When to harvest squash?

Wulfmann

I planted some squash and watermelon in fresh soil and these 2 are the first to sprout.
How do I tell when they are ready to harvest?
I seem to wait too long and the bugs infest them before I guess the when.
I know some of you know this stuff and I certainly do not and appreciate some (good) advice

The dildo looking one is about 12" long and the round one about 6" across as of today. There are some other just starting to show but these 2 are the only "big" ones

11b6r

in general- Summer squash varieties (yellow crookneck, zucchini, etc) harvest before they get hard- size of your "dildo" is as big as you want them. Young = tender.

Winter squash (acorn, hubbard, etc) are grown to maturity, they get a hard outer layer, allows them to be stored for longer times. They are cooked differently than summer squash.

Summer squash- slice 1/4 inch thick or less. Add sliced sweet onions, salt, pepper, little butter, saute until cooked. If using the grill, wrap same in foil, toss on the grill.

Wulfmann

Thanks

Just found out my daughter had given me the Tahitian Melon Squash seeds so that Dildo will get very large usually between 12-20 pounds and is just now getting started.

So that acorn green pumpkin looking thing could also get pretty big?

yoshmyster

Depends. Are you gonna eat it steamed then 12" or smaller for the dildo looking squash. Don't matter if you're going to make dildo looing squash bread.

What's the round squash? Kabocha? If so about the size of those personal size watermelon. Tempura Kabocha is good [:p][:p][:p]. Quarter it and cut in to 1/4" slices (think pizza slices), batter it and deep fry it. You can leave the skin on.

Tech141

Hmmmm, it seems there a few people here who are very familiar with dildos.

[:D]

gunnut505

Squash (the plural of squish) have the same "tell" as melons, when summer squash are ripe, they're slightly smaller than full size, and the leaf closest to the stem has started to wane.
Winter squash, need about a week or 10 days in the dark to form an overwintering rind. I pull my Butternut,Acorn & Mexican squash about 78-80 days after they first sprout, and set them in hay, in a box in the closet for a week or so.
Winter squash have a dead leaf closest to the stem, sometimes it's gone.

Slice yellow & green squash into 1/2-3/4 inch slices, toss in a skillet with a 3" piece of bacon & cook the bacon fairly crispy, flipping the squash the whole time. Add slivered medium hot (roasted & peeled) Hatch Chiles, saute until everything's shiny, then add a quarter cup of milk & 1/4 cup of Monterey Jack shreds & stir till semi-gooey & serve your Calabacitas (squash in Mexican) with a flame-seared, inch-thick Ribeye steak & sopaipillas.

Mr. Perfect

I recommend harvesting it when it's ripe or near thereabouts.

Wulfmann

LOL, my complete ignorance as to when it is ripe is one of the things I was asking.

Those are some good tasting recipes guys, thanks for that advice.

My daughter just gives me things and says plant these and I have no idea what I am doing but because I brought in some fill that came from a cow pasture to raise some ground everything I planted as gone nuclear.

So, I can pull the dildo squash way early as an option. Then let it sit awhile before cooking. That is important to know IMO

SCOUT5

Watermelon are ripe when the stem starts drying out, the dryer the stem the riper the melon. The trick is to keep them from rotting while ripening, this is mostly a matter of the soil. Sandy soil is best, if your soil promotes rot then you need to raise the melon off the ground when it gets close to ripe.

remingtonoaks

quote:Originally posted by Tech141
Hmmmm, it seems there a few people here who are very familiar with dildos.

[:D]


You must know first hand[:D]

Wulfmann

Great info all.

The watermelon ripening tips were more I did not know.

I am pasting these tips to a word file and printing them out, well, except about the affection for Dildos LOL