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Garden Help Desk: When can I harvest my squash?

By Garden Help Desk usu Extension - | Sep 30, 2018

Question: When can I harvest my banana squash?

Answer: For banana squash, you’ll be looking for the same characteristics that other winter squash and pumpkins have when they are mature and ready to harvest.

For the longest storage life, all winter squash and pumpkins should be fully colored. Any green on banana squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash and pumpkins means that the squash could use a little more time on the vine. Also, the part of the rind that rests against the soil, the “ground spot,” should no longer be white. For most varieties of winter squash, the ground spot should be yellow or creamy colored.

Winter squash should have a hard rind that resists scratching. The stem should also be hard and dry. If you can easily push your thumbnail into the stem, the squash isn’t mature yet. If the stem feels hard, but you have left an indentation that looks watery, the squash needs a few more days on the vine. If the stem is hard, dry and tough, the squash is ready to pick.

Your squash will tolerate a light frost, but if your squash isn’t quite ready, and a hard frost is expected, you’ll need to either pick your squash early or provide some reliable frost protection for a few days. Harvest them as soon they are ready.

If you have a choice, harvest your winter squash on a sunny day while the vines and squash are dry. Work carefully; avoid bruising and scraping the rind. Make sure you don’t break the stems off, as that will shorten the storage life of your winter squash. If any stems do break away by accident, use those squash first. Let the squash air cure in single layers in a warm, dry location where they will be protected from rain and direct sunlight. After a couple of weeks, you can move your winter squash to their storage location. The storage area should be convenient as well as dark, cool but not cold, with low humidity. Check every few weeks to make sure the squash and pumpkins are in good condition.

Question: What is the best way to protect my tomatoes and peppers from the first few frosts of the fall?

Answer: There are a few things you can try to protect your plants, but keep in mind that just because your plants don’t freeze doesn’t mean they will continue to grow well. Frost protections simply keeps your tender summer plants alive while you extend your harvest time. Here are some of the things that might work for you.

Tarps or blankets: When frost is in the forecast, cover your plants at night and uncover them in the morning when temperatures are better. It’s important that your tarp doesn’t rest against your plants.

Cold frames: Cold frames are like mini-greenhouses and are used for shorter plants. They are most effective for cool season crops.

Row covers: Floating row cover is a nonwoven fabric-like material that can provide several degrees of frost protection, depending on the grade of row cover you use. Sunlight can pass through, so you don’t need to remove it during the daytime.

Low tunnels: Low tunnels are thick poly-film coverings that are supported over your plants by hoops. Heat can build up on sunny days, so the sides or ends may have to be opened.

No matter which option you choose, you’ll need to make sure that you secure the covering so that it doesn’t blow away in the wind. This can be done with landscaping pins, bricks, boards, rocks, etc.

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