hi folks,we have quite a few of these beauties,both outside and in the greenie.some of them are massive now,and a paler colour of the shop bought ones,are they ready to pick and store,or ok to leave on the plant for now? dont want to ruin them by picking too early as im so thrilled with them,first year of growing successfully. thanks in advance
rach
if the plant isn't dieing back leave them alone.
Hello
I picked 2 of mine last weekend and they weren't really ready. I made some butternut and ginger soup and they tasted fine but were very pale inside. I read on the net somewhere that they should be left until October so I would say give them another month. I'm no expert though, just going by what I read. I'm sure someone with more experience will be along soon. Good luck :)
Sam
If there is any green stripe on them leave them. If the stem turns dry and brown pick.
I had to pick some that were injured by animals and still had faint green stripes near the stem and one that had a worm working on it leaving sawdust like powder near the stem. All the others will stay out til that stem turns dark.
muchas gracias everyone
x
Most of mine are still ripening up. I've picked a few Uchiki Kuri, Small Sugar and Gem Squash where the plants were all but dying and the "neck" was turning brown/dry. They are now sitting on a window sill - I hope that last bit is right ::)
Ooops picked a couple this morning,I will be patient and leave the rest .Does anyone know how to tell when sweet potato squash are ready? a friend gave me the plant and they look lovely but don't know when to harvest ???
Mine are looking quite good. 5 plants from 5 seeds from the BBC dig in. Anyone else growing these? Will they be damaged by frost if we get an early one.
Mine are "dig-in" Hunter, have three plants but only one fruit... had an early one but it curled up it's toes on me... :'(
Quote from: tomatoada on September 03, 2009, 17:45:38
Mine are looking quite good. 5 plants from 5 seeds from the BBC dig in. Anyone else growing these? Will they be damaged by frost if we get an early one.
yeah,one of ours is a dig in one,cant remember which it is though ::)
I have about 15. Hope they all ripen.
Quote from: tomatoada on September 03, 2009, 19:40:34
I have about 15. Hope they all ripen.
lucky you thats great!
hope we are all able to store them for a good few months?
Quote from: saddad on September 03, 2009, 17:50:03
Mine are "dig-in" Hunter, have three plants but only one fruit... had an early one but it curled up it's toes on me... :'(
I've 4
Hunter plants from my 'Dig In' seeds, each plant has one tiny fruit ripening. My
Waltham and
Avalon went in less than a week earlier & have a minimum of 5 fruits per plant. (Even my container grown ones are performing better than the
Hunter.)
It is worth looking closely at the squash for rot/insect damage, checking the undersides etc. periodically.
Just this morning I found another injured one that developed rot- we got to eat the neck of it at noon but the rest was lost. If I'd caught it earlier... ::)
Quote from: tomatoada on September 03, 2009, 17:45:38
Mine are looking quite good. 5 plants from 5 seeds from the BBC dig in. Anyone else growing these?
My first year with butternuts and I am growing those from the BBC (Hunter), Avalon F1 and Harrier F1. I have one tiny piddly 3-4 inch fruit on one of the plants and thats it. Might be enough to feed the 2 pet guinea pigs but thats about it....... Probably too late to hope for any more I guess ::) ::)
I usually wait for the skins to harden sufficiently to resist a thumb nail trying to dig into the skin.
But if you are showing them, seems the judges like their "thumb nail print" in the skin to show they are fresh ;) They did it with my Queensland Blue last year (seed courtesy of Cefer).
Linda
Doing BBC Hunter too, but they are a bit behind the times for my show on Sat :(
This is the first time I have grown these and have never cooked or eaten them. So I am glad of all this info.. Will check for any rotting and remove. I am so proud of my crop. Hope pride does not go etc....
I'm already planning the big greenhouse for next year... I think some butternuts will have to go in there... ::)
Quote from: saddad on September 04, 2009, 08:16:38
I'm already planning the big greenhouse for next year... I think some butternuts will have to go in there... ::)
be warned,they grow like crazy in the greenie,ive had to cut mine back in a fierce manner 4 times just so i can get in there,really good fun though. but then i mistakingly put 4 plants in there(idiot i am)
It's a "BIG" Greenhouse.. ;D
I damaged the stem(half hanging off) that connects the squash to the main stem, it's a nice size but still strippy.
Can i use it still? as i don't think it will mature.
Neil
If not totally decapitated you should be able to bind the stem... :-\
Quote from: saddad on September 04, 2009, 19:25:07
If not totally decapitated you should be able to bind the stem... :-\
With what?
Neil
Anything that will hold it together. A stick and some string will do. I've never bothered with squash; I just leave them and they recover by themselves.
Gaffer tape.
By potato squash, I assume that you mean something like delicata squash. It is the same as all the other winter squashes, the squash and the connecting stem tend to change colour and become hard.
I seem to have trouble with butternut squash Hunter. Last year i only got a couple of fruit and I persumed it was because they had a shock when planted out. So this year I carefully hardened them off and I planted a lot - I have a new allotment and I reckoned their big leaves would smother weeds. I planted some in the old veg garden under sweet corn. Lots of leaves but I cannot see any fruit. On the allotment a good proportion of the plot has gone under leaves and stem but i cannot find any fruit. My single pumpkin nearby is fruiting well and the courgettes are doing what courgettes do best, producing more fruit than you can possibly cope with. I planted them on top of a little mound of well rotted manure. Should I give them less manure?