Squash Summer Cube Butter Hybrid

A winner in our company taste test, this bright and sunny, butter-yellow squash has a melt-in-your-mouth butter flavor raw or cooked. Plants are very productive for a continuous harvest. Pick squash at any size from small to large, and the fruit still has all of its tempting qualities. Easy to harvest because plants are open and have fewer spines than other varieties. Disease resistant to zucchini yellow mosaic virus, downy mildew, and podi virus.

Botanical Name: Cucurbita pepo (hybrid)

Days to Maturity: 50 days

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Native: North America

Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual

Plant Dimensions: Compact vines form a 2' tall by 3'–4' bush type plant.

Variety Information: 6"–8" long, cylindrical fruits with lemon-yellow skin, and creamy white interior. 'Cube of Butter' plants are tolerant to zucchini yellow mosaic virus, downy mildew, and podi virus.

Type: Bush

Attributes: Disease Resistant, Good for Containers

When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is 70°–85°F.

When to Start Inside: Not recommended except in very short growing seasons, 2 to 4 weeks before transplanting. Roots are sensitive to disturbance; sow in biodegradable pots that can be planted directly into the ground. Transplant when soil temperature is at least 60°F.

Days to Emerge: 5–10 days

Seed Depth: ½"–1"

Seed Spacing: 2–3 seeds per mound

Row Spacing: 3'–4'

Thinning: When 3 leaves, thin to 1 plant per mound

Harvesting: Harvest frequently to increase yield; squash seem to get monstrous overnight. While edible at almost any size, seeds are less developed in young fruit, therefore more tender. Using a knife or clippers, cut squash off including some of the stem. By including stem, the fruit is sealed and less likely to mold or dry out. Harvesting Blossoms: Look for male, non-fruit producing flowers that have long stems and harvest just before use (female flowers have a swollen mini-squash at the base of the flower and are on shorter stems).