Summer squash is picked young, so a short season hardly matters. Winter squash has to ripen fully and harden its skin on the plant before it will store, and in a Scottish season that can run out of time. So for winter squash, how quickly a variety ripens and how much room it needs decide the choice.
Quick answer
Crown Prince for storing, given space and shelter. Harrier for the shortest season. Harlequin for a small plot, Sweet Dumpling for small fruits to bake whole, and Sunburst for an easy summer squash.
What Scotland means for the choice
Squash go out only after the last frost, and sowing indoors gives a longer season, which helps in colder regions. After that, a winter squash needs to ripen and harden before the autumn turns cold and wet. Harrier is the one variety with a stated timing, ready just over three months from sowing. The others give no figure, so smaller fruit and a sheltered spot are the best guides. Check your area's frost dates to see how much season you have. The squash growing guide covers sowing, planting out, pollinating and curing.
| Variety | Type | Plant size | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Prince | Winter | Trailing, 2.5–4m | 2–4kg, blue-grey skin, dense orange flesh |
| Harrier | Winter, butternut | 0.1–0.5m tall, 1–1.5m spread | Medium, pear-shaped, sweet; ready in just over 3 months |
| Harlequin | Winter, acorn | Compact, 0.5–1m x 1.5–2.5m | About 700g, green, gold and yellow striped |
| Sweet Dumpling | Winter | 1.5–2.5m x 1–1.5m | Small, cream with green stripes; October to November |
| Sunburst | Summer, patty-pan | Bushy, 0.1–0.5m x 1–1.5m | Small, glossy yellow |
| Sunbeam | Summer, patty-pan | Spreading, non-trailing | Small, yellow |
All six hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGMThe RHS's Award of Garden Merit: a UK-wide trials award for reliable performance, not a Scotland-specific recommendation. Full definition →), a UK-wide award rather than a Scottish one.
Crown Prince
Crown Prince is the classic storage squash: 2–4kg fruits with blue-grey skin and dense, bright orange flesh, sweet and nutty, that keeps for months. It's a big trailing plant, spreading 2.5–4m, and with no stated ripening time it needs a good season, so give it room and some shelter.
Harrier
Harrier is a British-bred butternut with sweet, medium-sized, pear-shaped fruits, ready to harvest just over three months from sowing. That makes it the safest winter squash where the season is short or the autumn comes early. It stays low, 0.1–0.5m tall, and spreads 1–1.5m.
Harlequin and Sweet Dumpling
Harlequin is a compact acorn squash that doesn't trail much, 0.5–1m by 1.5–2.5m, so it suits a small plot or raised bed. Its fruits, around 700g, are striped green, gold and yellow, with very sweet, moist flesh that caramelises well when fried. Sweet Dumpling gives lots of small cream fruits striped with green, sized for baking whole, with sweet, buttery orange flesh. It's harvested in October and November and stores into winter.
Sunburst and Sunbeam
Picked young, summer squash avoid the ripening problem altogether. Sunburst is a bushy patty-pan with glossy yellow fruits and a tender, nutty flavour, compact enough for a container. Sunbeam is a similar small yellow patty-pan, but it's rated H1cThe RHS's H1a–H7 scale for how much cold a plant can survive outdoors, H1a being tender indoor-only and H7 hardy anywhere in the UK. Full definition →, a little more tender than Harrier's H2, so wait for warmer nights before planting it out.
Which one for your situation
- Squash to store through winter, with space and shelter: Crown Prince.
- A short season or exposed plot: Harrier.
- A small plot or raised bed: Harlequin.
- Small squashes to bake whole: Sweet Dumpling.
- An easy crop, or a container: Sunburst.
None of these is noted for resistance to powdery mildew, which dry roots encourage, so water well in dry spells. Protect young plants from slugs, and store only undamaged winter squash, since grey mould gets in through damaged skin.
Common questions
Which winter squash ripens fastest in Scotland?
Harrier, a butternut ready just over three months from sowing. No other variety here gives a figure.
Can I grow squash in a container?
Yes, with a compact variety. Sunburst (0.1–0.5m) and Harlequin (0.5–1m, hardly trailing) are the best bets; trailing Crown Prince isn't suited to a pot.
Is Crown Prince worth the space?
If you want squash to store for months and have 2.5–4m to spare, yes. On a small or exposed plot, Harlequin or Harrier is the safer choice.
Sources
Show the 8 sources
- How to Grow Squashes: The six AGM varieties and descriptions; indoor sowing gives a longer season; insufficient watering encourages powdery mildew
- Crown Prince: Habit, spread, fruit size, skin and flesh
- Harlequin: Compact habit, size, fruit
- Harrier: British-bred butternut, fruit, just over 3 months from sowing, H2, height and spread
- Sunburst: Habit, size, flavour
- Sunbeam: H1c, habit
- Sweet Dumpling: Size, fruit, yield, harvest window
- Types of Squash: Storage and flavour of Crown Prince, Sweet Dumpling and Harlequin