Buttercup Squash (Cucurbita spp.)

These vines produce small 6-7 inch fruits that store for 4-6 months. The rind is dark green and flesh is bright orange and is loaded with beta carotene. These vines will produce 4-6 fruits per vine. We grow these every year for grilling, stir frys, and soups. They are incredible air fried and basted in garlic butter.

Planting/Harvesting Notes

  • Plant after all chance of frost has passed in an area that receives full sun
  • Plant 4-5 feet apart
  • Matures in 90-100 days
  • Cure outside for 7-10 days in the warm sun before storing in a cool, dry place that is between 55-60F

Seed Saving

The seeds for winter squash are fully developed when the squash is ready to eat. If you would like to save the seed, you either need to plant only one variety of squash (pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, and winter squashes are all the same species), or you need to hand pollinate the flowers to ensure your squash have not been cross pollinated with other squash from your garden. To hand pollinate flowers, you must put small bags over the flowers and manually transfer the pollen to keep the seeds from cross pollinating.

To save seed, harvest and cure the squash as you normally would for winter storage. Then allow the squash to store until ready to use. Once ready to use, cut the squash and scoop out the seeds into a strainer. Then wash the seeds well to remove any flesh or strings. Lay seeds out to dry on a drying screen, paper plate, or similar flat surface. Label these seeds so you remember what they are. Then once the seeds are dry, store in a labeled paper envelope in a cool, dry place. Dried winter squash seeds will remain viable for up to 6 years if properly stored.

Image credit: “Kürbis ‘Buttercup’ Squash” by franziskas garten is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

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