Buttercup Squash
Cucurbita maxima 'Buttercup Group'
Sow outdoors 2 weeks after your last spring frost. Space plants 30 in (76 cm) apart.
Photo: Prenn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
When to plant
Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.
Optimal Direct Sow
From seedRecommended- Sow outdoors2 weeks after your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 100 days after sowing
Optimal Indoor Start
From seed- Start indoors1 week before your last spring frost
- Begin hardening off1 week after your last spring frost
- Plant out2 weeks after your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 86 days after sowing
Growing buttercup squash
- Spacing in the row
- 30 in (76 cm)
- Between rows
- 60 in (152 cm)
- Planting depth
- 1 inch
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Soil
- Well-drained, rich in organic matter, pH 6.0-7.0
- Germination
- 7-14 days at 70-85°F
- Harvest season
- Late Summer, Fall
- Mature height
- Vining 10-20 feet or Bush 2-3 feet
- Support
- Trellis (vining), None (bush)
- Life cycle
- Annual
Direct sow 1 inch deep in warm soil after last frost; indoor start 3 weeks before transplanting.
Watering. Consistent moisture, especially during flowering and fruiting; avoid overhead irrigation.
Neighbours
The companion chart →Grows well beside
Corn
Radish
Nasturtium
Borage
Potato
FennelFeeding
- Seedlings
- Light liquid feed once true leaves appear for indoor starts.
- Growing
- Balanced fertilizer at planting, then phosphorus/potassium-rich during fruiting.
- Flowering and fruiting
- Phosphorus/potassium-rich fertilizer to support fruit set and development.
- How often
- Every 3-4 weeks once established, adjust based on observed plant vigor and soil test results.
- Note
- Avoid high nitrogen once flowering begins to prioritize fruit development over excessive foliage growth.
Your buttercup squash, planned to the day.
Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.