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Growing big, beautiful butternut squash is so rewarding but knowing exactly when to pick them can be tricky. Waiting too long risks exposure to frost or rotting on the vine. Picking too early means less flavorful poorly-storing squash. So when is the optimal time for harvesting butternut squash in cooler growing zones like zone 5? Follow this complete guide for tips on identifying ripeness and timing your butternut squash harvests for maximum flavor and storage in zone 5 gardens.
Overview of Butternut Squash
Butternut squash are one of the most popular winter squash varieties grown in home gardens across North America. Their sweet nutty flesh is a favorite for roasting soups, baking, and more.
Butternut squash take 95-100 days to reach maturity. They produce large vines with large leaves and beautiful yellow blossoms. Fruits are tan, pear-shaped squash weighing 4-5 pounds at harvest.
Butternut squash thrive in zones 3-10. gardeners in cooler zones like 5 need to pay close attention to timing their harvests before frost and freezes threaten.
Determining Ripeness in Butternut Squash
It’s crucial to harvest butternut squash at peak ripeness for best flavor, texture, and storage. Here are top signs your butternuts are ready for picking:
- Rind is tan and cannot be punctured by fingernail
- Ground spot is cream/yellow instead of white or green
- Stems near fruit are brown and shriveled
- Full grown at 4-5 pound average weight
- Resists pressure when squeezed
- Deep hollow sound when thumped
Monitor your squash closely as they near maturity and watch for these key indicators of ripeness before harvesting.
Optimal Time to Harvest Butternut Squash in Zone 5
Gardeners in zone 5 need to time their butternut squash harvests around first fall frost dates.
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Zone 5 first fall frost date range: September 21 – October 15
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Days to maturity for butternut squash: 95-100 days
Given these factors, the ideal butternut squash harvest window for zone 5 gardens is:
Mid/Late September – Early October
It’s best to harvest most of your mature butternut squash before your zone’s average first fall frost date. This ensures squash have time to finish ripening fully on the vine.
Start checking your butternuts carefully for ripeness signs in mid-September. Temperatures may still be warm, but a cold snap can happen anytime, so monitor butternuts closely through September.
Aim to harvest all mature squash by early October at the latest. Leaving ripe squash in the garden past your first frost is risky. Even light freezes can damage squash and shorten their storage life.
So for zone 5, stick to harvesting butternuts starting mid-September through early October to get your squash picked at the perfect stage of ripeness before frost threats.
What if Frost Comes Early?
Frosts and freezes are never perfectly predictable. If cold temperatures threaten ahead of schedule, you may need to harvest some butternut squash before they are fully ripe.
While butternuts reach their best flavor at full maturity, they can still be harvested when immature if frost is imminent.
Signs squash could use more time on the vine but should be picked early due to frost risk:
- Paler tan rind with green patches
- Rind can be dented with fingernail
- Weighs under 4 pounds
- Dull sound when thumped
These less-ripe butternuts won’t store quite as long or taste quite as sweet. But picking early is better than losing your harvest to frost damage!
Storing Butternut Squash After Harvest
Proper storage preserves flavor and extends shelf life of your ripe butternut squash. Here are tips:
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Cure squash: Leave at 80-85°F and 80-85% humidity for 1-2 weeks to harden rinds.
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Store cured squash at 55-60°F with good ventilation.
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Avoid stacking squash more than 2 high to prevent rotting.
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Keep squash as cool and dry as possible.
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Check periodically and remove any damaged or rotting squash promptly.
Properly cured and stored butternut squash will keep for 3-6 months in zone 5.
Start Harvesting Butternuts in Zone 5!
With this guide to identifying ripeness and timing your harvests in zone 5, you can look forward to harvesting truckloads of sweet, flavorful butternut squash. Monitor your patch closely as frost season approaches. Prioritize harvesting squash showing classic signs of maturity.
And if an early cold snap threatens, be ready to pick any remaining young squash before they get zapped. Enjoy your homegrown butternut bounty all winter long after a successful harvest!
Methods of Planting Squash
- Direct-sow (i. e. When there is no longer any risk of frost and the soil is at least 60°F (ideally 70°F), plant seeds directly in the ground. Squash is very sensitive to the cold.
- Start seeds in peat pots two to four weeks before your last spring frost date if you have a short growing season. It’s not always easy to move squash seedlings, so be careful with the roots.
Most garden stores and nurseries also sell ready-to-plant seedlings—handy if you only want to grow a few plants.
Set your plants out after all danger of frost has passed. Start to acclimatize them to outside conditions two weeks beforehand. Leave them out during the day for longer and longer periods of time. After the second week, leave them out overnight in a safe place. Plant trailing varieties up to five feet (1. 5m) apart and bush types about three feet (90cm) apart. Thoroughly water plants into position to settle the soil around the rootball.
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Winter Squash
It takes some time to grow winter squash, but it’s worth the wait because most varieties can be stored for a long time after they are picked. There are many kinds of winter squash you can grow in your home garden. Learn how to plant, grow, harvest, and cure them!
Due to the fact that winter squash needs a long growing season (usually 75 to 100 frost-free days), the seeds are usually planted between late May and early July in the southern states. See your local frost dates and length of growing season.
Winter squash are harvested in late summer or autumn, just before or after their fruits reach full maturity. Squash has a relatively long shelf life. Some varieties will keep through winter, hence the name winter squash. Varieties include acorn, butternut, delicata, Hubbard, pumpkin, and spaghetti.
Squashes and pumpkins are among the most thrilling vegetables you can grow. A few weeks later, the seedlings are huge, sprawling monsters with lots of leaves and fruits. One minute, they’re small, tentatively pushing through. Even better, I love how easy they are to grow—as long as you can feed them all the food they want!
Despite the great diversity of squash, most commonly grown, cultivated varieties belong to one of three species:
- Cucurbita pepo
- C. moschata
- C. maxima
People have been growing these plants for many generations so that they can make fruit of all shapes, colors, and tastes.
One of the three plants grown in the traditional Native American way is squash. The other two are beans and corn. When all three plants are grown together, the squash keeps weeds from growing on the ground, the beans feed all three plants naturally, and the corn helps the beans grow. Learn more about the Three Sisters. Read Next.
Squash love a warm, sunny, and sheltered spot—ideal conditions for good pollination and proper fruit development. The plants are hungry feeders and need rich, fertile soil.
Plant squash in a location with full sun and lots of space for sprawling vines. Most full-size winter squash varieties need 50 to 100 square feet to spread. Soil must be well-fed and moist (not soggy), and well-draining. About 20% of the native soil should be replaced with compost. Mix the aged manure and compost deeply into the soil a couple of weeks before planting.
How to Grow ButterNut Squash seed to harvest
FAQ
How to tell when butternut squash is ready to pick?
Can you leave butternut squash on the vine too long?
When to plant butternut squash zone 5?
When to harvest butternut squash?
Knowing when to harvest butternut squash is important. Source: Starr Typically, butternut squash is ready to be picked in late fall or early winter. However, if you plant your squash early enough, they could be ready in the summer. So, use other methods to tell whether you have a mature squash.
Are there any health risks to eating Butternut squash?
Butternut squash is a healthy vegetable. However the potassium content may be a reason for some people to limit the amount they eat. Individuals who are taking beta blocker medication need to be aware of the high potassium foods they eat. Those on diuretics should also limit their intake. People with kidney disease should watch how much butternut squash and other high potassium foods they are eating to avoid hyperkalaemia or too much potassium in the blood.
When is butternut squash ready to grow?
Usually, butternut squash is ready to be picked in late fall or early winter. But, if you plant your squash early enough, they could be ready in the summer. Observe the growing season and local weather conditions. Depending on your climate, you might need to harvest most of your crop before heavy frosts in September or October.
Should you harvest butternut squash if it rains?
Therefore, if heavy rains are inbound for an extended period, consider harvesting your butternut squash growing now to prevent damage. However, avoid harvesting when the fruit and vines are wet, as this can introduce excess moisture and increase the risk of rot during storage. Harvesting butternut squash only requires the right tools and technique:
