Harvesting Squash

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

The last few nights temperatures have taken a nosedive to a few deg above freezing. I am thinking perhaps any squash that look ready should be moved under cover? And, perhaps I should be considering fleece protection for the others at night (I am in S Wales).

I noticed that the shops/stalls now have what looks like UK grown potimarron and harlequin/winter festival type squashes for sale.

My son's Mars pumpkins are ready and I am sure a few of my other squashes are ripe (potimarron etc). It all seems very early this year. I even have a butternut that looks almost ripe.

[Vince G]

Autumn does seem to be a little early this year. Not sure whether frost would damage a squash or not. If they've had plenty of sun and been turned regularly so they "cure" evenly, I think I'd probably be cutting them and sticking them in the garage or shed for storage. Leave plenty of stem on them as this seems to help them store for longer.

Already cut one pink banana myself and will be cutting the rest along with the crown princes when we get back off hols next week.

Som of our butternuts and winter dumplings still have green tinges so will leave on the plant for a bit longer....I suppose I'll find out what frost does then!

[snakeshack]

Harvested my crown prince and uchi kuri today as they were all ripe and the plants had died back. Still waiting for the butternuts but think they may have gone in too late as they are all still small and green


Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

Hi Vince,

I recall the long squash thread of last winter.

I did not get Pink banana seed - next year me thinks, did you get many? Are they a good size?

I ended up cutting 2 Potimarron at lunchtime as they look great. Left a big 'T' of stem on em. I think my Harlequins are almost there as are the Winter Festival (the bigger ones). A couple of my Crown prince look ok, though I think the plants gave up a while back so they are not perfect specimens. My pumpkins are pathetic compared to last year (tiny) but ripe already (Amazonka).

I have 3 Guatamalen blue - but they are not gert big sausages like I had hoped. More like big lemon shaped things and don't look ready. A couple of Marina di Chioggia look ready, one big Thelma sanders and one of 3 Galeux D'Eysines also look 'cuttable'.

I grew butternut experimentally from fresh seed from a shop bought fruit in grow bags. All the plants have done ok and I have a decent fruit on each plant - but I suspect these will be sitting on the plants til the last possible minute as they are quite green. If this early Autumnalness turns into early winteryness they will have to go in the coldframe.

I have had trouble with stems getting attacked by slugs on a few squashes - very irritating.

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

snakeshack, I think uchiki kuri is the same as potimarron? - it goes by several names (most confusing). I have it in packets labeled various things.

Definitely seems all a bit early this year, though it's my first 'year of the squash' I've only previously grown a couple of butternut and pumpkins.