How are everyones squashes doing

[earlypea]

Thanks GrannieAnnie, maybe they'll still be quite edible; the stems are half-corked.  I just want to keep them til people get back from hols at least.  It would be sad to eat them all alone  

Seems to me having swum around a million web pages last night that there isn't a single rule to apply to all types.

I was reading here that butternuts don't benefit from curing and it may be detrimental to Acorn types.

Winter squash such as Butternut, Acorn, Hubbard, and other types are mature when the skin (rind) are hard and cannot be punctured by thumbnails. The mature fruit has a dull and dry skin compared to shiny, smooth skin of immature fruits. Remove stem completely from Hubbard types and if desired leave only 1-inch long stump on the fruit. Stems longer than 1-inch tend to puncture adjacent fruits when in transit or storage. Butternut, Hubbard and other squash types do not need be cured as the benefits are less compared to pumpkins, while curing is very detrimental in Acorn types as it leads to decline in quality. Acorn types have the shortest storage time of 5-8 weeks at 50°F and relative humidity of 50-75 percent.

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gardenerscorner/issue_01/fall_04_04.html

I also read somewhere that the nail test is not applicable equally to all types too.

[GrannieAnnie]

I'm not sure though about putting them in a greenhouse to cure unless there was a lot of air circulating- at least in our high humidity I worry a lot about mildew and prefer to have them outside. I'm beginning to put our picked ones on a partly shaded patio. Many of them are still on the vines with green stems and now mildewed leaves which happens here this time of year.

Tomorrow night a neighbor I paint with is coming and we're arranging a still life of squash so I'm debating which of my Hollywood beauties are worthy of a portrait

[goodlife]

GrannieAnnie...I was wondering how long is your growing season..when do you get to plant your squashes at earliest?

[GrannieAnnie]

GrannieAnnie...I was wondering how long is your growing season..when do you get to plant your squashes at earliest?

Today it is 35.5C and humid and we feel like summer is dragging on too long. Last year the winter squash were all picked Oct6 just before first frost.

This year some winter squash was planted indoors Apr 12 on a heat pad and transplanted out Apr 29. This was pushing it because we can get a last frost May 6.   Some were seeded directly May 7 and even later. I kept poking the seeds in anywhere we had a blank space just to see if they'd grow and they all did, 29 plants at least but I lost count toward the end. I'm itching to harvest but trying to wait until the stems get dryer.  A big difference in squash weight this year- I put a lot of compost/manure in each planting hole which they liked and have shown their gratitude.

[goodlife]

hmm..it is quite similar then..you start a bit earlier and we get with a bit of luck a growth later than you..but you have much higher temperature than we've got..around 20C today...enough though ...and I still have to keep carrying watering cans..

[1066]

Tomorrow night a neighbor I paint with is coming and we're arranging a still life of squash so I'm debating which of my Hollywood beauties are worthy of a portrait

Sounds like a lovely way to spend an evening - in the company of Hollywood beauties     

[GrannieAnnie]

Tomorrow night a neighbor I paint with is coming and we're arranging a still life of squash so I'm debating which of my Hollywood beauties are worthy of a portrait

Sounds like a lovely way to spend an evening - in the company of Hollywood beauties     

This is the still life set up (you'll notice your Crown Prince and Queensland made the sitting) but we won't paint the borer hole blemish on the Prince's face. My friend was threatening to paint a fat worm peeking out of that hole grinning over which we had a good giggle. Between that and trying to decide on worthy squash it took the evening to set up.

[earlypea]

I think they've got a lot more character (and wrinkles) than Hollywood beauties 

I was wondering which you'd pick for the catwalk - lovely display.  Do we get to see the painting or is it a Pollock?  Think I'd choose my Queensland Blues too, but don't tell the others....

Question:  I've got some bigguns now dongling from my trellis.  Does everyone truss them up?  Is that a necessity?  I did see some bitter melons hanging high on a trellis until winter last year and they didn't fall down.

BTW, I'm still amazed by my Queensland Blue vine; I had to lop off two of its longest arms to get the squash home but it's still green, growing, amazingly verdant and flowering.  One severed arm has decided to try and go it alone, must have rooted elsewhere and it's attempted a baby squash.

[gwynnethmary]

have been away from the lottie for about 3 weeks (holidays and helping son to move house).  I was surprised to see how big the squash (Hunter) have grown.  How will I know when they are ripe please?

[1066]

that's a beautiful photo GA! Just remember when you are busy painting and chatting not to dip your paint brush into your drink     

Gwynnethmary - soory I don't know about Butternuts, but I'm sure someone will be along shortly 

[grawrc]

Here's one of my blue hubbards.

[chriscross1966]

have been away from the lottie for about 3 weeks (holidays and helping son to move house).  I was surprised to see how big the squash (Hunter) have grown.  How will I know when they are ripe please?

The skin wioll be an even tan colour with no thin green stripes at the stem end.... it will ripen off the plant but stores better if ripened in situ....

chrisc

[gwynnethmary]

have been away from the lottie for about 3 weeks (holidays and helping son to move house).  I was surprised to see how big the squash (Hunter) have grown.  How will I know when they are ripe please?

The skin wioll be an even tan colour with no thin green stripes at the stem end.... it will ripen off the plant but stores better if ripened in situ....

chrisc

Thanks!

[GrannieAnnie]

I was worried last year about green stripes on some of the butternuts when they were harvested so I tagged those to determine by Spring how well they lasted compared to ones with no green stripes. I found that if they are tan all over with very faint green stripes it doesn't matter. The shell should be very hard though, that seems to be the key to good storage. And washing them with dilute Chlorox- or whatever you call bleach.

[1066]

grawrc - the blue hubbard looks lovely, I'm trying to make a personal list of nice small squash, and that one looks like a good contender! I've grown Blue Ballet and Blue Kuri this year, both of which are pretty small and the vines don't seem to want to take over the planet. I guess the proof will be in the eating 

[grawrc]

grawrc - the blue hubbard looks lovely, I'm trying to make a personal list of nice small squash, and that one looks like a good contender! I've grown Blue Ballet and Blue Kuri this year, both of which are pretty small and the vines don't seem to want to take over the planet. I guess the proof will be in the eating 

I think my photo is not that good. Blue hubbard I believe grows pretty big (although probably not in Scotland). If you're looking for little ones I think baby blue hubbard might be a better choice. It is pretty though! I just wish I knew when it's ready!

[shirlton]

We brought home the Harrier butternut yesterday but they don't look half as good as the Waltham butternut.Wheresa the Waltham are nice and long the Harrier are squat, but ripe enough to harvest.
We ate the Blue hubbard cos the side of it felt soft but when opened up it looked as if the seed compartment was on the side that was soft. Tasted ok anyway.
Has any one grown Invincible Pumpkin cos I think ours are ready to harvest but not quite sure.They are only as big as a football.

[lottiedolly]

all of my butternuts got to approx 6" long and then the next time i went up the lottie, they had disappeared, must have shrivelled or rotted, not been a wonderful squash year for me in hertfordshire, have had a few successes, but i am not counting my chickens until they have been cut and cured

[1066]

Thanks grawrc - I guess I always try and leave them on the plants for as long as possible, not sure when your 1st frosts are due, but I'd try and hold on for as long as possible

Oh lottiedolly - not a good year!! We'll just have to start planning next year's squash..... 

1066 

[GrannieAnnie]

all of my butternuts got to approx 6" long and then the next time i went up the lottie, they had disappeared, must have shrivelled or rotted, not been a wonderful squash year for me in hertfordshire, have had a few successes, but i am not counting my chickens until they have been cut and cured

What if you tried Allaboutliverpool's method of planting in wood boxes to help keep in the warmth and the wind out? He has great success.