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As the message title says.. it's finally time for me to de-lurk, say hello to everyone and to offer up a giant thankyou for the pool of knowledge that's shared here - it's a great community.

I'm a first-time gardner this year and have used much of what I've picked up here to help contribute to quite a sucessful year in the veg garden. I've had some disasters (noteably peas & broadbeans  :-[) but almost everything else we've had a go at is turning out really rather well... and that leads me to my first question...

I (with some optimism!) bought a packet of butternut squash seeds in South Africa in 2000, left them in a drawer and with the knowledge that one day we'd get a 'roundtuit' and this year finally grew them on.  We've sucessfully raised a handful of butternut squash plants and haven't really found in an online search answers to my question about harvesting. I did see one reference to leaving all the fruits on the vines to mature in-situ but the nature of growth on my plants and a certain impatience led me cut my first fruit last night.

Now, it's not a giant (1.6Kg) but it was so far ahead of all of the other fruits that I was concerned that it would stifle/dominate the other fruiting activity of that plant. So my question is... is this the right thing to do or should I leave the others in place and let nature take its course?

It's still a very pale/mottled white/green colour and has none of the more usual sun-ripened yellow hue of a normal fruit - I'll see if this develops off the plant. I hope there are some butternut experts out there who can advise.

Thanks!

Adrian

Leave them on the vine longer to change colour and when the leaves die back harvest before the first frosts.

Welcome to the site! It is truly addictive, so be warned.

wow, I am jealous! our butternut squah are not doing well. About 6 now have shrivelled and died when they were about 3 inches long. One appears to be growing but is only about 8 inches long and about 4 inches wide! Fear they may have put to much effort into growing leaves as it is a total triffid!

But - from what I have been told, you leave them to ripen on the vine as west sussex has said. Hope we get to that stage!

I'm envious that you've got so far.  My butternuts have only just begun to flower.  It's the thought of mashed butternut with butter and papper that keeps me going.

Incidentally, Adrian, did you get some gem squash seeds while you were in SA?  Another favourite of mine from childhood in Pretoria.

Sowed butternuts but somewhere along the way they turned into pumpkins.  Most irritating. :(  Welcome, Adrian.

Hello BB and welcome.
My two plants don't even have flowers yet, I guess I'll be running out of time before long. Better next year.

Quote from: Nathan on August 12, 2005, 12:07:28
Incidentally, Adrian, did you get some gem squash seeds while you were in SA?  Another favourite of mine from childhood in Pretoria.

Yes, no problems with them, they've been prolific. We have I think nine Gem plants that each have about a dozen or so fruits on them, they've been a big hit here (and with our neighbors!) so I'll be planting even more next year.

I seem to remember that the Gemsquash - having such a tough/thick skin - kept for ages and ages in South Africa... which is good news as I expect to have a bit of a glut. They came on much stronger than the Butternuts at first but seemed to have slowed down now they are into the bulk of their fruiting.

Well, you all doing better than me...I can't even find mine!!!  :'(I seem to have ended up with thousands of gourds, due to really bad labelling technique which will never be repeated. Lovely gourds though...not sure what to do with them, other than look quizzicaly at them. Lottie  ;D

Adrian - I know nothing about squash things, but have to say that your first sentence lives up to the 'bellebouche' tag. Well chosen!

Welcome aboard the skylark Adrian.

Best results I've had have been when I leave the butternut on the plant until the stalk is rock hard for a couple or three inches above the top of the fruit.  You need secateurs to harvest them, but well worth the wait.  Taking them that late means they store well through winter (as if they last that long ;)).

Another tip is that the little immature ones that you might be left with when the plants die back can also be eaten, treat them like potatoes.

OK Tim / Bellebouche,

The suspense is killing me.

Please translate. I know that bouche is french for mouth and belle is

( i think) french for beautiful  = "beautiful mouth"    ( ???)

What is the correct translation??

Debs.

heh!

Well a literal translation from French would be as described but as with all things in language there are other non-literal uses depending on the context...

• Something that was bellebouche might be really good eating
• Someone who was a bellebouche may be a skilled cook or..
• Someone who was bellebouche might be said to be good with words

To keep the thread (mildly) on topic the plant concerned that had the large fruit removed has responded by allowing all the other fruits to puff up considerably whilst the squash is starting to yellow nicely with no apparent ill-effect.

merci beaucoup Bellebouche :D

Hi there
This is my first time on this really interesting looking site.  I am impressed with the wealth of info one can find.  Nothing beats info straight from the ground.  Anyway - my question - Can someone tell me why gem squash would flower then start fruiting to the size of large grapes and then fall off?  My neighbour is having trouble with her gems - mine are doing well so it can't be the soil in this area.
Gem Girl

Could be poor pollination or sudden shock.  Both will cause fruits to shrivel and drop.

Welcome to the site by the way!  As RC says, where are you and tell us about your plot!  ;D ;D ;D

Quote from: bellebouche on August 15, 2005, 09:49:37
heh!

Well a literal translation from French would be as described but as with all things in language there are other non-literal uses depending on the context...

• Something that was bellebouche might be really good eating
• Someone who was a bellebouche may be a skilled cook or..
• Someone who was bellebouche might be said to be good with words

To keep the thread (mildly) on topic the plant concerned that had the large fruit removed has responded by allowing all the other fruits to puff up considerably whilst the squash is starting to yellow nicely with no apparent ill-effect.

Et ta soeur?

Hi everyone, first post. I had been considering growing winter squash this year having never tried them before. When I was last growing veg. some 30 years ago they were not a very prominant species. Having read this rather sad list of semi successes (no offence intended  ;) I wonder if they are worth bothering with on my cold, heavy clay soil in the midlands. Any advice appreciated, Cheers Mick.

Thanks Wardy, (same name as me), I like squashes well enough I am just concerned about wasting some of my small plot on a veg that might not perform for me when I could grow others that I know will.

Got to be worth a bash I think - soup and roasted is to die for  :P