When to pick winter squash?

[smallblueplanet]

Well I know I'm not a 'new shoot' (in more ways than one!) but it's not something we've had to deal with before...

...We're growing red onion & blue hubbard squashes. There are some red onion squash doing quite well, one of which has gone orange already - should I pick the orange one (is it 'ripe') or will it keep growing? The blue hubbard is similar, there's one that looks like its stopped growing, should I pick it to encourage others to grow bigger?

Thanks.

[Pumpkin Becki]

Hmmm, well I've only grown Hubbards for the first time this year myself, but I've grown other winter squash like Crown Prince, and I normally leave them on the plant until the leaves have died back and the skin has ripened, so sort of Octobertimeish.

I guess you could take off the one that seems to be ready, if you've got others on the vine, otherwise lift the fruit off the soil with an old tile or some weed supressing fabric, to help stop any rot getting in and let it ripen for a month or two longer.

[Pumpy]

If its changed colour its on its way, if you then knock it and it sounds hollow then its ready.

[smallblueplanet]

...if you then knock it and it sounds hollow then its ready.

Thanks Pumpy, will go out tomorrow with a hammer and check.

I'm used to leaving winter squash on the plant autumn-time but it's still high summer and I wondered if some were ripe already, and if they were would removing them encourage the others to grow bigger.

[Scarlet]

I'm having the same dilema - I've got several Hunter butternut squash that look more than ready. I grew the same variety last year and I'm sure I didn't harvest till the end of Sept.