Butternut Squash - Hunter F1 Hybrid, 12 Seeds
Hunter F1 butternut squash is a reliable, early harvesting UK variety bred for our cooler conditions. It produces smooth-skinned, large, orange fruits with dense, sweet flesh - well suited to roasting, soups, and storage through the winter months.
This is a vigorous variety, quick to poke its head through and then growing enormous, sun-capturing leaves to power its stem elongation. It can be allowed to spread across the ground or trained upwards if space is limited, although larger fruits may need supporting in a sling as they develop. Like all squashes, it thrives in fertile soil high in organic matter.
Seed coverage
A pack contains 12 butternut squash seeds. Each plant is capable of producing up to 5 - 7 fruits over the season under good conditions. Try sowing in two batches a few weeks apart to stretch the cropping season.
Sowing Instructions
- Start seeds under cover in April or May, or sow directly outdoors in May or June once the soil has warmed.
- Sow seeds on their side approximately 1.5 cm deep in small pots of seed compost.
- Keep compost moist but not saturated; seedlings typically appear within 7–10 days.
- Pot on once seedlings have developed 2–3 leaves into larger containers (minimum 30 cm).
- Plant out after all risk of frost has passed, or continue growing under cover.
- Choose a fertile, well-prepared site, ideally with well-rotted manure incorporated beforehand.
- Space plants around 60 cm apart.
- Water regularly, keeping the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged.
- Feed every 10–14 days with a potash-rich fertiliser once flowering begins.
- Allow plants to trail or train onto supports; support developing fruits if grown vertically.
- Harvest when fruits are fully coloured and skins have hardened.
- Store in a cool, dry place for several months after harvest.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow indoors | ||||||||||||
| Sow outdoors | ||||||||||||
| Harvest |