Product Review

Butternut (Cucurbita moschata) is easily one of the most recognizable winter squash varieties today, and it all began with this heirloom. In the late 1940s a farmer named Charles A. Leggett experimented with winter squash breeding in his modest fields. His results are this highly recognizable bell-shaped strain that has typically produces 4-5 pound fruits and has incredible creamy flesh and edible light-tan colored skin. Leggett presented the variety to agricultural specialists in Waltham Field Station, and the rest is history. The strain remains productive - three to five fruits per plant can be expected under ideal conditions - and due to its size, matures quicker than many other winter squash strains. Here in Southern California we plant in July for early autumn harvest. In cooler climates, plant as early as June 1st. 110 days from seed. Annual. Photo credit: Butternut Squash Closeup by HalfGig [CC-BY-3.0-us (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons