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Cucurbita moschata
Ancestors Landrace is our crossing of Green Ayote and Honeynut Winter Squashes. Ayote is a green-fleshed butternut-type landrace that is absolutely breathtaking in its unique beauty and flavor! Also known as a tropical pumpkin, it hails from Guatamala and is characterized by its distinct fruity, nutty, earthy tasting notes and dry flesh. Honeynut is an interspecific cross between a mochata and maxima bred at Cornell University for powdery mildew resistance with its signature brown sugar, chestnut and buiscuty flavor. Honeynut is truly the best of both squashy worlds (maxima and mochata) all wrapped up in a cute little butternut looking package. Ayote is a long season squash, so by crossing with earlier maturing Honeynut we are working to select a disease resistant, quick maturing, delicious and colorful butternut with dry flesh that will store well deep into the winter months! In the meantime, enjoy this first generation crossing of our two most favorite super stellar butternut squashes!
Growing Instructions:
Sow indoors 2 to 3 weeks before setting out after last frost or direct seed after last frost.
Set plants/seeds 24" apart.
Space rows 5 to 6 feet apart
Amend soil with good compost. We also recommend a fall or spring cover crop of peas or another annual legume to fix nitrogen for the squash plants.
Mulch with leaves, or whatever you have available, to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Make sure soil pH is between 5.8 and 7.0. If plant needs a growing boost ,water with nitrogen tea or compost tea a few times. If trace minerals are inadequate, sprinkle a small amount of woodash in each planting hole.
Squash is ready to be harvested when stems change from green to light brown/beige indicating the plant is dying and the seeds are beginning to mature. If frost threatens, harvest early and ripen in a warm dry place, preferably in the sun.
