This is the first time I've managed to grow squash properly, and the fruits are looking pretty good and I don't want to mess this up. I've read something about just leaving them on the plant until just before the first frost, is this the best course of action? The varieties are Big Max and Butternut. I already chopped most of the ends off the Big Max to focus the energy on those 3 big fruits, should I start cutting the Butternut vines too? First frost would probably be in November, so I'm not sure if newer fruits would reach maturity by then, and I have quite a lot already!
by sebovzeoueb
2 Comments
Upvoting and following because I have the same questions! Hope you get a knowledgeable response.
Hey,
These looked pretty ripe, so if you want to eat them / use them right now, you can harvest them.
If you want to store them for the winter, then I suggest waiting until the leaves start to wither / turn brown and then remove them from the plant.
That way, the shell can harden, and they will last longer on storage.
I hope that makes sense, English is not my first language
Let me know if you have more questions 🙂
Edit: Don’t worry about them not reaching maturity until November. You can eat squash even if they are not fully ripe. Then they have fewer seeds (if at all) and are more starchy. I’ve recently made soup from butternut, which wasn’t fully ripe (because I was impatient), and it tasted great.
If harvested when not fully ripe, then they should be processed soon after.