When to Harvest Butternut Squash?

[cuffbertt]

I have some butternut squashes growing in the garden (only 4 squashes from 2 plants), and two of them look pretty good although small- nice deep yellow colour with hard skins that sound hollow when you tap them. I'm not sure at what point I should be harvesting them? I've searched for an answer (on this forum and over the rest of the interweb), and I get a lot of conflicting info... Some people say to leave them on until the plants die back completely, and others say to cut them off when they're tough and deep yellow (i.e. now).

I've got two more which are still quite green at the moment. Not sure that there's enough time in the year for them to fully ripen, but they make up half of my squashes so fingers crossed!

So should I cut the riper ones off now and put them inside on the windowsill to harden up properly? Or should I bring them in as late as possible before the first frost?

Cheers,

Carl

[bario1]

The two brown ones sound ready to harvest, but in doing so, will you not cut the main stem of the plant, thereby depriving the others of the benefit of staying out longer? Generally it's recommended to cut the main stem a couple of inches either side of the squash you're harvesting (i.e forming a 'T' shaped 'handle').
I've got a couple of Crown Prince still ripening on the plants and I put a plastic cloche tunnel over them a few weeks back just to keep them cosy and dry for as long as possible.

[burnie]

I intend having a go at growing these next year in the greenhouse(weathers not good up here for anything delicate) any tips?

[Thelma Sanders]

I don't know where you garden, so have no idea of your climate - but it is getting cold and wet at night here (6C last night) so if yours is the same, you need to bring them in before they get frosted.

A warm sunny windowsill may ripen the green ones, if you are lucky.

[Paulie]

I'd agree with Thelma, and advise you to get 'em in. There's little to be gained by leaving them out longer, since they'll ripen as well or better inside now. And if you delay cutting them you risk losing them to frost.

Paulie

[cuffbertt]

Ok, thanks all. I think I'm going to cut the two ripe ones off this afternoon and leave them in the windowsill to harden up, and will leave the green ones out for a while more until the temperature starts to drop towards freezing.

I'm on the Somerset/Dorset border in the South West so it's not too cold here yet, just wet!

Hopefully they taste good! They're half the size of a shop bought squash so maybe they're twice as tasty

[bario1]

Here's a pic of my Crown Prince, which I just harvested today!

[cuffbertt]

Here's a pic of my Crown Prince, which I just harvested today!

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Crikey, they're MASSIVE! I'm going to try those next year

These are my squashes... lol

[burnie]

Nice pair of Melons there cuffbertt( STOP IT you norty lot..................)

[1Bee]

* high fives burnie*

None of my Crown Prince germinated this year - definitely on the list for next year, a lovely plant and squash.

[bario1]

Those look great Cuffbertt, bet they'll taste amazing.

1Bee, do Crown Prince taste more like a pumpkin or a squash?

[1Bee]

Uuuuuummmm.... I haven't eaten much pumpkin. They're quite sweet and flavourful, but not as sweet as blue hubbard squash or as nutty as butternut.