Butterscotch squash has smooth tan skin and incredibly sweet, deep orange flesh that tastes like butternut meets pumpkin pie. The 3-5 pound fruits store well and the flavor is rich without being stringy. Winter Squash: Grow your own "storage vegetable GOLD" with these long-season cucurbits (*Cucurbita spp.*)\! These sprawling vines or compact bush plants develop hard shells suitable for extended storage (3–6 months) that cure into sweet, dense-fleshed vegetables. Varieties range from small, single-serving delicata to massive blue Hubbards, including butternut (smooth texture perfect for soup), sweet buttercup types, and striped acorn squash. Requiring 85–110 days, they develop their superior sweetness during post-harvest curing and are loaded with vitamin A and fiber. This is autumn harvest excellence\! * Growing Tips: Transplant 1–2 weeks after the last frost when the soil warms to 65°F+ at 36–48 inch spacing or 2–3 plants per hill; requires an extended growing season. * Sun Requirements: Full sun (8+ hours required). * Preferred Soil: Rich, well-drained soil with consistent moisture; heavy feeders requiring high fertility. * Harvest Details: Harvest when skin resists a fingernail puncture and stems are brown and dry (typically 85–110 days); cure at 80–85°F for 10–14 days for starch-to-sugar conversion; properly cured squash stores for 3–6 months.
