Question
6/17/08- OUR FIRST GARDEN- WE HAVE BUTTERNUT SQUASH GALORE- HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN THEY ARE READY TO HARVEST? PLEASE NOTE THE DATE BECAUSE FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD OR READ- BUTTERNUTS ARE A WINTER PRODUCE.

Answer
Butternut squash will always start off with a greenish tint that gradually evolves into a light yellow with green stripes. Once the stripes begin to fade, the squash will turn orange. At this point, they are ready to harvest.

Never wait until the fruit is fully grown to harvest. The squash will be much more tender and sweet at an earlier stage. Once you begin harvesting, you will learn quickly by sight and feel when the squash is ready to pick. For me, it always when the green stripes begin to fade.

By the way, the time period on the seed packet is from sowing to fully mature. For most squash varieties, this is normally 75-80 days. I always harvest one week before that for the reasons stated above.

Good luck, and please write again if I can ever provide assistance.

Regards,

Mike