Question
I am growing butternut squash and the squash is about 5 inches, more bulbed than long.  The skin is a greenish with white stripes....when should I harvest these squashes?

Does a butternut squash ripen like a tomato once picked off the vine?

Thanks for you input.

Dana Trumble  

Answer
Dana, never wait until the fruit is excessively large unless you are trying to win a prize at the local fair.  The larger the fruit, the less tender and tasty it is.

I always pick my vegetables when they are fairly young.  In the case of butternut squash, I recommend picking them as early as 6" long, but no later than 8".  Another indicator is to wait until the green stripes become very faint. This will also result in more fruit since plants tend to keep producing when you harvest on a regular basis.

Squash, like tomatoes, will ripen off the vine.  But I never recommend this with either plant.  The reason is you much of the flavor of the vegetables are sacrificed when they are not allowed to ripen on the vine.  The only time I harvest early and ripen indoors is at the end of the growing season to prevent the plant from losing its harvest due to frost.

Good luck, and have a great weekend.

Regards,

Mike