Winter Squash Varieties How To Choose A Winter Squash Plant

How do you pick winter squash?

Harvesting. Winter squash can be harvested whenever the fruits have turned a deep, solid color and the rind is hard. Harvest the main part of the crop in September or October, before heavy frosts hit your area. Cut squash from the vines carefully, leaving two inches of stem attached if possible.

What kind of squash is winter squash?

Winter squash vs summer squash

Winter squash: These tend to have a thicker skin and can be stored for quite a while (all through the winter). They include: butternut, pumpkin, acorn, delicata, hubbard, and spaghetti squash (to name a few).

What month do you plant winter squash?

Because winter squash requires a long growing season (generally from 75 to 100 frost-free days), the seeds are generally planted by late May in northern locations to early July in extremely southern states.

How do you know when winter squash is ready to pick?

When harvesting winter squash, look for these five signs that the time is right:

The 'days to maturity' listed on the seed packet has passed.
It's been at least 50 to 55 days since fruit set.
The rind has turned the mature color. ...
The rind is hard and the fruit sounds hollow when gently tapped.
Before the first frost.

How do you prepare winter squash for storage?

How to Store Winter Squash

Store winter squash in a cool, dry place; store winter squash at 50° to 55° F with a relative humidity of 50 to 70 percent—higher humidity can result in rot.
Store cured squash on a shelf or rack, not on the floor.
Keep the skins of cured squash dry to prevent the growth of fungi and bacteria.

How do you cure a winter squash field?

Curing Winter Squash

After cutting the fruits from the vine, sun cure in the field for 5–7 days, or, cure indoors for 5–7 days at 80–85°F/27–29°C in an area with good air ventilation.

Which squash is healthiest?

Yellow squash, also known as summer squash, packs a serious nutritional punch. It's one of the healthiest squash available! Yellow squash contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, fiber, riboflavin, phosphorus, potassium and more.

What is the sweetest winter squash?

Butternut Squash

It is the sweetest winter squash with a thick, bright orange, moist flesh that hides very few seeds.

Is Butternut squash a winter squash?

Winter squash has thick skin usually considered to be inedible. Types of winter squash include pumpkins, butternut squash and spaghetti squash. The name winter squash can be deceiving because they actually are harvested in the fall. ... Winter squash usually are ready to be harvested in late September or October.

What can you not plant with winter squash?

Allowing vegetables like radishes and carrots to flower and persist in your garden while squash are in bloom may also attract bees and help with squash pollination. Avoid planting root crops, such as beets, onions, and potatoes, near squash, which may disturb sensitive squash roots when harvested.

How many squash will one plant produce?

In a home garden, the squash are picked throughout the summer. This accounts for a wide difference is squash yield. In general, each plant produces 5 to 25 pounds of yellow squash during the growing season. A 10-foot row of yellow squash averages 20 to 80 pounds of squash.

Does squash come back every year?

If these vegetables remain in the garden long enough, they can easily sprout new plants when spring arrives. Common plants that can do this include pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), squash (Cucurbita moschata), melons (Cucumis melo), cucumbers (Cucumis natives), tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) and peppers (Capsicum).

Will winter squash ripen off the vine?

One of the most commonly asked questions in regards to ripening winter squash is, “Will spaghetti squash ripen off the vine?” Unfortunately, the answer depends on how mature the squash is. ... However, if it's still soft, then it won't ripen off the vine.

How do you know when Hubbard squash is ripe?

Time To Harvest

You'll know the squash are ripe when the skin hardens and the vines start to die. It should be tough to poke through the rind with your fingernail when the fruits are ready to be harvested. Cut the squash from the vine with a sharp knife, making sure to leave a portion of the stem intact if possible.

Should winter squash be refrigerated?

How to store: Keep winter squash in a cool, dark place. You don't need to refrigerate them.

Should you wash butternut squash before storing?

Always wash away the dirt, grime and mildew, before storing, and many "experts" suggest you wash your pumpkins and squash in a very mild chlorine bleach solution consisting of 2 TBS of bleach to one gallon of water.

Can you freeze whole squash?

Answer: No, you can't freeze squash whole. Blanching squash before freezing is important because it kills an enzyme that helps preserve the vegetable. It's nearly impossible to blanch a whole squash... by the time the interior has been blanched, the squash is almost cooked.

What squash stores the longest?

About: Butternut squash have the longest storage potential and best flavor after a few months in storage. We grow more butternuts than anything, because they also prove to be the most versatile in the kitchen!

Does butternut squash need to cure?

Winter squash that requires curing includes Blue Hubbard, Buttercup, Butternut, and Spaghetti. Curing actually reduces storage life and quality of Acorn squash—no need to devote time or space to curing these. Winter squash stores well.

Can you eat immature butternut squash?

You can stuff them. You can grate them into a salad. You can lacto-ferment them. You can use them in sweet recipes – use any of the immature ones like zucchini in zucchini bread, and use any of the mature ones like pumpkins in pumpkin pie.