When to harvest winter squash?

[Pawty]

Hi,

I thought I knew the answer to this but given what happened to my winter squash last year I wanted to ask when is the earliest time you can harvest them?

Last year all my summer lightning and dumpling winter squash got eaten over one night by rats. They ate a hole in the side of each one and removed all the seeds in one swoop. They left the butternut as these have harder skins.

I had always been told to leave them as long as possible to ripen them off and harvest when the leaves and stem start to die back - but before it gets too cold and damp.

So, I have the same varieties. If I harvest them early, will they be completely tasteless and a bit soft skinned (so won't store well) or will they ripen in the window?

I'll be gutted if I loose them all again - the rats took all the sweetcorn in the same night to.

Many thanks

Pawty

[peter]

Do a 50/50!

Harvest some now in dash of rats and leave the rest.
They are, I find, best harvested as soon as the leaves die, usually that's the first properly cold night of autumn. Then in put them on my greenhouse bench to cure in the sunlight.