I have quite a few large winter squash that are not turned all the way yellow or have not begun to turn at all yet. What am I to do with them? Leave all of them out there and just see what they do, bring in only the ones nearly all the way yellow? Some of the nearly all yellow ones are showing spots that look wet as tho they have been frost damaged. Do I cover the ones I leave with blankets, etc. at night when the temps get below ??????. I don't want to lose any of these if I can possibly help it as they are part of my winter food supply. Any help anyone can give me will be greatly appreciated.
Need help with winter squash harvesting
Hi,
I don't know what sort of winter squash you are growing, as mine are always green (They are buttercup). But this is what I was told by a farmer when I asked about harvesting winter squash.
They are ready to harvest when the stem gets looking dried. The stems go from being all green, to having brownish, dry stripes which gradually cover more of the stem. If you wait longer, they will be sweeter, but not keep as well. If you harvest them earlier, they keep better but don't tast as sweet. If they get hit by the frost they won't keep at all.
I harvested mine when I thought it might be a bit early, but frost threatened. I've eaten one and it was fine.
Good luck with the harvest.
Not need to change yellow just cut the stem off and bring inside...(put on inside porch and keep out of the light and keep in cool)...
Not leave on ground that cause bottom yellow to rot...
This message was edited Oct 30, 2007 12:08 PM
EvaMae it seems to me we put in where they didn't freeze and put hay or straw under and around them I know that was what was done for the winter cache works like a fruit cellar just dug in the ground dug open in jan or feb most years this is for anyone that didn't know what I was talking about
The other thing the farmer said was it's best to "cure" it by keeping it in warm dry room (he had an electrically heated room at 80 degrees) for 2 weeks to thicken up the skin and help it store better. I seem to have read somewhere that squash are not best kept in the same cold root celler type storage as carrots, turnips, potatoes etc. I seem to recall that squash should be kept in a dry room closer to room temperature. I might be wrong. This is the first year I am trying to store squash. But that's what I've read.
Thanks, everyone. These are Pink Tahitian squash. A friend gave me the seed this summer. Each vine produced 3 nice big ones and lots more little ones were developing when the frost hit. A local garden center said if the vines are frost bitten just harvest the squash. So I did. He said the green ones will turn yellow if I keep them out in a warm room in sunlight. I'll put them in the utility room and see what happens. I have kept some in the den which is now the storage room. Dave, I don't have any place I could store like that that animals won't get into or won't freeze. Unless maybe I dedicate a storage tub on the front porch to that purpose. I may try that.