Planting Butternut in South Africa

Butternuts are a warm weather vegetable, thus planting occurs from early spring to mid-summer. In South Africa, planting starts in August where the temperatures have started to increase after the winter.

How long do butternuts take to grow?

Butternut squash has a long growing season of about 110 days. Follow a few care tips to keep these plants healthy all season long.

Can I plant butternut in February in South Africa?

In South Africa, as long as the butternut plant’s growth period does not experience too many days of temperatures of over 35°C (this increases the formation of male flowers that do not bear fruit) or temperatures below 12°C (this slows or even stops growth and development), the butternut can be planted from as early as July to as late as February. Optimum germination temperature is 20°C to 30°C and best growing temperatures are 22°C to 32°C during the day with night time temperatures no lower than 16°C.

What are the Soil requirements of Butternuts in South Africa?

In South Africa, butternuts, as with other cucurbits, are compatible with sandy loam to loam soils that are well drained and have a high level of organic matter. Soil pH should be between 6 and 6.8. If the soil is too acid, add lime to the soil prior to the first ploughing of the field.

What are the Planting preparation of Butternuts in South Africa?

In South Africa, it is advisable to start preparing the ground six weeks before your intended planting date. However, if there is compaction in the soil, then it is recommended that the field is ripped with a subsoiler to loosen the compaction. If organic material or lime are required then the lime, compost and or manure is spread over the field and ploughed in at this time. Then, the second ploughing can be done at a different angle to the first. You can draw a harrow over the field to break up any sods and to level the surface. This also helps clear any weed debris from the field. A few days before planting, the field can be finally disc harrowed to again clear weeds that may have started to grow and to smooth the surface. After this the plant lanes can be slightly ridged and smoothed or flattened to prepare a bed where the butternut seeds will be planted.

How many butternuts can one plant produce in South Africa?

In South Africa, depending on the variety and growing conditions, you can expect between 5 and 20 butternut squash per plant.