When to harvest Butternut Squash?

[kiwirach]

How to grow Butternut Squash - in pictures

hth

what a great link, thank you

[Jo27]

Shall I give up on them?

I have two butternuts in large pots on my South-facing patio but they have not flowered yet. There are green buds growing and one of them has yellow showing so that will probably open in the next week. I have nipped off all but 5 of the flowers on each plant to encourage the energy to go into the remaining ones. I'm not sure what to do with them - to protect them once it gets colder, should I move them into a zip-up green house I have? Or bring them indoors? Or just give up on them? Any advice gratefully received!

My Dad grew some last year with no advice/instructions and he got fruit from them but I have followed instructions and failed - typical! My tomatoes last year had to be ripened indoors in a brown paper bag - I chose squash this year instead and it's been even worse - think I'll just go back to flowers!

[TEYman]

I never had any trouble growing squashes but I've failed miserably over the last 2 years to produce any(!) BNSs. However, I've cracked it this year. Whilst I'm not inundated I do have 6 perfectly formed squashes which are now ripe for the picking. I did nothing different this year so why have I succeeded?

TheEssexYorkshireman

[Rhona]

Last year, the BNS took forever to get going, but didn't harvest them until a very mild early November day. This year, I thought we'd lost all the BNS but yesterday spotted one which had obviously made it somehow. The biggest ones are still only 12 inches long though so we'll see. Pumpkin patch still looking healthy though - took these yesterday.

[flopsy]

i have butternut squash which is in greenhouse and still a bit green coloured and had a plant outside which has flowers on and i think a squash just starting so i have put it in greenhouse to see what it will do

[Piggle]

I had to pick all mine as the frost knocked all the leaves down and the slugs were making their way through my beloved thelma sanders sweet potato squash.

[Thelma Sanders]

Oh dear - I cut my Thelmas as well

The others didn't seem to catch the frost, but they're fleeced now to make sure.

[sned101]

When?

First time grown i have 11 fruit on 3 vines and 4 are huge, easily the size of a rugby ball, quite hard skins harvest or leave? Up in the sunny west yorkshire

[treepixie]

How to grow Butternut Squash - in pictures

hth

Great article, I see the squash were stored in the loft, so I might try that

[rustylady]

First time grown i have 11 fruit on 3 vines and 4 are huge, easily the size of a rugby ball, quite hard skins harvest or leave? Up in the sunny west yorkshire

I would leave them as long as you can.

[Alison]

I would leave them as long as you can.

Agreed

although apparently I have to say something else as my message is too short

[kathyd]

Well now.... I have a BNS plant in my polytunnel and another outside. They're Waltham variety. One outside has 3 or 4 small squashes, one inside has about 9 bigger ones. And they're all still green, despite weeks and weeks of steaming weather and bright sunshine! Argh!!

The nights are getting quite cold now, so I assume at some point I should consider fleecing at least the outdoor one?

If I pick them green, will they ripen up enough to eat?

Thx.

[VegiDales]

Mine took an age to get started and the fruits are still very small, green and immature. As Kathyd asked "If I pick them green, will they ripen up enough to eat?" ?
and if I leave them and we get a bit of frost will it ruin them?

[kt6382]

Hi, have you guys all harvested your butternuts yet?? I'm down on the south coast and have about 8 little butternuts still out there. The plants have pretty much died down now so I assume the butternuts won't grow anymore. IS there still a benefit to leaving them out or should they come in now? I'm worried about losing them to the first frost but last year I picked them all and then they went mouldy when I tried to keep them

[vikkib]

I'm hanging on to the hope that mine might still ripen a little more before the weather forces me to pick them!

I have a lot that are still greenish and with the temp dropping round here I think I'll have to pop down and check them out again today. My plants still had foliage at the weekend but the situation can change so quickly at this time of the year.

I guess I need to start trying to find somewhere to put them all if I bring them home today!

I'm not sure how much they continue to ripen once picked. Hopefully someone with some experience with this will be along shortly!

I've seen several mentions of leaving as much stalk on as possible when they are picked which but I'm not sure why!