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Vegetable Gardening

Harvesting butternut squash and vine question.

15 years ago

Got one butternut squash that looks pretty full size and it just changed colors to tan. But there are still a few green stripes on squash. How do I know when to harvest?

Vine also has 4 or 5 other butternut squashes that are in deciding order of size. After I harvest the largest one, will the other squashes grow to completion? Or does a squash vine always leave some underdeveloped squashes on the vine?

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Comments (4)

allenwrench
Original Author
15 years ago
'descending order of size'

sorry for typo
denninmi
15 years ago
Um, that first squash really isn't ready yet. It should be uniformly tan (with the possible exception of a light patch on the underside where it sits on the ground, although this isn't as common in butternuts as it is in other types of squash), hard shelled, and you should NOT be able to gouge it with your fingernail or a sharp object without significant force. I would say your squash needs probably another two to three weeks to fully ripen.

All of the squash should ripen, whether or not the older fruits are removed from the vine, given enough time. If a frost threatens later on, you can cover the vine to extend the time. If a hard freeze threatens and the vine has some soft/underripe squash, they are excellent sliced and roasted or grilled like summer squash.
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I don't think this is an issue of harvesting "fully mature squashes". The issue is when they are fully mature. I harvest Butternut when they are completely beige. Long before the vine dies. In fact, there are immature squash on the vine when I do that harvest. Those harvested Butternut last many many months, and the flavor seems good. No question that there is a world of difference compared to a green (immature) Butternut. My summer growing season is long, so the squash are fully beige long before it's time for the vine to die. That may not be the case for more northern gardeners.
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allenwrench
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks!
tcstoehr
15 years ago
Both my Hubbard and Butternut squashes set a certain number of fruits and then stopped setting any more. They all appear to have ripened and now more new fruits are starting. I'm assuming that the plants have ripened all their fruit and figure they might as well start some more cuz winter's not here yet and they have nothing to lose by trying to produce more seed.

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