Waltham Organic Butternut Squash Seeds

Days to Maturity: 105 from direct sow; 75 from transplant

This All-America Selections (AAS) Winner 1970 continues to dominate the butternut squash market— and why not.

Who can resist these large, smooth, uniform tan "light bulbs," each packed with dark orange flesh of fine texture and scrumptious flavor? Certainly not us—which is why we are delighted to offer Waltham as organic seed this season.

Waltham Organic Butternut Squash is a winter squash, but one of its great secrets is that it can also be harvested young and eaten like a summer squash—tender and toothsome, skin and all. When allowed to mature, it reaches about 8 or 9 inches long and up to 4 inches diameter around its plump "bulb end". Expect it to weigh in at an impressive 4 to 5 pounds. Cure it after harvest and store it in a cool, dry place—it stores for several months, lasting nearly through winter from an early fall harvest.

Waltham is "the" name in butternuts, and one bite tells you why. It would be hard to improve upon the fine texture and nutty-sweet flavor of the fruit, and as for the plant, it's easy to grow and very productive, demonstrating superior resistance to vine borers. It's easy to prepare for cooking, too: the tan skin slides away easily with a potato peeler, revealing the bright, vitamin-packed flesh beneath. A small seed cavity gives you a few extra bites from every fruit, too.

Waltham butternut squash was first grown in Waltham, Massachusetts. This American variety never ceases to impress and delight, and we give it our highest recommendation. Grow two crops—sweet tender summer varieties and larger, meatier winter squashes.

Winter squash has great storage ability. It is grown like summer squash (sown 1 inch deep after all danger of frost), but the seeds should be spaced 4 to 6 feet apart. Harvest it when the plants die back or just before frost. Cut and cure the fruit in a well-ventilated area, then store at 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.