[benjamin2222]

I have several full size Gem Squash on my plants.I've been trying to find out if I should pick and store them or leave them on the plants until I am ready to use them!!!Any advice would be gratefully received.

[gobs]

I do not grow them, but my understanding is that it's a summer squash, quite like Rondo de Nizza sorts, so from there: they only will store for a while (like weeks or maybe couple of months), depending on skin thickness at picking.

They won't tolerate frosts and cold weather.

[gavinjconway]

My absolute favourite squash... They store for a few weeks to a month or so after picking before they start to shrivel a bit and go a bit soft. The harder ones store longer.  They are not like a pumpkin that stores for ages ans ages but they are such a nice veg ours are finished in a few weeks anyway. This year we have had over 50 already and still about 20 or more to go.  I have a thread here about gems that may interest you. If you leave them on the plant they will keep growing and go a bit hard buy still perfectly edible. They even go yellow when really really old on the plant but still ok.  The longer you leave them on the plant to get hard the longer you can store them.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=98722.0

[benjamin2222]

Thank you both!!!Can't wait to try them.