Kitchen Garden Forum

This is my first year for growing squashes - in fact I am quite new to the veggie growing game and am already totally hooked!!
Anyway followed instructions for my Uchiki Kuri and sure enough I already have three fairly big squashes from six plants - about 10" diameter. They are yellow. I thought these squashes were smaller and orange?? Also although there are others appearing they are quite small and don't appear to be incrasing?
Should I pick the three large ones? If so should I then let them ripen in the sun somewhere?
Any assistance would really be appreciated as Grahame, George and Geoffrey (I know them so well now) have me perplexed!!!
ALSO - sorry - my Butternut squashes are very slow and no signs of anything but greenery at the moment!!????
Many thanks for all assistance!

Hello Jules
Welcome to the squash fan club. Your Uchiki Kuri are doing just fine - don't panic! They are not fully grown and mature yet - when they are ready they will have gone to a deep orange colour. A test that works fairly well on winter squashes is to gently press the skin with your thumbnail - a mature squash will have a hard skin that won't easily mark. The stalk will have begun to wither as well.
The size is about right and the smaller ones might catch up but it depends a lot on the weather.
I always try to get the squashes that are obviously doing well, and will be the ones to store, off the soil resting on straw. I've found that this keeps them clean and ensures that they mature underneath as well as on the top, then they'll store much better.
When you finally cut them make sure that you leave a good bit of stalk attached to prevent rot setting in at this point. Finally after harvesting leave them outside somewhere warm and sunny (I stack mine on our patio) to completely mature before storing them under cover. If all has gone well they should last for many months.

John

these really dont sound like uchiki kuri which are quite dark orange and no bigger than 5" across in my experience, I dont pick any of my squashes until as late as possible, unless I need to eat one!

I agree it doesn't sound like Uchiki Kuri.
I generally leave harvesting until the plants die back in the autumn (though before frosts of course). Putting something between them and the soil (esp in this wet weather) is a good idea.

Thank you so much for all your advice - especially John!!! I am absolutely sure they are Uchiki Kuri as I bought them from a very reputable company!!! Of course I could be very gullible! I will take a photo and post that and see what you all think!
Thanks again for all the advice - really appreciated.

Hi Jules,
At 10" and still growing by all accounts I have severe reservations as to them being Uchiki-Kuri.
I wouldn't like to hazard a guess as to what they are but I grew U-K for a number of years and never attained much more than about 6" across. Also they took on the characteristic look quite early on.
A normal fruit was just enough for a meal for two which is why I grew them in the first place.
JB.