Butternut squashes AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!!

[bussinspain]

For 3 years, I have failed This year it looks like I have succeeded I have a few butternut squashes. They are still a very dark green and about 9-10 inches long and very fat. This year I tried to train them up my veggie garden fence - they didn't like it - or so I thought. I then ignored them, threatening to cut them down, but when I approached them with the shears I discovered that the few female flowers that had opened had made babies! When do I harvest them? Will they go orange before winter sets in (very mild usually here) or do I cut them and put them in the sun? They are in a semi-shaded/sunny spot at the mo.

[Guest]

Well done I tend to find butternuts the most temperamental of all the squashes for some reason. I would leave them on the plant as long as possible.

[alldigging]

So once they've changed colour completely they're ok to take off? I've got a couple more formed over the last week or so but they're still pale and stripey. The others are proper butternut squash colour!

[Lisasbolt]

Leave them on the plant, i am further south than you and have had a lot of butternut squash (first year)
I was out in the plot a few days ago and with the really hot weather we had last week i have found 3 new babies forming, i doubt they will come to anything but i will leave as the plant is not in the way of anything else.
Ive heard you can leave until first frost, last year we only got 1 slight frost, so should be fine for a long while yet

[Jimmy]

Buy them as ALDI
and use the space for something worthwhile !

[KevinM67]

Buy them as ALDI
and use the space for something worthwhile !

Your right !!!

From now on, I'm buying all my veg from ALDI - and just going to be growing flowers on my allotment.

Thanks.

[bearded bloke]

Don't think they have Aldi in Spain Jimmy



Leave them on as long as you possibly can, depending on how long you want to store them, the longest storage will come from that where the stem on the fruit has shrunk & dried on the plant prior to cutting.
If you are concerned the fruit can be protected from light frosts by draping a couple of layers of fleece above (but not touching) the fruit.

[jacob]

So... you two are struggling to successfully grow butternut squash in Spain? I think that explains my total lack of success in Scotland.

(But I did get three respectable pumpkins this year.)

[starloc]

I found butternut squash easy to grow in Bulgaria, I have never grown them before and did nothing to them , maybe watered a couple of times

I just stuffed some seeds into trays of b&q compost at the end of July, one tray squash and Marketmore cucumbers, like this under a week later



I planted them , the cucumber and some purple sprouting broccoli into the ground through weed cloth after I lifted the potatoes about the 12th August and popped back to the UK for a month



Got back to Bulgaria about the 12th September squash and Marketmore cucumber plants had taken over, full of squash, Its hard to see the squash on the plants with the leaves, but on chopping the vines to harvest them and clean up I have over 50 full size ones, loads of smaller ones

[Zelenina]

I didn't get such big numbers as some of you, but two years in a row butternut types did better for me here than other kinds.

Last year it was Orange Hungarian, and this year Sucrine du Berry from a seed swap with an English friend. If S du B keeps well and tastes good I'll probably grow both next year when I'll have more space.

[bussinspain]

Bearded Bloke - we have Aldi and Lidl here

[jacob]

Can't see the photos, but you've grown a huge pile of squash in 6 weeks? [Weeps in frustration]

[bussinspain]

I have 5 very large butternut squashes ripening in the sun on a chair near the house. I had to take them off the plants when they were still green because of their location (very shady). Will be using one this weekend for a roasted butternut quash risotto.