[lottiegirl]

Hi, I've successfully managed to grow some butterbush squash in a container and very nice they look.

At the moment they are a pale beige colour (almost the colour on the packet). How will I know when they are ready - never grown squash to this stage before

Many thanks for your advice

[sunshineband]

The skin will feel hard and the stem will begin to dry out

Well done for getting them to that stage ---mine are still smallish and green.


Do yours have  a very  long neck? This is the first year I have grown bush sorts and they are quite different in shape to the usual ones.

[lottiegirl]

the stem's look as if they are starting to die off and the necks are quite long with a short body. They aren't as big as normal butternut squash that you see in the supermarket but they are dead cute 

I'm a bit wary of ever (!) harvesting them incase they're not ready inside!!

[sunshineband]

They sound the same as mine -- only mine are smaller of course 

Last year I harvested some smallish butternuts when they were pale beige as the weather turned really cold. They went much darker in storage and were great 

They taste much better after being stored for a few months anyway imho 

[AlaninCarlisle]

Sunshineband, how did you store them? Do they need to be kept frost-free?

[sunshineband]

Definitely frost free 

They were kept on the top of a cupboard in our spare bedroom, sitting on newspaper. Some are still sound now  and we shall be eating them in the next couple of weeks.

[gypsy]

My BNS plant is in the ground in the poly tunnel. Out of 3 plants I only have one BNS, all the flowers seem to be male. it is dark green and prob about 14 inches long and pear shaped. It is supposed to be an ordinary BNS not a giant. My outside plants are really small and only male flowers on

[Fairy Plotmother]

 :happy: I am very happy with my BNS this year, last year was disappointing. The first ones have reached a good size and are just beginning to change colour.