Butternut Squash Rant

[StupidBird]

Due to my losing the battle the last three years to bugs, I have shamefully resorted to purchasing butternut squash AT THE GROCERY STORE (insert shameful smilie) at outrageous prices.

The last few have the taste and texture of coarsest bred jack o lantern pumpkins!

What happened? I can't afford to waste money this way. Has the hybridizing gone too far? There are nothing but monstrously large ones at the grocers...has it gone the route of the Cornish x frankenchicken?

Have you noticed this? Any suggestions...go organic op, magically grow my own?

 

[digitS']

Butternut is a Cucurbita moschata and is supposed to "resist" vine borers.

Is it another bug that is killing your squash?

I've successfully battled squash bugs with organic insecticides a few times.

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

Try the rumbo squash. The bugs do not seem to like it, it is very productive. They like to climb on a fence. It will keep a bit into the winter though not as long as butternut. It is quite sweet, has orange meat, and has a texture very much like spaghetti squash. I like it better than butternut.

 

[StupidBird]

Thank you for the growing tips for next year. My biggest question is why the butternut bought at the grocery lately are so awful? Watery, stringy, lacking true butternut flavor. Is this some new hybrid? I want to avoid that in my purchases this year and planting next year

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

actually, i don't remember planting any butternut in my garden intentionally this year. i think they volunteered from some of last year's that my dh hit with the lawnmower. so i'm finding out that just throwing the seeds over the bed of coop clean-out seems to be the right combo to get any squash or pumpkins to grow well for me. the stink bugs did enjoy them last year and had taken quite a few of my plants. this year they didn't bug them at all!

sounds like a poor crop or some crossing going on with they stuff you've been getting. i don't eat the ones i get, i give them to my mother who loves that i've been growing them and have some success.

 

[897tgigvib]

Amazingly, I tried to look up commercial butternut varieties and drew a blank.

 

[Nyboy]

Around here most vegetables from the grocery store are tasteless. Tomatoes are the worst taste like cardboard. Side note went out to eat Sunday had the most amazing butternut soup was so good I almost ordered a 2nd bowl.

 

[digitS']

Holmes Seed Company has:
Atlas
Avalon Premium
Betternut 900
Big Chief
Early Butternut
Ultra
Ultra HP Premium
Victory
all F1 hybrids

Osborne Seed Company has:
Atlas
Pacific Royal
Hunter
Waltham
only Waltham is a non-hybrid

I don't know what this tells us. The Hunter is a mini butternut. Of all of these, I have only grown the Waltham and Early Butternut. The Early Butternut was early maturing, which really helps in my garden. The fruits were large and tended to be, kind of, non-butternut in shape. I haven't grown it is several years. Waltham is the traditional butternut but just barely matures here so I came not to really trust it. Yes, there are lots of hybrids in commercial production.

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

I think most veggies are bred to keep forever and that is with a loss of flavor.

Thank you for the growing tips for next year. My biggest question is why the butternut bought at the grocery lately are so awful? Watery, stringy, lacking true butternut flavor. Is this some new hybrid? I want to avoid that in my purchases this year and planting next year

 

[so lucky]

Are there any natural food stores or organic groceries around your area? You could perhaps buy one/some there and taste test. Maybe a hybrid, but wouldn't hurt to try the seeds next year.