When to harvest winter squash

[freemotion]

This is the first year I actually got some winter squashes! Baby Blue Hubbards. Every time I've attempted to plant them in the past, the local groundhog population got sleek and fat. This year I planted enough for everyone, apparently.

So several of the squashes are blue and the plants are starting to die, but there are live ends on the vines with blossoms and smaller squashes growing. Should I go ahead and pick the ripe-looking ones?

We will have rain tonight (I HOPE!!! C'mon, Earl!) so if you say pick 'em, I'll pick 'em today.

 

[hoodat]

It's best to wait till the whole vine is dead but if you're expecting a hard rain they could rot. Look at the main vine between the roots and the fruit. If it looks pretty much dead they can be picked. Sometimes the tips put out new roots and start to grow again even though the main vine is dead. Remember, the nutrition has to come to the squash from the direction of the roots. The green tips can't send any nutrition back in the other direction.

 

[TanksHill]

Very good information!! Congrats on the squash Free!!

g

 

[TanksHill]

I just found this.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-24-c.html

g

 

[freemotion]

I picked up a five gallon pail tonight, leaving immature ones on the vines. I found an "experienced" lady who told me "when the stems start turning brown, not when they are still fully green."