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When to harvest Butternut Squash?

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  • #1

    When to harvest Butternut Squash?

    I have three plants and although making a bid for world domination they have been very productive. I have 12 fruits on the vines - several of them are very large and changing colour.

    My question - when are they ready to harvest? The biguns are looking ready but it still seems rather early to harvest them.

    I don't mind them staying on the vine as long as they don't prevent the smaller fruits from growing to size and ripening. I should have taken a photo of them today - will do that tomorrow.
    Any advice gratefully received as this is the first time I've grown them. I have to say that they have been more successful than a lot of the other stuff I've tried to grow this year!
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  • #2
    Knock the fruit, if it sounds hollow it's ready. Will be a month or so yet.

    Personally, I take off the smaller fruits by now (or nip out the growing tip), because they don't have enough time to grow and ripen. Direct the energy to the larger fruits.
    All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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    • #3
      Last year I left all mine until just before the first frost. Pretty much the whole plants had dies back leaving just the fruits exposed. However this year I'm going to harvest the most mature soon and hope this help the smaller ones come on. I've grown a lot of Potimarron squash this year and it seems to develop faster than butternuts. I had one at the weekend and WOW they taste amazing!
      http://plot62.blogspot.com/

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      • #4
        As with Matt I usually wait until the plant dies back before hacking my way into the jungle of vines

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        • #5
          I planted butternut squash for the first time and although the vines have come on great, the flowers have never opened and therefore I have no fruits! I've read up about pollinating the flowers myself but the flowers haven't even opened, they're just buds. I know it's too late this year now to hope for results but any tips for next year? By the way the seeds were from a shop bought squash... is that it? I would have thought they'd just not germinate if they weren't suitable!

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          • #6
            Same here Helen. I was very excited to be growing these but apart from substantial sized vines and lots of male flowers I have very little else. I'm gutted!!
            come visit a garden
            or read about mine www.suburbanvegplot.blogspot.com/

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            • #7
              It depends what you want to do with the squash Jogette. If you want to eat them now then cut them anytime you like. If you want to store them for the winter then the more matured the skins are the better. For squash for storing I leave them on the plant as long as possible - to round about first frost.
              I don't think the little ones have enough time left to mature. You might be as well to remove some and see if the others will come on.

              From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

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              • #8
                My BSN have been soooooo slooooowwww growing, that only now do I have baby fruit. I've nipped the growing tips off, and will let optimism triumph over realistic expectation that I may yet harvest.

                Fingers crossed

                Caro
                Caro

                Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by HelenLee View Post
                  I planted butternut squash for the first time and although the vines have come on great, the flowers have never opened and therefore I have no fruits! I've read up about pollinating the flowers myself but the flowers haven't even opened, they're just buds. I know it's too late this year now to hope for results but any tips for next year? By the way the seeds were from a shop bought squash... is that it? I would have thought they'd just not germinate if they weren't suitable!
                  Mine were from bought seed and germinated very well - but even though I've loads of leaf the flowers, like yours, haven't opened - in fact I only have flowers at all just recently.

                  I too would appreciate any advice about (hopefully) a better result next year.
                  My hopes are not always realized but I always hope (Ovid)

                  www.fransverse.blogspot.com

                  www.franscription.blogspot.com

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by maytreefrannie View Post
                    I too would appreciate any advice about (hopefully) a better result next year.
                    they are very difficult to grow in the north, preferring long, hot summers. Here in the dry sunny East I still struggle to get a good crop most years.
                    You need to sow early (under glass) and try a UK variety eg. Hunter, Hawk or Harrier.
                    have a look here: butternut
                    Last edited by Two_Sheds; 25-08-2009, 08:07 AM.
                    All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                    • #11
                      In Glasgow, my butternuts have been under a Lidl cloche all summer and set fruit mid August.
                      This year, I am also trialling the first hybrid Winter Squash(Crown Prince)/Butternut cross, and they seem a much better bet as even without protection, they were setting fruit mid July. They produce fruit almost as large as Crown Prince, but mottled tan colour. It will be interesting to see how they eat and store.

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                      • #12
                        I saved some seeds from an organic bns I bought from Tesco last year, its my first go at growing them, they started flowering in July (male flowers I guess) and the first fruits with the (female?) flowers came around early August, I used a paint brush to fertilise the first one but after that they did it for themselves. theyve pretty much overwhelmed everything, theyve not been under cloches or anything, I'm amazed, I looked on here to find out when to harvest, so I'll probably start soon, the biggest is just turning pale yellow, its about 12 inches long, I'll post the taste test results in due course

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Matt. View Post
                          Last year I left all mine until just before the first frost. Pretty much the whole plants had dies back leaving just the fruits exposed. However this year I'm going to harvest the most mature soon and hope this help the smaller ones come on. I've grown a lot of Potimarron squash this year and it seems to develop faster than butternuts. I had one at the weekend and WOW they taste amazing!
                          Pottimarron! I went from someone who didn't much like pumpkin to listing them in my top three after just one taste of these. Absolutely gorgeous. I grew them for the first time last year as a friend asked me to grow her some pumpkins, bought that variety by chance and kept a small one back to have a taste because...well you have to, don't you? This year I've grown loads more and I'm afraid my friend isn't going to get a look in.
                          Into each life some rain must fall........but this is getting ridiculous.

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                          • #14
                            How to grow Butternut Squash - in pictures

                            hth

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                            • #15
                              Butternut is not the only winter squash!

                              It is good but does need a long, sunny season to do well. Others are more reliable in poor summers

                              This year I have grown 'Uchiki Kuri' which is very early, reliable and good quality
                              plus 'Buttercup' which has produced 3 resonable sized fruit and again cooks well

                              Vegetable spaghetti has always cropped well for me, averaging 6 good sized fruits per plant whatever the summer was like - but I know it's not to everyones taste
                              Last edited by Lovage; 09-09-2009, 06:28 PM.

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