Focus on... Winter squash

From cheeky pale butternuts to rotund blue beasts, winter squash are a genuine feast for the senses. Lucy shows you how to cultivate the best cucurbits around

- Lucy Chamberlain.

THEY’RE rampant, yield generously, store forever and taste delicious – why wouldn’t you grow winter squashes? Here are my hints for a bumper year…

Sowing and planting

Winter squashes are part of the cucurbit family and botanically they belong to three main species: Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata and C. pepo. Like pumpkins and marrows, they can set hard skins and store well into the winter.

Many have a long growing season, needing more than 100 days from sowing to fruit maturity. Being tender, sowing outdoors early in the year isn't possible (at least 13°C/55°F soil temperature is needed), so the solution is to start them off under cover instead.

Seedlings are ready to transplant outside four-five weeks after sowing, so in the south now is a great time to begin; wait a couple of weeks more if you're in the north. Set one seed per 3½in (9cm) pot, and keep at 18-24°C (64-75°F) until well emerged, then grow on at 15-18°C (59-64°F) to transplant out in late May/ early June.

Growing essentials