When it comes to growing butternut squash the key is in the soil, says Leshalagae Mojapelo from BK Agric Traders based in Polokwane, Limpopo. Mojapelo joins Segwarihle Siesegoana, the founder of Ya Maja Bitala on this week’s episode of Farmer’s Inside Track to share insights on growing butternut squash.
Mojapelo explains that butternut is a heavy feeder, which means it takes a lot of nutrients out of the soil.
“For every crop, for every plant you need to know the type of soil you are working with. Testing the soil is good for your knowledge and for crop specifications, and even the soil capabilities so you know the kind you are dealing with,” he says.
“In terms of butternut, you will be looking at a well-drained soil, a loamy to sandy soil, where the soil does not get saturated easily with water, there is ease of penetration for roots, there is ease of filtration for water.”
Seedlings are a beacon of hope
The optimum sowing and growing time for butternut is when the danger of frost has passed, says Siesegoana. Planting can be done as early as August or September. The practice of growing butternut from seedlings is nothing new and farmers have taken full advantage of the method.
Siesegoana says that seedlings have a head start on seeds, giving them an edge over weeds.
“When you use seedlings, you can count your plants. They are already little trees you can monitor. I use seedlings and seeds; the seedlings did much better than the seeds,” he says.
Leshalagae Mojapelo, BK Agric Traders
He also says that planting seeds can get frustrating for new farmers. “When you are planting it takes a lot to emerge. For farmers, whenever you are not seeing the plants emerging you kind of lose hope. More especially in terms of butternut, because it takes almost two weeks for them to emerge, and it can be longer when (the seeds are deeper in the ground).
“That doesn’t bring courage to farmers, that is why we advise them to get seedlings, if they can afford them.”
On this episode experts also share their advice on:
- The challenges of growing butternut in South Africa.
- When to harvest butternut and when to grow butternut.
Want to know more? Listen to the full episode of Farmer’s Inside Track.
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ALSO READ: Get the best out of your butternut with these tips
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