In the Garden: Butternut Squash

Female flower of the Waltham Squash

Unfurling, hopes, whispers...

This summer is turning into a celebration of sorts — a celebration of the beautiful, bountiful, and the unexpected; a celebration of rain, growth, and love, where there was none but drought before; a celebration of pacing, and the enjoyment of time.  Who would have thought our gardens would be burgeoning with greenery, flowers, and produce into August, especially after the month of no rain at the start of summer!  What better way to celebrate the bounty than with photos of the Butternut Squash growing happily in the Whisperwood Garden!  She, and He (for she is both) is bursting her bounds on the small, sunny slope, and has not been gobbled by the animals, though she remains unfenced!  I am experimenting with a space-saving trellis, which seems to be working fine despite the heft of the fruit.  Each morning I visit and gently guide the unfurling tendrils to the next rungs of wire.   "Here," I say, "you can hang onto this."  And she does so, eagerly, then speeds onward to the next tethering place.

The infant squash with female flower

The male flower

I love butternut squash for its wonderful flavor and long "shelf life".   These squash will keep all winter long without refrigeration.  They are a winter staple, a primary ingredient in my cold-weather soups and stews.   But because they are so heavy they can be quite expensive, especially when grown organically.  So, I've determined to grow my own this year.  This is a Waltham heirloom variety.  Yes, I'll be saving the seeds!

Despite how luxurious the plant is, I have been having one problem, which is the small, baby squash often turn yellow and die before they are even an inch or two long.  It does not appear to be "end rot", for the discoloring does not begin at the blossom.  In fact, it occurs before the blossom unfolds.  I have read that the problem can be due to lack of pollination, which is wholly understandable as I have few flowering plants in my fledgling forest garden and the bees in the meadows have yet to discover this small oasis in the woods.  I now grab a Q-tip each morning on my way to the garden and use it to transfer pollen from the male to female flowers.  I've also read that another cause of the problem may be over-watering from the excessive amounts of rain we've had.  If readers have any additional ideas or solutions, please let me know!  Meanwhile, despite the gauntlet of potential ills, several of the squash have survived to adulthood and are looking quite magnificent!

Summer bounty

 Happy summer, Everyone!