Butternut Squash

[thomasb]

in the May issue of Kitchen garden there was an article about different butternut squash and how some are much earlier to produce than others, especially in a poor summer.
The best ones were varieties called Harrier, Hawk and Hunter.
Does anywhere know of on-line shops where you can get these (especially Hunter) where postage is free?

Thanks

[thomasb]

[lewic]

Have just googled this and cant find any freebies, but there are a few early ones on Ebay which are only 30p postage.

Didnt know there were different types of butternut squash when I bought my bog standard ones from Wilko. They have been growing on my windowsill for several weeks and are still only a couple of inches high!

[thomasb]

Thanks lewic,
I did not know there was such a difference between varieties until I read the article. In the RHS trials that was reported 8 plants of different varieties were planted out. There was 2 varieties that only gave a total of 4 fruits from the 8 plants, while the best variety Hunter gave a total of 60 from its 8 plants.
I had put the fact that I got no butternuts from plants last year down to the poor summer. The variety that I had planted was one of the varieties that was poorest in the trail....So know I know...

[Teej]

The BBC Dig In seeds include Hunter Butternut Squash.  I ordered some but who knows if I'll actually get them as they ran out apparently!  If I do get any I will send you some if you like.
No idea on how to grow or which ones are the best as it's my 1st year growing them, courtesy of a lovely Seed Swap on here!  (& BBC if they arrive ;))

[kt.]

I paid a higher price and postage for Harrier. :(  You can get them here quite cheap, and with free P+P on seed orders.  10 Harrier F1 Butternut squash £1.49:

http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/catalogue/product/861-8/

[realfood]

Last year, I carried out trials in Glasgow on these three butternut squashes for one of the seed companies. An exert from my website is
Butternut Squash varieties, specially bred in the UK for the UK climate, and claimed to ripen about four weeks earlier than traditional varieties, are available as follows:-

Harrier F1. Claimed to be ready to harvest in 95 days from sowing, but expect longer in the North of the UK. It has sweet flesh, good storage and about 800 g or 1.75 lb size.

Hawk F1. Claimed to be quick maturing with sweet flesh, good storage and about 700 g or 1.5 lb size.

Hunter F1 Claimed to succeed as far north as Lancashire, with sweet flesh, good storage.

Having successfully grown all these varieties during a dull, cool and wet Summer in Glasgow, growing them both under cloches and in the open, my advice would definitely be to grow them under cloches in the North of the UK. Harrier F1 produced the most fully ripe fruits, as it tends to set the fruits earlier. However, they are all likely to do much better than the traditional varieties.