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Harvesting Butternut and Winter Squash: How to Harvest, Cure, Store

By on September 20, 2023 18 Comments
Two wicker baskets are full of freshly harvested butternut squash. A few squash are sitting on the bricks around the baskets.

Last Updated on October 9, 2023

Are you growing winter squash, but aren’t sure exactly when and how to harvest them? Read along to learn! This post will cover everything you need to know about harvesting butternut squash, pumpkins, and other winter squash varieties – including four ways to tell when winter squash is ready for harvest. 

We’ll also cover the benefits of field storage, how to wash, cure, and store winter squash for the best long term storage, our favorite ways to eat and preserve butternut and winter squash, plus other frequently asked questions.

With these tips, you’ll be rewarded with delicious, nutritious squash to keep and enjoy for many months to come. We absolutely love having homegrown butternut and winter squash to use in soup, pie, chili, breads and more – all winter long!


Related: Tips on Growing Winter Squash and Pumpkins and The Best 28 Varieties of Winter Squash and Pumpkins to Grow

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An above view of a large amount of varying winter squash varieties. Some are orange, pink, green, blue, white, and combinations of all of the above.

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When to Harvest Butternut, Winter Squash and Pumpkins


There are several ways to tell when butternut squash, pumpkins, and other winter squash are ripe and ready for harvest – including time, skin and stem color, and “the fingernail test”. However, be sure to read the perks of prolonging your winter squash harvest as long as possible (weather permitting) with our field storage tips below too. When in doubt, wait it out!


1) Time


Most butternut and winter squash are ready to harvest in the late summer to early fall. The exact time it takes for winter squash to mature depends on the variety, ranging from 60 to 120 days to maturity after planting. So, check the description for the variety you’re growing to get a rough estimate of when they should be ready! However, pay attention to other signs of ripeness too; don’t rely on expected maturation time alone.

Weather and frost will also dictate harvest time. Despite the name “winter squash”, butternuts, pumpkins, and other hard squash are NOT frost tolerant. The vines are susceptible to frost injury, as is the fruit itself. 

If winter squash are exposed to frost the protective rind becomes damaged, which compromises its long-term storage ability. Therefore, be sure to pick your winter squash before a hard frost! If just a light frost is in the forecast, you may be able to insulate the plants and fruit with frost cloth or other protective covers. If your winter squash or butternuts do get frosted, harvest and use (or preserve) them as soon as possible. 


A raised garden bed that contains two butternut squash plants that have all but died back, many butternut squash are still attached to the withering and browning vines. Grow winter squash to have a healthy harvest of vegetables that store for months.
Mid-November in our fall-winter garden. We were letting the final few butternuts ripen and store on the vine when an unexpected early (light) frost hit. The vines wilted but most of the squash were okay, though a few had slight frost damage to the rind – see below.
A butternut squash on the vine, it has endured a light frost so there are some mild, almost bruise looking spots on the skin which will make the fruit not store as well as normal.
Frost damage on a butternut squash. The skin will get dark translucent-looking blemishes, and should be refrigerated and consumed (or preserved) within a couple weeks.


2) Color Changes


As harvest time draws near, winter squash vines will start to turn yellow or brown and die back. As that happens, the plant is drawing in final energy and nutrients from the leaves, putting it into ripening fruit instead. Removing late green fruit from the vine (ones that won’t have enough time to ripen) will also help the more advanced squash mature faster.

The skin of most winter squash will change color as they mature. For instance, pumpkins generally turn from dark green to bright orange (or the expected color for the pumpkin variety). Other winter squash may have a more subtle color change, but usually turn from some shade of green to a deeper rich fall color. 

Most young butternut squash are pale yellowish green with streaks, and turn a nice solid deep tan once fully ripe. Our Autumn Frost butternut squash are unique: they start out dark green like pumpkins, changing to a beautiful frosted tan-orange color at harvest time. 

Immature delicata squash has light green stripes and pale yellow-green skin, which changes to dark green strips against a warmer beige background as they mature (or even an orangish color, depending on variety). Spaghetti squash changes from a pale cream color to bright yellow when ripe. 

Acorn squash is more tricky to assess since they stay dark green at all stages. One way to tell acorn squash is ready to pick is when their “field spot” (the spot that was resting on the soil) turns from white-yellow to bright orange. However, that method cannot be used for acorn squash grown on a trellis, so you’ll have to rely on other signals like the stem or fingernail test instead. 


A green wire lean-to trellis hangs off the end or a raised garden bed. A couple of winter squash are hanging below the trellis from vines that are on top. The fruit is turning from green to a bright orange tan color.
Autumn Frost butternut in various stages of ripening up. The young ones are really dark green!
A hand is outstretched containing several immature and green butternut squash. Beyond is a a trellis covered in a butternut squash vines containing many larger squash that are ripening on the vine.
It’s almost October… these young butternuts won’t have enough time to mature, so I cut them off the vine so the plant can focus it’s energy on ripening the more advanced fruit faster.
A close up image of a cluster of delicata winter squash and one butternut.
Young delicata squash, versus mature delicata at harvest time below.
An oval shaped wicker basket full of a fresh harvest of winter squash. Two types of delicata and a kabocha type make up the haul.
Two different varieties of delicata squash: classic delicata and honey boat. They’re different colors, but both are ripe!


3) Ripe Winter Squash Stems 


As winter squash and pumpkins ripen, most varieties’ stems will also turn from green to a brownish tan color. The stem will also become increasingly dry and hard, which is one way the plant seals the fruit for long term storage – and why you should always try to leave a long stem attached to pumpkins or winter squash post-harvest! Even more, mature winter squash stems usually develop “corking”, where dry cracks and brown lines appear along the stem. A corked squash stem is a good sign that it’s almost harvest time.


A close up image of a butternut squash ripening on the vine, its stem is in focus and has begun to turn brown and hard.
A butternut squash stem turning nice and tan as it matures.
A two part image collage, the first image shows a blue kabocha squash on the vine, its stem is fat with many corking lines on it. The second image shows a blue kabocha squash on the vine, the stem is very brown with corking running up and down the stem as well.
Winter sweet kabocha squash stems start corking pretty early, though you can tell how much more tan-brown the more mature squash is (right) compared to the green veins in the younger squash stem (left).


4) Winter Squash Thumbnail Test


The thumbnail test is another good way to tell if pumpkins, winter squash or butternuts are ready for harvest. To check, gently poke the skin of the squash with your fingernail. If the skin is easily pierced or significantly dents, it’s not ready. (Don’t worry, it will heal itself quickly.) Once the skin is tough and dense enough to resist puncture (barely dent) by the thumbnail test, it’s ready! This method is widely used and recommended by Master Gardeners and universities alike.

However, many gardeners leave their squash on the vines long after this – also known as field storage – until just before frost arrives.


A thumb is touching the skin of a fruit, the thumbnail was used to see if it could dent the skin of the vegetable but there is barely a noticeable mark, meaning it is ripe.
It’s hard to see, but there is just barely a tiny dent/bruise right above my thumbnail where I checked this Autumn Frost butternut. The skin is feeling firm and ready!


Field Storage for Butternut and Winter Squash


Unlike summer squash, it’s best to leave winter squash on the vine to mature as long as physically possible. There, they continue to ripen and develop deeper, sweeter flavors. Furthermore, the longer they’re left on the vine, the more hard and storage-ready the rind becomes – which greatly increases shelf life! Once picked, their storage life countdown begins, so leaving them on the vine prolongs the time you can use them.

So, even if all signs say our butternut squash are ready to harvest, we’ll often leave them on the vine until just before frost (or until we have to otherwise clear the plants) essentially “storing” them in the field. That usually gives us an extra month or two of overall storage life!


A raised bed in the foreground full of sprawling butternut squash plants growing, many large fruits are visible. Beyond is a number of other raised garden beds full of younger fall and winter crops. Harvest winter squash before frost sets in to ensure a good harvest.
October in the garden. All of the other summer crops have been cleared and replaced with cool season crops, but we’re letting some late butternut hang out and store in the field as long as possible.


How to Harvest Winter Squash and Pumpkins


This is the easy part. Once you’ve determined they’re ready for harvest, simply cut winter squash stems off the vine. The stems are likely quite hard by now, so you’ll need a nice strong, sharp pair of pruning shears. Try to leave the stem as long as possible, taking care not to break it off during transport or storage either. Also be careful to not cut the vine itself, especially if you’re not ready to remove the rest of the plant just yet. 

Keep reading to learn what’s next: how to wash, cure, and store winter squash. 


A wicker basket full of butternut squash, a couple vines from the plant are hanging over the raised garden bed and are bordering the basket.
A beautiful harvest of mature Nutterbutter butternuts, my favorite! Last year we harvested over 40 squash from just two vines.


What happens if I harvest butternut or winter squash too early?


Did you accidentally pick your winter squash too early? Or perhaps you had to because of frost or other circumstances? Don’t fret, it happens to the best of us! The good news is, near-mature winter squash (including butternut) will continue to ripen off the vine after harvesting. Very green young fruit won’t be worth keeping however. 

If you have to harvest butternut early, proceed with curing under ripe fruit as explained below. The flavor may never reach the quite same depth and sweetness as a vine-ripened squash, but they should still be worthy of a meal! 


Can you leave butternut squash on the vine too long?


Not really! The only risk or downside of leaving butternut or other winter squash on the vine too long is if they end up getting frost damage or heavy water damage, so just keep an eye on your weather forecast.

Occasionally, if there is a heavy rain (or, if you suddenly overwater) mature butternut squash left on the vine may split. The tender skin of younger fruit can flex and stretch with moisture fluctuations, but the hard skin of mature squash is prone to splitting under pressure. Split squash is still perfectly edible though! Plus the split will often scab over and heal if it isn’t too deep.

Otherwise , the longer you can wait to pick winter squash, the better! As we’ve already explored, the fruit will only become increasingly ripe, sweet, and storage-ready the more time they’re left on the vine.


Two squash are being held to show two splits that have occurred, one in each of the squash. Beyond is the raised garden bed and plants the fruit came from.
Two split butternuts from moisture fluctuations. We didn’t realize even realize the right one had split until we harvested it (was split on the underside) and it had already healed over nicely. We consumed the more freshly-split one within a couple weeks.


Should I wash butternut or winter squash after harvest?


After harvest, it’s best to thoroughly wash butternut and winter squash to remove any dirt, debris, bacteria, and mildew before storage, since leaving grime behind can encourage faster deterioration. 

To wash winter squash, you can keep it as basic or elaborate as you wish. Some folks simply rinse them well with water, while others use mild soapy water and a towel or sponge. To kill bacteria and fungal spores, some gardeners spray or quickly soak their harvested pumpkins and butternut in a dilute bleach solution (2 Tbsp of bleach per gallon of water, 30 to 60 seconds is plenty) and then rinse after. No matter what method you use, be sure to thoroughly dry the squash after!

Oil buffing is another optional step to prevent mold growth and premature spoilage. After washing and drying winter squash, use an old clean towel or paper towel to apply a small amount of olive oil or vegetable oil all over the squash skin. Continue to buff and rub away the excess oil, leaving just a thin coat of oil on the squash. It should be shiny but not feel greasy to the touch after.


Curing Butternut and Winter Squash After Harvest


Why cure winter squash?


Curing is an important step after harvesting butternut squash, pumpkins, and some other types of winter squash (but not all). The curing process helps to further harden the skin, ripen immature fruit, and even heal minor wounds. Curing increases the shelf life and storage potential of butternut and winter squash – often extending it by several months. 

Even better, curing winter squash improves the flavor and sweetness! Rather than eating them right after harvest, many winter squash varieties taste best after a couple months in storage. For instance, the flesh of butternut, winter sweet kabocha, and baking pumpkins all get sweeter with time. 


The top two shelves of a wire rack shelving unit is shown with wicker baskets on the top shelf while the second shelf has butternut squash spaced throughout the shelf for curing.


What type of winter squash needs to be cured?


Pumpkins, butternut, buttercup, hubbard, and most kabocha squash should be cured. On the other hand, acorn squash, delicata squash, spaghetti squash, and mini varieties of butternut or kabocha squash don’t benefit from curing. They also have naturally shorter storage lives than those that need curing. Simply wash and store acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and delicata squash in a cool location immediately after harvest.  


How to cure butternut and winter squash


Curing is the process of exposing winter squash to warm temperatures and sunlight for 7 to 14 days after harvest, before transitioning them to a cooler final storage location. Warm humid air helps to harden the skin and concentrate sugars, making the squash more sweet. 

You can cure winter squash, pumpkins, or butternut indoors near a window in a warm room, garage, or attic space, in a greenhouse, or simply by leaving the squash to sun-cure outside in the garden after harvesting if the weather allows. 

The ideal curing conditions for butternut and other winter squash is 75 to 85 degrees, with air humidity levels around 80% if possible. We usually cure any under ripe butternut for the full 14 days. Once they’re done curing, move the squash to a cool dark location for long term storage. 


A wooden tote is sitting in a sunny windowsill full of a variety of different squash at varying stages of ripeness.
Our south-facing “shop room” (where we often have multiple food dehydrators running) is the warmest, sunniest spot we have for curing winter squash.
A graphic with the different varieties of hard squash in order of their optimal eating times in months as well as the squash that need to be cured for a set amount of time.
Chart inspired by Johnny’s Seeds


Storing Winter Squash, Butternut, and Pumpkins Long Term


Where to store winter squash? 


It’s best to store cured butternut and pumpkins in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area, such as a basement, root cellar, or garage. A cool pantry, spare closet, or shed could work too. The ideal storage temperature for winter squash is around 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, with about 60 percent humidity. A location with fairly steady temperatures is best, since temperature fluctuations can encourage rot. It’s also best to store winter squash away from apples, pears, or other ripening fruit. 


How to store butternut and winter squash 


Store butternut and winter squash spread out in a single layer with room for air circulation around each fruit. Don’t pile them up on top of one another. This way, they won’t bruise or puncture one another with their stems. It also makes it easy to routinely inspect the fruit. Avoid storing winter squash directly on a cold concrete floor – lay down cardboard first. Cardboard can also be handy to line wire shelves or crates that may dent or bruise the skin.


A wooden storage rack inside of a closet, there are 9 wooden drawers that can pull out of the rack, each rack has a variety of vegetables on it that will be stored for months to come.
We just got this awesome orchard harvest storage rack to store winter squash and onions, and I love it! So far we have it in a cool closet, but are monitoring temperatures and may move it to the garage for the winter once it cools down out there. It also comes in a shorter 6-shelf version. We also got a couple of bamboo tray shelf liners, perfect for storing onions and garlic.


Sorting and Inspection


After harvest, it’s a good idea to inspect and sort your butternuts and winter squash by fruit quality and damage.  

Blemish-free “Grade-A” squash will hold up the longest in storage, and therefore can be kept in the back of your storage area and used last. “Grade-B” squash with nicks, cuts or bruises will rot faster, so they should be monitored more closely and consumed sooner. 

Routinely check your winter squash storage every week or two, ideally turning over or rotating the fruit on occasion. Keep an eye out for wrinkly or softening squash that need to be used or composted. A neglected moldy squash can easily spread to neighboring squash too!


A hand is holding a greenish blue winter squash that has been harvested. There is a slight hole in the side of the squash which will lessen its storage abilities. Beyond is a try of more squash of varying types and colors.
I’ll keep a close eye on this blemished winter sweet kabocha squash, and plan to use it before the other ones.


Which winter squash stores the longest?


Butternut squash, along with select long-storing specialty pumpkins and kabocha varieties (e.g. winter sweet), have the longest storage potential – lasting up to 6 months or longer if harvested, washed, cured, and stored properly. Delicata, spaghetti, and most acorn squash usually have a shorter shelf life, and should be consumed within 2 to 3 months after harvest. 

Generally speaking, larger winter squash varieties last longer in storage than smaller varieties of squash. Even among the same type of winter squash, variety can influence storage potential. For example, ‘Butterscotch’ and mini ‘Butterbaby’ butternuts are expected to last around 3 months in storage. On the other hand, ‘Autumn Frost’ or classic ‘Waltham’ butternuts are known to have exceptionally long storage potential – up to 6 months or longer. Storage conditions will also influence shelf life.  


A hand is holding a winter squash that was harvested the previous year. There is slight wrinkling along the skin but it is still solid in texture. Beyond are a few more squash on a counter top, a wood cutting board with squash squash that is being prepared for baking, and a metal bowl full of squash pieces that have been cubed.
This photo was taken in April, when the final few butternut squash that we’e harvested the previous October (over 6 months ago) were finally starting to wrinkle and go soft. It was time to use or preserve them!


Recipes: Ways to Prepare and Use Winter Squash


Now it’s time for the best part: eating your winter squash! 

Winter squash are most often roasted or used in baking, such as pumpkin sweet bread or butternut squash pie. Yes, you read that right – butternut squash pie! Similar in texture and flavor, many winter squashes can be used interchangeably with pumpkin in recipes – especially butternut, kabocha, and hubbard types. 

The easiest way to roast winter squash is to cut it in half (from stem to bottom), scoop out the guts and seeds, and roast the halves whole. You can roast them face-up with a sprinkle of seasonings, oil, or butter in the hollow cavity, or roast them flesh-side down. I also like to carefully peel and cut butternut into bite-size cubes or “french fries”, toss them in olive oil and seasonings, and bake them like potatoes. 

We also love to use butternut squash in soup, like this creamy roasted butternut squash soup with sage and apple, or add cubed chunks to our favorite kale lentil soup recipe. We also make a killer vegan roasted sugar pie pumpkin 3-bean chili (and often substitute butternut in that recipe too). Or, try our seasoned rice stuffed acorn squash recipe!

Delicata squash has exceptionally thin, edible skin, so peeling isn’t necessary. This makes it especially popular for quick and easy preparation, and even used on salads. Once cooked, spaghetti squash flesh pulls apart into long “noodles” – a fun one for adults and kids alike! 

Last but not least, don’t forget the winter squash seeds are edible too! Learn how to make the most crunchy, delicious and nutritious soaked and roasted pumpkin seeds here.


A four way image collage, the first image shows a baked butternut "pumpkin" pie sitting in a glass pie container. The second image shows 4 halves of butternut squash cut lengthwise sitting face up on a baking sheet. They have been roasted in the oven and contain caramelized brown and black spots throughout the flesh. The third image shows two slices of pumpkin bread sitting on a small white plate, beyond is the rest of the pumpkin bread sitting on a wire cooling rack. The fourth image shows an above image of a metal bowl full of cubed fresh butternut squash with a variety of fresh herbs.
So many tasty ways to enjoy winter squash. Remember, you can use butternut and baking pumpkins interchangeably in recipes!
Roasted pumpkin chili is shown garnished with avocado slices and cilantro leaves. Surrounding the bowl in a decorative fashion are halves of roasted pumpkin, slices of sourdough bread as well as half of the remaining loaf, half an avocado, sprigs of cilantro, and sprigs of oregano.
Even meat-lovers rave about our vegan roasted sugar pie pumpkin 3-bean chili recipe.


How to Preserve Butternut, Pumpkin, and Winter Squash


One of the best ways to preserve winter squash is to roast, puree and then freeze it – including freezing butternut puree, pumpkin puree, or other squash. Then use your homemade squash puree in any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin, including in baking, soups, stew and more. See the easy instructions here.

Winter squash and pumpkin can also be cut into cubes and frozen in freezer bags, or pressure canned. We also preserve our winter squash by making soup or chili with it (recipes above) and freezing the soup in durable, reusable BPA-free quart freezer containers for easy future meals!


A hand is holding a pint mason jar full of homemade pumpkin puree. It is vibrant orangish yellow in color, in the background there are two more pints of the pumpkin puree along with a few pumpkin seeds scattered about.
Freezing roasted butternut and pumpkin puree is our easy go-to way to preserve it!


And that concludes today’s lesson.


I hope this guide taught you everything you need to know to successfully harvest, cure and store winter squash of your own! Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments below. If you found this information to be useful, please spread the squash love by pinning or sharing this post. We greatly appreciate you tuning in today.


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Deanna Talerico (aka DeannaCat) is a garden educator and writer with over 15 years experience in organic gardening. She is a retired Senior Environmental Health Specialist, and holds a M.A. in Environmental Studies and B.S. in Sustainability and Natural Resources.

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18 Comments

  • Jess

    November 18, 2023 at 9:43 am Reply

    The small green ones, can be harvested and used similar to zucchini/ baby marrow.
    I grated them into soup, stew, ground beef, chilli etc 😊
    Not a ton of flavour but great to bulk up meals for hungry kids

  • Denise Scott

    November 11, 2023 at 6:08 am Reply

    The skin of my stored butternut squash is turning brown. I did not wash with bleach/water solution as I didn’t know I needed to. I am new to growing squash. They are currently in a cool area of my basement on a rack. Are they still edible?

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      November 11, 2023 at 8:09 am Reply

      Hi Denise, what you are experiencing may be brown etch and it occurs with extended wet periods during the growing season, check out this article and see if it looks familiar. We have experienced something similar on a few of our butternut squash due to the amount of summer fog and dew we receive here. They are still edible and it is mostly superficial, also, storing them in an area with high relative humidity may make the etching even more pronounced so keeping them in a cooler, less humid environment may halt the spread. Hope that helps and good luck!

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      October 1, 2023 at 8:16 am Reply

      Hi Sharon, probably best to just compost them. You can see how long they will hang around after you pick them off to use as decor but they will likely start to break down fairly quickly once off the vine. Good luck and have fun growing!

      • Sharon

        October 2, 2023 at 6:45 pm Reply

        If I have full size green ones do you think they will ripen in time? About 1 month and maybe a couple weeks till first frost give or take.

        • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

          October 3, 2023 at 8:21 am Reply

          Hi Sharon, it sounds like you still have a good amount of time for your squash to ripen, I think they should be ready for harvest before you first frost sets in.

          • Sharon

            October 7, 2023 at 6:42 am

            Sorry it is me again. First time growing butternut sqaush. The deer in one night ate every leaf on the butternut sqaush. The vines are intact. Do you think that will be enough to ripen the ones still on vine. They are all full size. Half the right color half green but rippening. Any thoughts.

          • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

            October 7, 2023 at 7:44 am

            Hi Sharon, that’s rough! I don’t think there is much to do but leave them on the vine and hope they can still ripen over the next few weeks and hope the deer don’t come back and eat the squash themselves, haha. Hopefully the plants roots are still pumping enough energy into the vines to help the squash finish up, good luck!

          • Sharon

            October 25, 2023 at 6:57 pm

            So they are so close most of them. But they still make a small dent About 3 just turned tan so not sure about them. But next week low of 36 but you never know it could dip more should I harvest them all this week?

          • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

            October 26, 2023 at 8:33 am

            Hi Sharon, do you have any type of frost blanket you can throw over the top of the squash during your colder overnight weather? I would still leave them on the vine until next week at the earliest, are the stems brown and hard on most of them? We had to harvest a few squash that had just turned color and we let the cure in a sunny window for a few weeks, they still continued to change in color although they might not be as tasty as fully ripened squash. Hope that helps and good luck!

          • sharon

            October 26, 2023 at 6:28 pm

            I’ll check the stems tomorrow. they were starting to turn but not brown yet. I dont have a frost blanket. and the weather is getting worse min of 30 low next week. Ill wait till the last min and then get them. what is the coldest they can take without damage? we are 2 weeks early for the frost. but you said they will still be ediable just not as yummy?
            Thank you so uch for your kind help through all of this.

          • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

            October 27, 2023 at 9:15 am

            Hi Sharon, you should probably harvest all of your squash before your temperatures get that cold, if the low was still going to be in the high 30’s, it may be worth leaving them on but it looks like it will be much colder. If there are any really green squash on the vine, you can cut those off now and compost them and hopefully the plant will put more energy into the remaining squash you have. If you have a few that are just turning tan in color, they will likely still change color after harvest during the curing stage, they should still be good to eat but they likely won’t be as good as your fully mature butternut just because they didn’t have the time to fully ripen. They would still be good to mix into pumpkin chili, butternut squash soup, or even butternut “pumpkin pie” but they may not eat as well by themselves when compared to a fully mature and ripe butternut. Hope that helps and good luck with your harvest!

  • Trudy

    September 25, 2023 at 2:49 pm Reply

    Thank you! We’re harvesting lots of butternut squash. So far about 60 from just two plants! We’ve got lots of pumpkins as well. I didn’t know about curing them. There is so much helpful info here and I really appreciate you sharing this.

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      September 26, 2023 at 7:52 am Reply

      Hi Trudy, sounds like you will be busy curing and storing lots of winter squash this fall, congratulations on your harvest and enjoy!

  • Don

    September 24, 2023 at 8:11 am Reply

    We planted some spaghetti squash early September here in north Texas right after the 105+ degree weather subsided a bit. I’m hoping our first frost/freeze date will be delayed… we’ve already got about 10 squashes budding out with the largest one bigger than my hand.

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      September 25, 2023 at 8:05 am Reply

      Hi Don, sounds good and hopefully you will still be due for a good harvest! You could always try planting some in the early spring in hopes of harvesting quite a few before the really hot weather sets in, my parents live in Northern California with high summer temperatures in the 90’s and 100’s and they have been harvesting a lot of spaghetti squash all summer long. Good luck and have fun growing!

  • Samantha

    September 22, 2023 at 3:07 pm Reply

    Thank you for this timely article! I have a butternut vine going crazy and was worried about how to deal with all the squash!! Now I know!

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