[Paul Plots]

I noticed I have about six on my plant but only small, biggest is 3", I thought it was too late and was going to clear it away this weekend but is it worth leaving till the first frost or am I wasting my time.

If you have six consider having three that stand a chance instead of 6 that may well not.

This week-end I intend to look through my BNS and chop off all the tiddlers that are draining energy from the slightly larger that look as if they could produce mature, usable fruit. Sounds a bit drastic but in the past so many 'almost made it' and 'never would' fruit have landed in the compost bin after the end of the growing season.

By chopping off the 'very weeny'  I hope to be "cutting my losses" and getting just a few more to reach worthwhile BNS. (Leave the foliage to rake in the sun's charms...).

PS
Disclaimer: this may only work if you have sufficient heat and a good, regular dash of sunshine!! 

Just a thought..

[BazTheGardener]

I've now got about a dozen so will reduce down to biggest three this weekend. Do you think it would help if I put them under some protection to keep them warm. ie plastic cloche.

[Paul Plots]

It might do.......

[devondave]

Well I had enough, too much work for no return, its time they were dug up and put into the compost, i've given them enough time.

[Paul Plots]

Well I had enough, too much work for no return, its time they were dug up and put into the compost, i've given them enough time.

There's always next year........ 

[bluelou]

I only have flowers as well but they are growing all over the place do i need to cut them back?

[Yorkie]

Bluelou, it's too late now in the season for flowers to produce decent sized squash, I believe, so I would remove any new growth / flowers, and focus only on any squash which are already growing

[sunshineband]

Mine's now yellow with a brown end  so am picking it off to put in the compost.

Better luck next year I hope 

[chriscross1966]

Pretty good for me this year... I'm growing them through weedmulch plastic as a ground clearer on a new bit I'm breaking in.... Total yield is currently at 52 including 7 pumpkins of an unknown variety....14 butternuts, 7 bon-bon buttercup, 3 uchiki-kuri, 21 Winter Festival..... I think.... one of the butternuts (a Hunter) has grown a couple more female flowers and as it had only produced one small fruit which is now ripe I'm letting it have a go and I'll protect it if I can when it gets colder... it can have a chance anyway....

Would recommend hunter over Waltham for butternuts, the hunters produce smaller fruit but apart from the runt they tend to produce several useful sized squash per plant rather than the individual monsters that the Walthams  have set.
Festival is productive and fairly compact by the standards of squash. Sensible size too.
The Bon-Bon's are the Dora-the-Explorer of the squash world and mine investgated next doors plot, the potato bags, the tomato bag, the sweetcorn, swamped the Uchiki Kuri while I was away and were last seen heading off for a holiday in Cornwall... 7 big squash off two plants though maybe too big.
The Uchiki's got swamped by the Bon-Bon's and by the time I'd sorted it out they were a bit sorry for themselves but they still did two good ones and a runt....
Pumpkin isn't a giant so I'm hoping they'll taste OK. First one ripened off ages ago, the other six (including the biggest) are just finishing going orange now... biggest three are spoken for for lanterns, the smallest one will get eaten early to find out the fate of the other three, lanterns or kitchen.... Variety unknown as seed saved by sis-in-law from shop-bought halloween thing last year..

One thought.... butternuts and indeed all squashes tend to like to outbreed.. .I hand-fertilized a lot but rarely with the same variety... I don't keep squash seed so it doesn't matter....

[Paul Plots]

So how do you cook those Butternut squash relatives - pumpkins, Chriscross1966?

I seem to have a few whoppers - stuck the plants in so my youngest neice could make a lantern again this year.... wasn't expecting so many large fruit though 

[Mitsy]

Well the plants look healthy but haven't even noticed a flower never mind fruit 

[Elcie]

Was going to start a BNS thread to ask a question, but think here might be more appropriate.

I'm lucky to have 6 healthy looking BNS but they don't look ripe, they are a light beige colour (sort of like a beech table!)  My question is are they ok to stay on the plants, which I must admit are looking pretty sorry for themselves, or shall I take them off and finish the ripening process at home?

Thanks 

[Paul Plots]

The colour you describe sounds OK to me.... the skins are hardening so they should be safe to cut and take indoors. It is about time they came in especially if the plants are beginning to look as if they are on the way out. When you cut them make sure you keep at least an inch or two of stem attached to the fruit.

Put the fruit somewhere dry and not too hot. A window sill or cool greenhouse would do nicely to finish them off.

I have most of my crop in the conservatory now after a few days on a patio table outside. In a week or two they will be out of sight in the under-stairs cupboard for use during the coming months.