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South Anna Butternut Winter Squash
  • South Anna Butternut Winter Squash
  • South Anna Butternut Winter Squash
  • South Anna Butternut Winter Squash
  • South Anna Butternut Winter Squash
  • South Anna Butternut Winter Squash
  • South Anna Butternut Winter Squash
  • South Anna Butternut Winter Squash
  • South Anna Butternut Winter Squash
South Anna Butternut Winter Squash

Cucurbita moschata
$4.50
Description

We absolutely love this downy mildew-resistant butternut squash bred for the South! Edmund Frost of Commonwealth Seed Growers crossed our beloved Seminole Pumpkin with Waltham Butternut, then selected for downy mildew resistance, excellent flavor, productivity, high Brix, dry matter, keeping quality, and classic butternut shape.

South Anna has the familiar butternut shape with the vigor and rich flavor of Seminole Pumpkin. Its skin is a deeper tan than most butternuts, and the plants are remarkably vigorous and productive.

Like all winter squash in this species (Cucurbita moschata), these root along the ground as they grow, which is one of the key ways in which they are also tolerant of Squash Vine Borers. So while they easily can climb up trees and trellises, they will be more resilient to borers if they can root along the ground. 

This variety has quickly become a favorite with Florida farmers and gardeners alike. Jordan Brown of Family Garden in Gainesville grew South Anna alongside other winter squash during a particularly brutal summer and fall and was so impressed with its productivity and flavor that he said he didn't want to grow any other winter squash! We understand why—it produced an almost unbelievable amount of fruit, and it is absolutely delicious.

South Anna is an Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) variety, part of a movement to keep seed freely available and protect it from corporate monopolization. The variety is fairly stable, and gardeners are encouraged to save seed and continue adapting it to their own regions.
Product details
  • About 25 seeds
  • 110 days to harvest
  • Seeds sourced from Common Wealth Seed Growers in Virginia, a farmer-based seed company
How to grow

Winter squash need warm weather, plenty of space, and a long growing season. Sow seeds directly about 1 inch deep, planting 3–4 seeds together in a hill or planting area, with 5–6 feet between hills. Thin to the strongest plants once they are established.

These vines will spread far and wide, and happily climb—so give them plenty of room. Be prepared for a jungle of vines that will keep growing for much of the season!

Plant into fertile, compost-rich garden soil and feed regularly with a good-quality organic fertilizer. Avoid excessive nitrogen, which can encourage lots of leaves and vines at the expense of fruit production.

Winter squash are very sensitive to cold and should not be planted outdoors until the danger of frost has passed. In North Florida, some growers plant as early as late February, but be prepared to protect young plants if cold weather returns. You can also plant winter squash as late as April.

Water at the base of the plants using hand watering or drip irrigation when possible. Keeping foliage dry helps reduce the conditions that encourage disease.
How to save seeds

Squash are easy to save seed from, but keeping a variety pure can be tricky! Squash have separate male and female flowers and rely on insects for pollination, so different varieties of the same species can readily cross. This only matters if you want your saved seed to grow true to the original variety. If you’re happy to experiment, crossing can be a fun way to create something new!

First, make sure you know the species of your squash. Varieties within the same species can cross. For example, butternut and Seminole pumpkin are both Cucurbita moschata, and therefore can cross if they are flowering at the same time and growing in proximity. Zucchini, acorn, and many summer squash are Cucurbita pepo, and so they all can cross with one another. Different species generally will not cross. 

If you want to keep a variety pure, grow only one variety of that species, provide plenty of isolation, or use hand-pollination to control which flowers cross. This is especially important for seed growers because pollinators can travel considerable distances between squash plants.

For seed saving, choose fruit from your favorite fruits with the qualities you like (shape, color, flavor etc.) and allow the squash to fully mature. Winter squash can be harvested for seed when the fruit is fully mature and ready to eat. Scoop the seeds from the mature squash and separate them from the surrounding flesh. Rinse them well, then spread them out in a single layer to dry completely. Once thoroughly dry, store them somewhere cool, dark, and dry.

Learn all you need to know about saving tomato seeds in our free guide: Saving Winter Squash Seed

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