Butternut squash is at the heart of so many delicious fall recipes, from soups and stews.
Varieties
Early butter nut F1, Waltham and sunset
Ecological requirements
Altitude: Ranging from 0-1700.
Rainfall: Above 500 per annum.
Soil: Well drained rich in organic matter with PH ranging from 5.5-7.5
Temperature: should range from 210-280C
Land preparation
Plough the land early and deeply roughly 20-30cm deep. Remove all the weeds well especially the perennials.
Planting
Dig holes 30cm wide at a spacing of 1m by 1m, add 10kg of well decomposed organic manure inside the holes and mix thoroughly with the soil. Plant one seed per hole at the onset of rains or grow under irrigation.
Fertilizer
Basal method 10g per hole DAP during planting, 10g CAN during top-dressing 3 weeks after planting then repeated 6 weeks later. Apply foliar fertilizer during flowering and fruiting phase
Pest management
Melon fly: Bury infested fruits deep in the soil, use systemic insecticides eg Alpha 10EC
Thrips: Spray using suitable insecticide eg Dynamec.
White fly: Spray using suitable insecticide eg Brigade.
Leaf miner: Spray using suitable insecticide eg Decis.
Pest management
Powdery mildew: Spray using suitable fungicide eg score, Ortiva or Thiovit jet
Downy mildew: Practice crop rotation, destroy infested crop materials, proper spacing to avoid spread from plant to plant, spray with suitable fungicide eg Ridomil gold
Harvesting
Done 85-90 days after planting. Yield range from 20-40 tons per hectare depending on variety and crop management. Place harvested fruits on straw or dry grass to avoid discoloration by soil.