When are butternut squash ready to pick?

[Grandma99]

The tag doesn't show the variety but they look exactly like Wartham butternut - a soft tan color when fully ripe. Tag says 100 days. They were planted June 1st and were 8" high. Is the 100 days what is expected when they are seeds?

Three of them are very big - like the size of those in the stores or bigger and they are fully soft tan color. How do I know when to pick them? I have them tied up so in case they fall off the vine they will be fine (they are on a trellis). If I pick them a bit too soon, will they continue to ripen? I have 11 of them on two plants and I'm quite excited. I don't want to pick them too soon!

The plants themselves are beginning to kinda die. I am getting very few flowers (only 1 or 2) for the past week and even they wither quickly. I think the plants are coming to the end of their lives. Should I pick those that look ready?

[TomatoNut95]

Can you put a picture?

[applestar]

Butternut squash is a “winter” squash, so the basic test for maturity is the thumbnail test — push your thumbnail into the rind (I test top, side, and bottom) an if the rind is hard enough that your thumbnail doesn’t leave a mark, then it’s ready to be harvested.

Butternut being a C.moschata, it can be picked even when not quite ripe — if it has already turned from green to buff/chamois cloth color, and it will ripen/cure in storage — warm dry place with good air circulation. Don’t put it on or touching hard surfaces that can hold in/trap moisture that will evaporate out from the rind (it can start to mold where it is touching and where you won’t see it). It will taste better after one month. When fully cured, it will develop a waxy, hazy surface. It should keep well in storage for 6 months or more, but start checking often after 4 months.

[Grandma99]

Oh this is incredible information! Thank you so much! You help me so often and I really appreciate you!

[Grandma99]

TomatoNut95, you mean a picture of just the squash fruit or a picture of the plant? The plants are very long - each trailing probably 20-25 feet. But yes I can!

[TomatoNut95]

Just of the fruit should be fine. Yeah, I wish I were as smart as @applestar. I appreciate her to.

[Grandma99]

Here are the three that I think are ready. Thumbnail doesn't leave a mark on any of them. There are many more that are still various levels of green and smaller but these three were the ones I thought I might pick!

[TomatoNut95]

Those are lovely squash @grandma99! Great job! Sounds like they're ripe to me. I wish I could grow squash, but it won't fit into my garden. Too bad there's no such thing as micro-mini squash plants!

[Grandma99]

Oh good! Thank you so much! I grow one each in 10 gallon pots upwards onto a trellis (cattle panel). It takes little space - I just keep wrapping them back and forth the 16' length horizontally on the trellis. Next year I plan to extend the trellis up and over part of the patio, growing squash (winter and summer), peas, beans - many things!

I've learned a lot this year (thanks to all the help here). I have TONS of tomatoes, walla walla onions and more. The patio is only 10' x 21' or so. I also have Carmen peppers (one plant has 14 huge peppers on it)! This is my first garden ever. I'm HOOKED!

It will be difficult letting the butternuts sit for a month before eating them! I don't know whether they are heirloom but I think I'd like to try and save the seeds for next year (never grown things from seeds either but I'm willing to study). Thing is, I like to put butternut whole in oven at 325F and cook until it bursts before removing the seeds. I suspect that would destroy their viability, right? For one then, I may cut the seeds out first. SUCH FUN!!

[TomatoNut95]

Yeah, cooking seeds will ruin them, I think. I've yet to master the art of saving squash seeds, but starting them from seed is fun. I just love watching plants start out as babies and watch them grow!
Where did you purchased the plants? Waltham Butternut is an heirloom, but who knows what hybrid winter squashes are out there. I am strictly an heirloom person. The only hybrid veggie I like is Fooled You Jalapeno because the peppers don't get hot, even under weather stress. But this year I found an heirloom version that did just as terrific as the hybrid. So I'll be switching.

[applestar]

If you bake the seeds they won’t sprout but you could eat the seed meat after shelling them (bite pointy end against the seam to crack open).

I answered the seed saving question recently —
Subject: Cantaloupe ID Needed

There might be other methods, but here’s my method for saving cucurbit seeds —

- I wash in colander or strainer depending on seed size, rubbing off the gel and placenta, then dump in deep bowl/bucket of soapy water to rinse and pour off floaters. I don’t try to ferment - they sprout too easily.

- I only save seeds that sink and stay sunk. — immediately strain, rinse well, shake and wipe off excess moisture from outside of the strainer/colander, (dab seeds with towel or paper towel if necessary — I sometimes crumple paper towel balls and bury in the seeds to soak up some water) and then spread the seeds out in single layer to dry, preferably in front of a fan.

- Once thoroughly dry, pack away — I add some hort/ag grade DE (diatomaceous earth) in case some bug decides to sneak in.

I grow Nutterbutter butternut squash which matures slightly earlier for the cooler/colder regions. There are “Bush” varieties that make smaller fruits and the vines don’t take up as much space. Nutterbutter is a space hog for sure — the vines growing in both directions are intent on taking over the entire half arc of the outer spiral in the Spiral Garden.

For next year’s squash rotation in the much smaller space HaybaleRow, I might try growing Honeynut although that one has longer DTM.

[Grandma99]

Thank you both! My niece picked them up from Lowes so I assume they're hybrid. I had read best to grow heirloom to get consistent results so I guess I'll buy seed from Baker Creek or get plants from a nursery where I can be sure of the variety. Another indicator they're hybrid ... the plant label has a picture and just 'butternut squash' ... no variety mentioned. :-/

[Grandma99]

Applestar, I'm actually excited about growing from seed! I've been studying how to do it. Your information will be inserted into my plant database!

[TomatoNut95]

I buy from Baker Creek, they're great! If they came from Lowes, I bet they're Bonnie plants. They carry a lot of hybrid plants, but fortunately, they offer some heirlooms. If the label doesn't say 'hybrid', it should be an heirloom. Yes, growing stuff from seed is awesome! I have a small backyard greenhouse, and have grown stuff from seed for five or six years now. Tomatoes are my favorite. @Grandma99, I am offering some free seeds of many things over in the seed giveaway section. Have a look, and if you see anything you want, just let me know.

[Grandma99]

Wow, thank you I will! Right now I'm trying to plan what I want to grow AND how to expand. I have a 16' trellis against the trailer but only have plants growing on 8' of it (6 10-gallon pots) and then a few other large planters in the middle of the patio. I want to add pots to the other 8' of trellis then go up and over to the middle of the patio. I may even buy planters to go around the side. I have a huge yard in the country on a 37-acre plot with a pump house and well right here.

Thank you again for letting me know! I THINK I'll be starting seeds inside with grow lights. I really can't handle a greenhouse because it would collapse in the winter under snow and I'm unable to handle it (physically limited). Still, I think I can accomplish a lot if I put my mind to it and I'm willing to learn! The planters will be 30" high so I can take care of them easily.

[applestar]

Consider Territorial Seed also. They are located in Washington State and may have insights on Pacific NW adapted varieties.

[Grandma99]

Ah! I've heard of them! Thank you!

[TomatoNut95]

I understand. Your yard sounds great! Wish mine didn't have concrete clay or I would be planting a WHOLE lot more than I can. It makes so sad I could even cry about it.
Yes, growlights should be fine. You could also try some herbs from seed; basil is easy. (rosemary isn't) I used mine for pizza and pasta. Too bad something kept eating on it....had to pull it up.

[SQWIB]

I am waiting until the stems start drying out before I pick mine.
The color is there and they are hard just waiting for the stem to start turning brown

[Grandma99]

Thank you! I still never figured out why the leaves became ringed in gold and then the outer edges started turning brown, as in the first picture. We don't get vine borer and I never could find a single insect on them except for ants (which I killed off with traps) and aphids (which were killed off with ladybug release). But it didn't seem to affect the fruits themselves. I wrapped them in insect netting just in case but they began to outgrow the netting and some I had to cut off of them. I have so much let to learn.

[dveg]

I will add that for optimum storage of winter squash, give each a bath in 1:10 bleach solution. That kills bad stuff on the rind. Then keep in a cool spot. I've kept them for almost a year like that. Of course, if you want to let them sit that long, you'd probably have a lot!

[applestar]

I had to chuckle about the “warm” vs “cool” storage concept difference ...likely regional? — I think it’s because here, “cool” storage during winter could be 40-60°F ... by “warm” I mean habitable room temperature ...60-75°F during the cold months.

Emphasizes -note to self- need for more exact description.


*I agree about cleaning the outer surface — but don’t remove the waxy “cure”

[dveg]

Cool, as in whatever you've got that isn't hot. Cooler is better than hotter. I don't have *any* really cool places, and I've been struggling to store my large spring crop of onions. ALL the storage instructions for onions say store at 32-45F. Ha. Like, where am I going to get a closet or a basement with those temps, even in winter? Oh, I'm supposed to refrigerate a room? Interestingly, there are no, as in zero, studies that I can find about onion storage versus temperature. I stored them in a converted garage at 80F for a few months, and the last dozen or so are being stored at room temp in a pantry. Veggie storage instructions are, somewhat perversely, written for people in North Dakota.

[Grandma99]

Wish mine didn't have concrete clay or I would be planting a WHOLE lot more than I can. It makes so sad I could even cry about it.

I wanted to mention that, even without good soil (I have concrete patio), one can grow great crops AND easily take care of them. These planters last for 30 years. The side and back of my house is grass and I'm placing these all over next year, extending my garden. They go together easily (I purchased one to try) and even I (limited mobility) can put it together by myself.

https://youtu.be/lm4JkTLAebE

Next spring, I'll add drip irrigation: https://youtu.be/IZxzbithCyg