Pumpkin Butternut is a very versatile vege with a sweet nutty taste. The squat club-shaped fruits have bright orange flesh and few seeds so there is little waste. Delicious as a roast or steamed vegetable or as an alternative to pumpkin in pies, roasts or soups.
Sow seeds in clumps of 3-5 seeds, spacing each clump 60cm apart. Place the seeds on their edges to ensure they don't rot, keep moist. Thin to the strongest seedling in each group when they emerge. Provide liquid feeds and if needed, hand pollinate the female flowers. Harvest when the stalks become dry. For earlier crops, sow indoors in pots of seed raising mix and keep moist. Harden the young plants off in October and plant out 60cm (2ft) apart in December. Fruits store for 3-4 months if kept dry and uninjured.
Sow in Spring.
