Squash – Planting Butternut Seeds

Q: I bought a butternut squash at the grocery and would like to save the seeds to plant later. What do I do with them once they are dried out?

A: The fruit you harvest from the saved seeds will certainly be edible but it may not look or taste like the original butternut squash. If the seeds came from being pollinated by a nearby butternut squash, you have no worries. But if pollen came from a different member of the Curcurbita moschata family, the offspring in your garden may look unusual. My advice? Save the dry seed in a paper envelope in your refrigerator until late April and plant them in a sunny spot. You’ll definitely have something to eat and talk about later in summer.