[AlaninCarlisle]

I'll be owing mine in a week or two when there's some room in the propagator. Mine then go into raised beds in the polytunnel and basically colonise  one side of a large tunnel

[ptarmigan]

Too cold where I am for Butternut Squash - but as with a poster above, Crown Prince did very well, and Queensland blue and turks turban.  I sowed mine about 2 weeks ago and they are in the greenhouse - sulking a bit as the doors are wide open.

[engineer]

Just sown 4 seeds of Harrier in propagator,

Q1. How long do they normally take to germinate?

Q2. How does one know when the fruit is ripe?

[New shoot]

Just sown 4 seeds of Harrier in propagator,

Q1. How long do they normally take to germinate?

Q2. How does one know when the fruit is ripe?

You should see signs of life within a few days.  Squash are fast off the mark, so keep an eye and move them out when they show.  They grow very, very fast as seedlings, so be ready to pot them on until it is safe for them to go out on the plot.

The fruit is ripe when the skin hardens.  If you want to store them, this is the key.  Cut them with some stalk so you have a T junction of stalk and main stem.  You can further ripen them in a greenhouse or other warm sheltered spot if autumn catches up with you.  A dry stem and hard skin are the squashes defences against rot and then they will last in a cool, dry place for months 

[engineer]

Thanks New shoot

[pigguns]

butternuts    2 packets, 3 years, still 
Given up and go the crown prince/ Thelma sunders route now.
Had a couple of barbie-doll sized ones, once 

[Trikidiki]

......
Q2. How does one know when the fruit is ripe?

I knock mine on the bottom and when they start to sound hollow I deem them to be ready. Before they are ripe the centre where the seed are is full of pith, as they ripen the pith starts to dry out and a void develops.