Winter Squash Wrinkled Butternut

Winter Squash Wrinkled Butternut — variety description

Winter Squash Wrinkled Butternut (Cucurbita moschata) is an annual vegetable of the Gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). One of the most popular pumpkin varieties in southern Italy, it resembles a violin in shape, with deeply folded and wrinkled skin covering fine flesh.

All the seeds sit conveniently at the base, so it is easy to handle and prepare.

The flesh is extremely tasty and ideal for soups or roasting.

This wrinkled pumpkin weighs up to 6 kg. Harvest after 15 weeks, and the approximate yield is 20 kg per plant.

The pumpkin is the symbol of the autumn garden — for roasting, pies, soups, purées and long winter storage. Besides edible ones, there are also ornamental varieties for decoration.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 96%
• Seeds per packet: 17–23 pcs (2 g)
• Seed origin: Italy
• Sowing: April; direct or seedlings
• Harvest: October
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Winter Squash Wrinkled Butternut

Winter Squash Wrinkled Butternut seeds are sown in April. Harvest takes place in October. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Winter Squash Wrinkled Butternut

• Sowing method: direct or seedlings
• Depth: 3–4 cm
• Spacing: 1–2 m
• Germination: 5–10 days at 20–25 °C
• Position: sunny spot

Pumpkins germinate easily in warm soil; gardeners in cooler areas can start their seedlings in pots in a warm place and plant them out after the risk of frost has passed. Pumpkins need plenty of water while growing; mulch well to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Harvest pumpkins when the stalk attaching them to the plant becomes woody and corky. Cut (do not pull) the stalk from the plant. Never lift the pumpkin by this "handle", because if it breaks off, the pumpkin will go mouldy within days.

Sow directly into warm soil (above 15 °C) at 2–3 seeds per hill, or plant transplants at 3–4 weeks. The pumpkin likes rich, fertilised soil and generous watering when the fruit sets.

Harvest and use

Harvest when the stalk dries and the skin cannot be dented by a fingernail. Leave pumpkins in the sun for 1–2 weeks to “cure” before storing.

Frequently asked questions

When should Winter Squash Wrinkled Butternut be sown?

The recommended sowing month is April. Sowing method: direct or seedlings.

How many seeds are in the packet?

The packet contains 17–23 seeds, pack size 2 g.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 96%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.

How long does a pumpkin keep?

Well-ripened pumpkins with the whole stalk keep for 3–6 months in a dry, cool place (10–15 °C).

When is pumpkin sown?

Directly outdoors after the last frosts — late April and May; for an earlier harvest, transplants from early April.