How are everyone's squashes doing?

[Vince G]

Had first butternut today. Fairly small, me and Mrs G had half of it as a side today. Best quality I have ever grown, the flesh was completely smooth with nothing fibrous, and superb flavour. only one or two fruit per plant, so maybe less is more...

[Plot70]

Had first butternut today. Fairly small, me and Mrs G had half of it as a side today. Best quality I have ever grown, the flesh was completely smooth with nothing fibrous, and superb flavour. only one or two fruit per plant, so maybe less is more...

Butternuts did two per plant for me too so perhaps that is it.
The frost has begun to nip at the leaves now so harvesting has begun on the squash bed with the larger turbans coming in at 9Kg each.
I found another one with a cracked stalk but managed to save it from the woodlice. The rot only got in as far as the seeds leaving the flesh in good condition. It has been blanched and frozen for use in a pumpkin and orange marmalade when the oranges come to the flea market in January.
I have got more to come in so we have not yet lost hope of one tipping the scales at 10Kg.

[ameno]

Here are my squash so far (less one, which I have already eaten).

https://i.imgur.com/pHPtAUB.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8r9v7SA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/x6kdOnI.jpg

I still have 6 large squash (plus a seventh which set late and may or may not ripen properly) at the allotment yet to pick.

[ameno]

Picked two more squash today. One 6kg, one 7.3kg.

Total has reached 55kg so far, and I have five more squashes to pick.

[ameno]

Four more squashes today. Came to 19kg between them, the heaviest being just over 9kg.

That brings the total harvest to 74kg so far. That's more than my bodyweight in squash. The conservatory is full up with them all now.

The last remaining squash isn't ripe yet, as it set really late (not sure when exactly, but I think the first week of September). The plant is still growing strongly (in fact it's still producing new flowers, although only males now), so hopefully it will ripen yet.
One thing I've noticed is that that variety (Marina di Chioggia) is almost immune to powdery mildew. All my other squash varieties have all succumbed heavily to powdery mildew and lost 90% of their leaves at this point (although all squashes have been harvested now, so it doesn't matter), but the Marina di Chioggia, growing right next to them, is green and healthy all over.

[SimpleSimon]

I've picked a few of mine and nearly ready to pick the rest. But everywhere I read says leave them to cure indoors. I've got way too many to put in my house. Will the poly tunnel do?

[ameno]

I've picked a few of mine and nearly ready to pick the rest. But everywhere I read says leave them to cure indoors. I've got way too many to put in my house. Will the poly tunnel do?

As long as you get no frosts, it'll do, although somewhere a bit warmer would be better.

[SimpleSimon]

Ok, will use the tunnel for now. I guess I could put the bigger ones indoors. But I have absolutely loads of butternuts and onion red kuri so they will have to stay on the plot.

Out of interest how do you store them if they don't like frost? These will have to go in my shed. And it's likely to get pretty cold in there over winter. Perhaps I could insulate them but I doubt I can do too much if it's gets well below zero.

[ameno]

Ok, will use the tunnel for now. I guess I could put the bigger ones indoors. But I have absolutely loads of butternuts and onion red kuri so they will have to stay on the plot.

Out of interest how do you store them if they don't like frost? These will have to go in my shed. And it's likely to get pretty cold in there over winter. Perhaps I could insulate them but I doubt I can do too much if it's gets well below zero.

I usually just keep mine in my conservatory.
Ideally they are best kept at a consistent 10-15c, but temperatures fluctuate a lot more than that in my conservatory, and even in the winter it can get up to 23 or so on a sunny day, and down to almost 0 on a cold night (although it never actually freezes), and they seem to keep fine well into March the next year.
If there is a genuine risk of freezing, I would bring them into the house. Things don't usually get properly cold in this country until January, so hopefully by that point you will have already eaten some of them and reduced the number you would have to accommodate indoors.

Also, butternuts don't keep quite as long as other winter squash, so use those first if you can.

[Snadger]

Just harvested my Butternuts. Three plants, three butternuts, But I'm OK with that! Two extra large fruit and one normal sized squash.
Courgettes are still producing daily

[Mr H]

Just harvested my Butternuts. Three plants, three butternuts, But I'm OK with that! Two extra large fruit and one normal sized squash.
Courgettes are still producing daily

I struggled with squashes this year. Had good germination to start with but they all wilted in the greenhouse before they could be put outside. Only got them to 1 set of true leaves although they were very leggy. Bought some plants at the garden centre to replace them and most of them did the same thing. Finally got some more seed germinated and planted out just as the heat hit us. Result four plants made it to flowers. Two plants set fruit but as they were so late going in the fruit are still only 3 inches long Not going to be much to eat I think. With luck there is one butternut squash bigger than my hand but it's still very green looking.

Crown Prince pumpkins (or are they a squash too? I haven't worked that out yet) similar story but the final plants that grew (all from seed, couldn't find any plugs to buy) each produced a football sized pumpkin / squash. So I guess you could say that's some success for my first year attempt.

[Jungle Jane]

I’ve got three butternut squash outside still,haven’t had frost here yet. There’s a pumpkin in the shed & these are two butternut squash I harvested about a week ago with an emir melon & tomatoes. (The windowsill looks a bit composty because it’s where the pots were,I should’ve cleaned it first,hopefully nobody will notice )

[peanut]

I still have some Autumn Crown Squash growing outside, stems are still green. Are they likely to grow much more? Weather here is going to be pretty wet until next week when it will be cold and dry.
All things considered should I harvest them now?

[ameno]

I still have some Autumn Crown Squash growing outside, stems are still green. Are they likely to grow much more? Weather here is going to be pretty wet until next week when it will be cold and dry.
All things considered should I harvest them now?

They won't grow any more, but as long as the plant is still alive they will continue to slowly ripen on the plant. So I would leave them until it looks like frost is due, then pick just before the frost.

I still have one Marina di Chioggia plant alive and growing at my allotment, with one squash still on it which isn't quite ripe yet. It pollinated really late; I think some time in early September.

[peanut]

They won't grow any more, but as long as the plant is still alive they will continue to slowly ripen on the plant. So I would leave them until it looks like frost is due, then pick just before the frost.

I still have one Marina di Chioggia plant alive and growing at my allotment, with one squash still on it which isn't quite ripe yet. It pollinated really late; I think some time in early September.

Thanks Ameno, will leave them for a bit longer then.