How to grow Butternut Squash (Hunter F1)

Cucurbita moschata

🥕 Vegetable 🌱 Grown each year

The Hunter F1 is an early maturing Butternut Squash specifically developed over 10 years to suit the UK climate. It produces strong plants yielding 6-7 light tan fruits with sweet, bright orange flesh and excellent flavour. Matures up to 4 weeks earlier than other varieties, with a more compact, open habit and slightly smaller fruit. Stores very well, lasting to Christmas and beyond. A real winner, especially for cooler climates where squash growing was once a dream.

At a glance: Sow mid May to late May, harvest from late August.

When to sow, plant and harvest

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Sow outdoors

Harvest

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Growing Butternut Squash (Hunter F1): what it needs

Light: Full sun · 8+ hours a day
Watering: Every 2-3 days
Soil: Rich, well-draining, humus-rich · pH 6.0–7.0
Spacing: 50cm apart
In pots: Grows well in containers
Feeding: Feed every 14 days with a potash rich fertiliser once established and fruiting.
Harvest: About 120 days from sowing
Hardiness: USDA zones 3–10
Difficulty: Easy

Step by step

Mid May – late May · 4 weeks after the last spring frost
Sow Butternut Squash Outdoors (optional)
To give a good start, dig a 30cm square hole and fill with well-rotted manure. Cloche the area a week before sowing. Mound up soil and plant 2 seeds, 2.5cm deep, every 50cm. Cloche again until seedlings grow.
5–8 days after “Sow Butternut Squash Indoors” · Mid May – late May
Check for Germination
Seedlings should emerge in 5-8 days. Ensure consistent warmth and moisture. For outdoor sowing, seed will not germinate until the temperature is consistently above 13°C.
7 days after “Plant Out / Establish Outdoors” · Late May
Initial Care and Feeding
As they are hungry feeders, begin feeding them every 14 days with a potash rich fertiliser. Keep well watered but try not to wet the fruit.
90–150 days after “Initial Care and Feeding” · Late August – late October
Harvest Butternut Squash
Harvest fruits from September to October. Pick any remaining fruits before the first frosts. These can be stored in frost-free conditions and can last to Christmas and beyond.