Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi

I went a bit OTT with saving seeds from my Butternut Sprinter fruit last year and have tonnes spare.

If anyone wants some, it's free if you send me a SAE. PM me for my address if you're interested.

The seeds are the brand and type in the below link and although they weren't organic seeds, I grew my plants organically this year. I can't guarentee they'll germinate but I can't see why not, and for the price of a stamp and envelope, why not give it a try?

Link below are the brand and type I planted to get these seeds. Any questions, please ask

Shortie

http://www.eseeds.com/cgi-bin/ncomme...GRY_NUM=search

Are they a bush or trailing type? I grew some Trailing Butternuts a couple of years ago & they took over the veggy patch!!!!!! but I do love them so thought I might try a bush type

Hi Helen,

They're the trailing type, and you do need to keep it under control a bit (hence the name sprinter I suppose)

They've got lovely sweet (but not too sweet) flesh though and I've still got 2 left stored under the stairs from my pickings last october. Checked them the weekend just gone and they still seem to be fine... Didn't realise they normally could be stored this long...

Any more questions, please just ask

__________________
Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

You could always grow them up a tripod like runner beans. You'd have to support the fruits though (old tights) & maybe tie the plants in a bit.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Train the plants into a spiral with bits of bent wire to keep the stem growing round. Mark the centre where the plants roots are so you can water. this I understand will allow them to be grown in confined spaces if you can't go up-wards.
Jax

Thanks for the advice, could you PM me your address & I'll pop an SAE to you

Helen

Hi Helen, just PM'd you..

A bit of advise on growing Butternut (Cheers Jax and ntg for the advise to grow upwards rather than out!!)

By last year.....

Plant end of March, early April indoors. I planted them out when they had 2 strong true leaves which I think was around May time....

Plantred straight out in the soil, (no prep done on it). They need watering in to start with, but as they trail across the ground they put down more, short thick roots further along the plant.

They mature around October time and keep maturing when stored.

Bits of advise:

1. I found mine needed to be pollenated manually. Their male and female flowersw are both yellow but the female have a tiny fruit behind the flower and male ones don't. Another way to distinguish between them is the female have orange stamen (if that's the right word) and males have yellow pollen. I would wait for two or more females to be open at a time and pick the male flower and waggle it around the stamen to pollenate.
2. Lift the fruits off the ground. I put spare bricks under mine
3. Wear gloves when handling the plants and there prickly
4. Enjoy the fruits of your labour. Especially ovened with olive oil and home grown Rosemary with your Sunday roast!

Sorry if I've not made much sense.... ask me any questions...

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Shortie, you made perfect sense.
Jax

Yep, SAE on its way to you!

Did you get my SAE?

Hi Helen

I've sent back all the ones I got.... PM me your address and I'll send some over

__________________
Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter