumpkin joke :-)

[livingwellanyway]

A good way to save seed from closely planted squashes is to hand pollinate a not-quite-open female flower with a male flower on the same plant, then keep that a gause bag over that female flower. When the fruit forms mark that fruit for seed saving by adding colored yarn or tape on its stem.

[Jhaldmer]

I don’t know who you are talking to but i will never can’t imagine you making jokes to yourself alone in the middle of the field 😂 Thanks for the tips😊

[michaelo]

You put a lot of efforts into your videos. But your videos stay on message and deliver the most important information. For that, I thank and applaud you.

Well done video on winter squash. 10/10. Respect.

[crowsfarm]

I grow Carolina Roasters every year. They are the king of pumpkin pie!
They are a tough sell at market, but once I got the restaurants hooked it is an easy sale!

[teatimetraveller]

I've found squash to be very susceptable to wind damage when they're young. It might not be an issue for some growers but in our maritime climate you really have to plan the planting around a favourable weather window.

[pamelacorsi]

Every year I plant 3 winter squash seeds in my almost finished compost bin (the one I'am not adding more to), Last year I got 60 Honeynut squash with very little effort. This year we have had so much rain and my Honeynut are already the size of Butternut. I have less fruit but that ok because I will still have plenty for a family of four. Your videos are great!

[thomasa]

You tell us all you’re a nerd

And after binging your videos lately. Yes. You’re one of Us.

[ryanleblanc]

I have an Acorn Squash in my kitchen from last year, still looks great. We live in a yurt on Vancouver Island, so if humidity helps with storage/curing, we've got that covered.

[malcolmt]

Last year I had two Musquee de Province plants produce 190 pounds. Good thing my fat dog likes to eat pumpkins.

[brucetepke]

I just ate one of last year's spaghetti squash. In my experience, they stay fresh until the next summer.

[nodonkey]

pruning squash plants can be surprisingly helpful for disease and pest management - and possibly yield though I haven't really compared. Take off older leaves that are shading new growth or getting crowded near other plants.

also interplanting with something quick and non aggressive like cilantro, dill, radishes, or a few cut flowers can be effective while the squash isn't covering the wide bed spacing.

[Spot]

My favorite itinary for winter squash is with winter rye. At mid june when the rye is floweri ng we mow or roll for crop termination and then transplant or seed with corn. Some rye eventally matures and is used to broadcast the following winter rye in august. The dense squash canopy makes perfect condition for germination of the rye. We usually get frost in september so defoliation and harvest with some trampling will get some more rye going. Guess what's planted there next year?
We are in zone 4b CA, so squash are actually just the extent of our frost free season. of 90-100 days with extra early varieties. We never saw any problem of storing unripe squash as long as it is cured properly. Great video Jesse love the long handle pruners, my back will thank me!

[joanies]

Last year I had a strange experience growing my sugar pie pumpkins. Most of them were very small or they tried ripening too early, just bigger than a softball. 😵‍💫 However, my winter squash were prolific! Oddly, this was the exact opposite result from what happened the year before, which was prolific pumpkins and nada on the butternuts.

It was also my first time
growing pumpkins for the pepitas (hulless seeds). Not a huge yield per pumpkin, but oh so good. I gave the pumpkin shells to my doc who fed them to the deer in his back fields when the snows came. I'll just grow them where I don't care if they take up space this year. At least now I get why pepitas are so darned expensive!