butternut squash

[Chauffour]

For the 1st time this year we've grown butternut squash. They seem very happy & healthy, but much bigger than I've ever seen in the shops. Does anyone know if they should be picked at a certain size & left to mature off the plant? I ask as they don't seem to have much of that recognisable yellow colour yet....I'm worried they might spoil if left on the plant.

thanks in advance

[Iceni]

Well I don't know what the weather has been like in your part of the world but it is normal to leave them to ripen on the vine if you wish to keep them in storage.

We sat and joked with out neighbours last night about our pumpkin plants - we are the winners so far - two whole pumkins, most have just one measley thing and our neighbours are traditional self sufficient growers. The tomato plants are green and white - white where the huge hail stones hit them and the ground is just covered in small green toms which were knocked off. Melons - a very bad subject but the chickens are eating well. The best crop is asparagus but we will have to wait till next spring to get our own back. Brocolli put in in the height of the heat wave looks fantastic (but of course the mice have not found them yet - they have the leeks planted at the same time).

Courgettes -well they restore my hope in plant kind each year and I am off to griddle a whole load in oil and herbs on the barbie for lunch. Add hard boiled fresh eggs and our own haricot and we have the start of a nice fresh salad.

Keep us informed, might just try the squash next year.

Hope you are keeping well .