Calling Gardeners
September 15th, 2006 by Sarah
How do I know when a butternut squash is actually ripe? I have two that look pretty big and ripe but they’re not as orange in colour as the ones I have in my veg box, more yellow … should I leave them a bit longer?
September 15th, 2006 at 10:07
Adam is primed to ask a gardener friend at work, as I was wondering exactly the same thing!!
September 15th, 2006 at 10:13
from Adam:
Have asked Jon and he said it sounds like it could be ready. He said
they just stop growing (which I think ours probably has) and may change
colour a little. He said most are pretty much ready by Mid-late
September. However, he also said it doesn’t really matter if you leave
them on the plant because they don’t go off or anything. It’s just that
if you leave them into the winter you may risk them getting damaged by
frost etc…
September 15th, 2006 at 10:28
Cool, thank you
September 15th, 2006 at 15:59
2 of ours are going yellow, the others [4] are just starting to chane. ours are still growing, so leaving at the mo, but will pick when first frost threatens
September 15th, 2006 at 20:13
When we had a pumpkin growing, it wasn’t ripe, but I had to pick it, and we sat it on a warm windowsill to ripen further (like one can do with tomatoes). It was fine. Carried on changing colour beautifully.
September 15th, 2006 at 20:49
Our slugs munched our squash plant before it produced
September 16th, 2006 at 12:00
My slugs are obviously too busy coming into the house
September 16th, 2006 at 19:06
Why are you growing your pumpkins in the house?
September 16th, 2006 at 21:37
I’m not, the squash are outside, not being eaten by slugs. But we have a small slug problem inside!