Ripening Winter Squash

[Colin Miles]

The last few years I have ripened off my onion sets in the greenhouse and this has worked well. My Crown Prince Squash have all done very well considering the weather and are all grey with the exception of the bit where they were lying on the ground. I have turned them over to expose this part to the light but wonder if they would be better off in the greenhouse.

[Beryl]

I put my Butternut in the greenhouse previous yeasrs Colin and have had good results.

This year they are slow to ripen outside anyway. I think they will all be going in.

Beryl.

[peter]

I've never bothered about the bit it sat on and I've kept them until the following October in edible condition.
My suspicion is that the sun bathing bit is more about raising the sugar level than hardening the skin on an already ripe squash.
Not quite ripe ones should just be used first.
Do leave them on the plant until the leaves die back, then remove them pronto to avoid bipedal pests.

[realfood]

Leave the fruit to mature and harden off into October. Winter squash only develop their full sweetness and taste when allowed to mature and harden off on the plant, according to a breeder of Winter Squash. The advice given to commercial growers of Winter Squash in this country, is that it is the final two weeks that do most good. When the foliage has died down, cut off the fruits leaving if possible, at least 5 cm stem attached, to help to prevent early rotting of the fruit. Leave the cut fruits to fully dry off in a sunny dry place, such as a greenhouse, cold frame or sunny windowsill for two weeks.

[FelixLeiter]

wonder if they would be better off in the greenhouse.

Not yet. Maybe by Hallowe'en. They should be left on the plant for as long as the vine stays green. It's usually when the leaves get frosted that you should take your cue to bring the fruits in. In a providential autumn it might be that the vines die off naturally before the frosts, which is all the better. You can leave the fruits outside for a couple more weeks after the vine has died as they will continue to mature once cut.