Winter Squash ?

KevinCT · August 11, 2011

fruit finally set on my Waltham Butternuts, anyone know how many days til maturity after the fruit has set. Thanks.

fortyonenorth · August 11, 2011

They come along pretty quickly after setting fruit. I would imagine about 30 days, but I've never counted. Do you find that your squash are late this year? Last year I was harvesting squash in July. This year, I just pollinated my first female blossom today.

Mudman · August 11, 2011

Sorry I don't have a # of days. I just wait until the stem coming off the fruit turns brown. Then give them a couple days in the sun on each side and I have Butternuts till spring.

KevinCT · August 11, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by fortyonenorth

They come along pretty quickly after setting fruit. I would imagine about 30 days, but I've never counted. Do you find that your squash are late this year? Last year I was harvesting squash in July. This year, I just pollinated my first female blossom today.

Hey forty,

this is my first season growing them so I dont know, but my Cukes have really taken awhile to get going and my maters are a little late this year, had my first red Brandy a week ago, yet my all my different cherries and Earlys are still not ripe. I'm hoping by Sunday I can finally have a few.

BTW- the Ramapo is doing great, got 2 plants going

beefsteak · August 12, 2011

I'm not sure of number of days either, here in zone five I usually harvest them before fall frost..

FILMNET · August 12, 2011

No days needed, they turn a little brown from green and the plant will turn brown also. No problem leaving then in the garden longer, have 7 of then in my garden now 2-3 lbs each.

Skaggydog · August 12, 2011

Just ate one yesterday. It was delishous

KevinCT · September 11, 2011

I got some odd wilt happening, is this normal in the plants cycle of life? Half the plant has leafs doing well & the other half is dead. The crop took a massive hit 2 weeks ago during Irene, so that might have something to do with it, but the fruit seem unaffected.

tjg911 · September 11, 2011

no it is september. a week before labor day weekend the winter squash plants look like they did for the prior month, a jungle. on labor day weekend you can see the squash and the ground. the plants are dying from shorter days, less heat during the day and night, the sun is quite a bit weaker now as we are just 10 days from the equinox. things are on schedule as usual.

tom

Direct Sunlight · October 7, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjg911

no it is september. a week before labor day weekend the winter squash plants look like they did for the prior month, a jungle. on labor day weekend you can see the squash and the ground. the plants are dying from shorter days, less heat during the day and night, the sun is quite a bit weaker now as we are just 10 days from the equinox. things are on schedule as usual.

tom

Zucchini rampicante and Musquee de provence look healthier than they have in months. Butternuts, are exactly as you said.

Direct Sunlight · October 7, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by FILMNET

No days needed, they turn a little brown from green and the plant will turn brown also. No problem leaving then in the garden longer, have 7 of then in my garden now 2-3 lbs each.

Rabbits have started eating mine, so I'm picking them ASAP. When they turn tan, I grab them. I sprinkled the plants with cayenne pepper, don't know yet whether it worked or they just took a break.

Tracydr · October 7, 2011

Forty one north- just noticed your avatar. I bought some pumpkins like that last night at the Mexican grocery called Castillo. A Mexican lady was buying a whole cartful and told me they were the best squash so I bought two twenty pounders. She said to use the Mexican brown sugar ( piloncillo) or honey, raisins, nuts, etc, on them. She bought some 30-40 pounders that she said were for a Thanksgiving " appetizer" that she makes and also pie.
I was wondering how you like them and if I need to run the meat through a food mill? Is it stringy? I'd like to use it for soups and pies, what I don't use as meals for myself with brown sugar/ cinnamon. I'm going to cook at least one today and freeze smaller quantities for myself and recipes. My husband isn't much of a squash eater.
I love the Japanese Kabocha squash but these pumpkins are less than half the price so how can I resist?

TZ-OH6 · October 7, 2011

I'm growing both butternuts and Pennsylvania longneck and haven't worried about maturation time because we have been eating both as green summer squash. We eat them all the way from green to light orange, panfried in butter. I think we like them better that way rather than the stronger flavor of the mature orange flesh. When they are green the seed chamber can be eaten, but it is such a small proportion of the fruit on the longnecks that there is no rush to harvest the green ones when they are small.

KevinCT · October 7, 2011

most of my plants took a beating during Irene,my tomato plants were never the same, my squash develop a wilt, but managed to pres on. I have around 15 butternut squash, the bigger ones I suspect are the Walthams and the small ones seem to be of the burpee hybrid variety.
Giving them another week or so, before harvesting.

FILMNET · October 7, 2011

This is how i ripen my Waltham Butternut

August 11, 2011	#1
KevinCT Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: USA: CT Shoreline: Zone:6b Posts: 40	Winter Squash ? fruit finally set on my Waltham Butternuts, anyone know how many days til maturity after the fruit has set. Thanks.

August 11, 2011	#3
Mudman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NW Wisconsin Posts: 910	Sorry I don't have a # of days. I just wait until the stem coming off the fruit turns brown. Then give them a couple days in the sun on each side and I have Butternuts till spring. __________________ Mike

September 11, 2011	#9
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	no it is september. a week before labor day weekend the winter squash plants look like they did for the prior month, a jungle. on labor day weekend you can see the squash and the ground. the plants are dying from shorter days, less heat during the day and night, the sun is quite a bit weaker now as we are just 10 days from the equinox. things are on schedule as usual. tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

August 11, 2011	#2
fortyonenorth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 1,150	They come along pretty quickly after setting fruit. I would imagine about 30 days, but I've never counted. Do you find that your squash are late this year? Last year I was harvesting squash in July. This year, I just pollinated my first female blossom today.

August 12, 2011	#5
beefsteak Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: NW PA zone 5 Posts: 121	I'm not sure of number of days either, here in zone five I usually harvest them before fall frost..

August 12, 2011	#6
FILMNET Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA Posts: 1,803	No days needed, they turn a little brown from green and the plant will turn brown also. No problem leaving then in the garden longer, have 7 of then in my garden now 2-3 lbs each.

August 12, 2011	#7
Skaggydog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Southern California Posts: 131	Just ate one yesterday. It was delishous

October 7, 2011	#12
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	Forty one north- just noticed your avatar. I bought some pumpkins like that last night at the Mexican grocery called Castillo. A Mexican lady was buying a whole cartful and told me they were the best squash so I bought two twenty pounders. She said to use the Mexican brown sugar ( piloncillo) or honey, raisins, nuts, etc, on them. She bought some 30-40 pounders that she said were for a Thanksgiving " appetizer" that she makes and also pie. I was wondering how you like them and if I need to run the meat through a food mill? Is it stringy? I'd like to use it for soups and pies, what I don't use as meals for myself with brown sugar/ cinnamon. I'm going to cook at least one today and freeze smaller quantities for myself and recipes. My husband isn't much of a squash eater. I love the Japanese Kabocha squash but these pumpkins are less than half the price so how can I resist?

October 7, 2011	#13
TZ-OH6 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mid-Ohio Posts: 850	I'm growing both butternuts and Pennsylvania longneck and haven't worried about maturation time because we have been eating both as green summer squash. We eat them all the way from green to light orange, panfried in butter. I think we like them better that way rather than the stronger flavor of the mature orange flesh. When they are green the seed chamber can be eaten, but it is such a small proportion of the fruit on the longnecks that there is no rush to harvest the green ones when they are small.