I haven't grown butternut yet myself, but butternut is a vining squash, not a bush squash, so I'd suggest that you get a really big container, and plan for a lot of space for the vines to sprawl (or a trellis). Remember that a big vine in a small space is going to need a lot of water, too.

I didn't even know there was a "bush" type for squash. Thanks for letting me know. We might have to plant that one in the ground then or just use a trellis.

Thanks.

Agree that most butternut vines will get huge - 4-5' in length - so if growing in a container it will have to be quite large and set in an area where the vines can run freely.

Burpee sells Butterbush variety that works well in a container.

Dave

I admire that you are growing your own veggies. Is it possible for you to get anything in the ground instead of containers?

Wow! That is a large area of vines. I wasn't aware that butternut did that. I appreciate that information.

Jon, We are actually thinking of putting a few of our veggies in the ground. We decided to try the container method (this year) because in the past we have not been successful at gardening.

I think we have not been very successful at garden because as another posted commented (in another post of mine) that we are killing our plants with kindness. And honestly I agree. I think we have over-done it in the past and over watered them. I am so glad I found this group online. :)

oh... Well for what it`s worth, squash would be high on my list of things to plant in the ground. If you have a tendacy to over water and over fertilize you might try celery. It`ll love it...

I grow my Butternut in a raised bed. Since I don't want the whole bed over run with the squash I let it run over the lawn. My bed it high so I just built a small ramp for the vine to run down, then over the lawn. The main part of the plant is in my well composted, drained, watered bed but the vine just runs down and out over the lawn. Sometimes it puts down additional roots into the lawn but I only water the beginning part of the vine. And had luck last year with it.

I tried gardening for a long time with some success but limited. I believe soil and sun are extremely important so if your in ground isn't working well pots or containers are great if you can afford them. I'd make sure to put Mel's mix in my containers. Once I did that there seems to be no limit to what I can grow. I used to think it was me know I look back and think it was the soil.

If the container of butternut wasn't labeled with a variety name, more than likely it is Waltham, which, if the plants are happy, can grow vines a lot longer than the 4-5' previously mentioned. More like 8-12'.

I planted both butternut waltham and Burpees bush one summer.The bush were about 4 to 5 feet long. But vine borer or something else got into them and destroyed pretty much all of the bushs squash. waltham came through as usual.

John, thanks! I usually don't plant squash because of those borers, but will plant waltham this year and see what happens. I've gotten 3 per vine before from them.

Based on my experience with Waltham butternut last year, it definitely had 12'+ long vines. If I replant it, it will move from a raised bed to the ground.... anywhere I have lots and lots of room.

I thought butternut was supposed to be not-so-tempting to squash bugs/beetles, but they were my big garden pest last year and they loved the butternut. Regardless, the butternut thrived.... They were in my least amended raised bed (50% rich garden soil + 50% sandy soil = very good drainage.) I watered them briefly with a drip line daily (I'm in a dry desert) and just one or two emitters per plant.

I grew Waltham butternut in my first veggie garden last year. The vines grew like crazy- at least 12 feet or more until I finally started whacking them on the ends. Some went through the fence and into my neighbor's yard, so he had squash too! One went up a tree with no help from me, and another snaked through my tomato cages. They were in clay soil mixed with some compost. I did water pretty regularly. They did great overall; luckily we like butternut a lot.

I'm planning to try some in the corner of my front border this year because it is so sunny there. I plan to encourage the vines to grow along the side of the house out of the way of the front lawn. My hubby is claiming I am crazy and they will go out into the street and knock on the front door across the way!!

I had trouble with squirrels chewing up the unripe ones until I put a birdbath full of water and a feeder of sunflower seeds near the garden to lure them away.

We had a good harvest and still have two left to eat from last summer. We also had a lot of fun stuffing the blossoms with ricotta cheese and herbs and frying them in a light batter for a summer meal.

I was also really pleasantly surprised at the number of bees and butterflies that the blossoms seemed to attract- an added bonus.

The difference between my successful butternut years and my not so successful years has been manure. Lots of manure = lots of butternut. Make a hill, mix it in a bit, three plants to a hill, and they run over the entire garden and yard (plant near potatoes, since they can run through these without interfering with anything). My vines last year (lots of manure) were probably 30 + feet long. Butternut are sweeter with the manure too.