Topic: Butter Nut squash

[barbara77]

My butter nut squash is growing very well indeed.  the instructions say harvest in Autumn but because the fruits are getting so big should I harvest now.  plants are huge but still green I don't want them to go 'woody'. Any ideas?

[donnythistle]

My first time at growing butternut squash but theres a really good web page
http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_squash_butternut.html
This has been my inspiration and he says its worth while to keep growing until ripen completely.

[macmac]

if you harvest them green they won't be ripe and won't store,I've never had woody squash.
If you've got little slabs of wood or I use  sheets of polystyrene ,slide them underneath each squash so they are off the soil.Eventually the foliage will flop back and the squash should ripen.
Mine are rubbish this year,they took an age to get going and I have very few fruits. :(

[Jeannine]

Leave them till the plants wither or the threat of frosts come.They do not taste as good if you pick them too early, as they need the curing time to turn some starch into sugar and that will not happen till they are fully mature.

XX Jeannine

[barbara77]

Thank you everybody for your advice xxx

[kt.]

My butter nut squash is growing very well indeed. 

My BS are rampant foilage all over the place but only 4 fruit between 10 plants so teddy is definitely in the corner

[Aden Roller]

Definitely need to leave them to ripen... sandy light orange in colour and then cut them before the first frosts.
As has already been said.  :)


Mine are a wash out too for the first year ever.  :(

Late planting as nights were very cold in May and then a chilly summer.
Trying again next year.  ::)  ;)

[Chrispy]

Welcome to A4A barbara.

All I will add is do try other winter squash for next year, so many people seem to grow only butternuts as that is what they see in the shops, but there is a huge variaty of much easier ones to grow.

Also looks like my squash harvest will be very poor this year, I have 26 plants, up from 9 last year, but so far I can only count 6 med/large size and and about 10 of the mini fruit, and the 1 butternut on the 1 plant looks a long way of being ripe.

[macmac]

I agree with Chrispy about other squash, a friend gave me seed for Burgess Buttercup from the real seed co and both last year and this, it's fruited well.
Another thing about harvesting squash ,an old boy on the lottie said when you cut them off the parent plant don't cut the stem ,trace it back and cut the main stem -if that makes sense ::)
he said it then won't rot back into the top of the fruit. :)