Diary of a Rocket Gardener: When to harvest squash and pumpkins

Hmm, I’ve been in a quandary this week….should I harvest my winter squashes now or should I leave them a little while longer? If I leave them, will they over ripen? If I harvest them now, will they be ripe enough?

It’s been especially difficult to decide in relation to my Cornells Bush Delicata Winter Squashes  – photos that I’ve seen have led me to believe they should have white skin with green stripes. Mine have a yellow skin but the underside of the squashes is white. So should I leave them and see if they turn white (or continue to turn yellow) or do I harvest them and hope for the best.

Well, whilst it was raining yesterday evening I decided to do a little research and I have the following tips to share with you if you’re in a similar winter squash harvesting muddle!

  1. Winter squash can stay on the vine for a few weeks after ripening, and the skin will “cure”, becoming harder in texture.
  2. Thicker, harder skin makes winter squash store better. If you try and dig a thumbnail into the skin and it pierces easily, then you should leave it longer. If you can’t break the skin with your nail, then it’s good for picking.
  3. The stem attached to the fruit will start to wither once it has fully ripened so that’s a good indication that it’s ready.
  4. A lot of gardeners advise leaving the fruit on the vine for as long as the plant is still going, and not harvesting it until the last minute (but before the first frost!!)
  5. The underside of the squashes is often a different colour – it’s the side facing up that will turn the right colour.
  6. It seems to be general consensus that you should leave 2 inches of stem attached to the squash when you do harvest it. Not sure why.
  7. You can ripen squashes off the vine if needs be, but it’s better to leave them on the vine to ripen if you can (i.e. if there is time before it gets frosty)

Hope this helps! Happy squash harvesting!