Butternut Squash from saved seed ?

Anyone tried growing Butternut Squash from saved seed from shop bought squash? - I realise they are probably F1 and a variety more suited to warmer climes than ours, but I though of putting a couple amongst the heritage variety beans I will grow in our community garden polytunnel.

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I can see your logic, JWK. Why waste the time/space/effort on a doubtful outcome for the sake of a few pennies. (Erm, well, a few pounds, actually, especially if they're T&M.)

It would be nice to feel free from dependence on bought seed, however. How did they manage in the old days, before commercial seed was available? They must always have saved their own. Does this only work well if you have grown a heritage or non F1 variety to start with? Sometimes saved seeds have clear advantages, such as better germination. Are there any other advantages, or very clear disavantages, such as poor flavour or slow cropping?

 

Yup There are some nice Open Pollinated heritage varieties ... but ... they are long-season varieties, so if you don't get a good summer, or live Op'North, you may not get any fruit at all. Whereas there are F1 varieties that are bred to crop more quickly, that will give you fruit. However, I don't think that the F1's that I have tried taste as nice ... so I grow both, and in a good year I keep the tasty heritage ones, and give away the F1 fruits to "friends" and in a bad year I make do with the F1 fruits - and my friends have to just make do!

Worth growing Heritage / Open Pollinated (not just Squash, all sorts ...) if you fancy keeping your own seed. Yes, seed cost has risen a lot in recent years, so its getting more and more worthwhile. But you can get seed packets in later Summer sales, or buy from cheaper sources (like Premier Seeds on eBay)