Will my Honeyboat squash ripen?

[SkyeSonia]

Hello

I'm growing squash this year for the first time. The plant has started to die back and I can see that I have loads of squash - the variety is Honeyboat. Apparently, they should be tan with whitish stripes when they are ready to harvest - mine are still very green, with whitish stripes. Actually when I say 'started to die back', I mean has almost entirely died back.

I think I should leave them on the plant until the first frosts but I have seen that I should be harvesting them late September to October, which is now. I don't know whether they will ripen in time outside.

Does anyone know I can ripen them off inside the house - or is it best just to leave them outside?

[Small pumpkin]

Hi welcome to the vine.
I would take them off the plant now( cut a good 2" either side of the stalk so it looks like a T).
They should ripen if you take them inside. I'm doing the same with a few of mine.

[SkyeSonia]

Hi welcome to the vine.
I would take them off the plant now( cut a good 2" either side of the stalk so it looks like a T).
They should ripen if you take them inside. I'm doing the same with a few of mine.

Thank you for your reply. I'm going outside to do as you suggest right this minute.....I've just snipped off 20 squash from the plant and will bring them inside in a day or two -our weather is meant to be sunny for the next couple of days.

I'm very pleased with its yield. If the fruits ripen ok and taste ok, I think it is definitely one I will try again next year. It didn't seem to need too much attention either, which is a plus as we are away quite a lot during the summer.

Many thanks for your response
SkyeSonia

[lottie dolly]

I had a call from son,we had a frost aparently last night,and his several of his lottie butternuts have been caught,he was going to harvest the good ones as above,and see if anything useable on the frosted ones,so to any newbies,thats what will happen if left.

[veggiechicken]

Hi SkyeSonia and welcome
I've grown Honey Boat this year for the first time but I've been picking them as they got to a usable size to give the young fruit time to grow.
I'm storing them indoors and the oldest ones are changing colour from green and yellow; the green stripes are turning "brown" and the yellow is fading.
Haven't eaten any yet!

[burnie]

If Skye is where you are growing them, you might want to protect them next year. My butternuts are in the greenhouse over here on the east coast, gives the crop a bit more time to ripen on the plant.

[SkyeSonia]

I had a call from son,we had a frost aparently last night,and his several of his lottie butternuts have been caught,he was going to harvest the good ones as above,and see if anything useable on the frosted ones,so to any newbies,thats what will happen if left.

Thanks for that information. I'm bringing them in tomorrow - and might just cut one open to see what it's like - shades of my father - he would dig up one of his carrots just to check how they were getting on!
SkyeSonia

[SkyeSonia]

Hi SkyeSonia and welcome
I've grown Honey Boat this year for the first time but I've been picking them as they got to a usable size to give the young fruit time to grow.
I'm storing them indoors and the oldest ones are changing colour from green and yellow; the green stripes are turning "brown" and the yellow is fading.
Haven't eaten any yet!

Thank you for your reply. I had a look at mine today and I think I can see some change in the colour, so fingers crossed. I am very pleased with how prolific they were, so perhaps I'll give them another try next year and pick some a bit earlier. I might cut one open ...just to see how far off they are from being ripe!
SkyeSonia

[SkyeSonia]

If Skye is where you are growing them, you might want to protect them next year. My butternuts are in the greenhouse over here on the east coast, gives the crop a bit more time to ripen on the plant.

Thanks for your reply, burnie. I'm afraid the 'Skye' in SkyeSonia is a bit of misdirection - or wishful thinking...I'm actually based 'down South'! I've been lucky in that we've had a lot of sun this summer but it's obvious from the helpful replies on this forum that I need to address my strategy next year in order to have a better chance of some ripe fruits.
Thanks
SouthSonia - doesn't have the same ring to it!

[Yasai]

Hi. Welcome to the vine. TWENTY!! Blimey, that’s amazing. I grew squash for the first time this year. I got three from one plant and two from another... and was chuffed with that, even though they are single serving size, lol. Next year, I think I’ll have a go at growing this variety seeing as it’s so prolific. SOMEBODY REMIND ME...

[SkyeSonia]

Hi. Welcome to the vine. TWENTY!! Blimey, that’s amazing. I grew squash for the first time this year. I got three from one plant and two from another... and was chuffed with that, even though they are single serving size, lol. Next year, I think I’ll have a go at growing this variety seeing as it’s so prolific. SOMEBODY REMIND ME...

I thought 20 was a lot - and I don't think my success in numbers is a reflection of my husbandry techniques as I forgot to water the plant for a long time and thought it had died but then it perked up so I tried to water it more, although it just had to survive when we were on holiday in August. When we came back it had gone wild and was all over the garden and up the side netting of the cage I made to protect my blueberries from the birds. Then I started cutting back the ends of trailing bits as they started off across my lawn...very vigorous!

Actually for how much plant there was, 20 might not be that big a number!
SkyeSonia