Caved-in spot on winter squash -- harvest right away?

[applestar]

I was inspecting my squashes, and one of my winter squash had this caved-in, shriveled spot on the bottom where it was resting on the brick. There was a bunch of pillbugs/sowbugs underneath and I was REALLY afraid it was rottting and soft there, but when I pressed on it, it was quite firm.

I seem to remember seeing this kind of defect in pumpkins when we went pumpkin picking in fields where they grew (not the fake ones where they arrange harvested pumpkins).

What causes it? Is it a vulnerable spot? Should I harvest this squash and use it right away (or asap -- this is a C.moschata so ideally, it needs to cure for at least one month).

UGH! I turned it to let the area dry a bit and take a picture, but looking at it now, I think I should turn it back down so the spot is at least on the side and not cupped upwards like this to collect moisture.

...oh wait -- the picture is sideways

[!potatoes!]

is it actually any softer there, or is it just misshapen?

[applestar]

It felt as hard as the rest of the squash. I think it's just ugly looking.

[!potatoes!]

I doubt it represents any real problem. my best guess as to why it happens is that the squash is still soft and developing to some extent when you put it on the brick, and that softness combined with the increasing weight of the squash causes the deformity.

[applestar]

I didn't think of that! Yes, this one kept trying to roll off the brick because it's at the edge of the mounded row and I couldn't position the brick flat underneath of it. I guess a corner of the brick put pressure on the fruit while it was developing -- that makes sense.

Next time, I will make more effort to stabilize everything and support the fruit more evenly.... Thanks!

[jal_ut]

As long as that deformity is firm it will not be a problem. I like to turn my pumpkins and set them up on the blossom end so they fill out nice and round, instead of having a flat, light colored side where it was on the ground. I often put a piece of cardboard under them to protect from boring critters that like to come up from down below and chew holes in them.

[applestar]

Thank you! That's good to know.

...I did try to turn them on their blossom ends because I remembered you saying that, but some of them had vines that already rooted themselves down too close to the fruits to lift. Do you usually pull them out and straighten them up anyway? Part of my problem, too is I have so little space to maneuver them

[jal_ut]

"Do you usually pull them out and straighten them up anyway?"

Yes. Also it is OK to prune that wandering vine tip if you don't want it running all over the garden.