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Vegetable Gardening

Butternut squash are dying before ripening

13 years ago

Hi, this is the first time that I have attempted to grow squash. I have read up about self pollination, which I have done as there doesn't appear to be many bees working in my garden and have produced some quite large squash (to probably about 9 or 10 inches in length) and then they start to shrivel up and die. Can anyone help with any suggestions as to why this is happening? Should I have picked them already although they do still look rather green at this point? They seem to have pollinated ok as they have grown to a considerable size but maybe this is not the case? I have been feeding and watering regularly but how to stop my squashes dying. Any help would be hugely appreciated.

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Comments (2)

mister_potato_head
13 years ago
They're not pollinated, that's why they're shriveling up and rotting. What kind of squash, summer or winter? If winter, then you shouldn't pick them until they're fully mature. If summer, I have never picked and eaten an non-pollinated squash.
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mister_potato_head
13 years ago
I just noticed you said Butternut squash. So you need to wait until after they mature to pick them. In my zone, that's after a hard frost in late September or October.
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