VEGETABLES Pumpkin and winter squash

Pumpkins and winter squashes should not be harvested until they are fully ripe and the skins are hard. This is about four months after planting.

Harvesting a squash crop prematurely reduces the quantity of fruit. Summer squashes, such as zucchini and pattypan, are harvested when immature and used as fresh vegetables. They develop very rapidly after their flowers have opened, and must be harvested before the rind begins to harden.

When ripe, however, winter squashes and pumpkins are either pulled or cut from the vine with a part of the stem attached to the fruit; removal of the stem leaves an injury, which can lead to decay. Squashes or pumpkins that are gathered for storage should be handled carefully to avoid bruising, as damaged fruit soon rots. Winter squash should only be harvested once the fruit is fully mature. At this stage, the skin is hard and impervious to scratching. The crop takes three to four months to mature properly and the fruit can usually be picked in one go. Don’t leave squash in the field when a severe frost is predicted; this will make the fruit vulnerable to disease-rotting organisms, either on the land or in storage.

If you harvest the fruit for consumption at an immature stage, do so just after the blossom drops off the fruit; this will ensure the highest quality. If you harvest the fruit when it’s mature, do so when the skin becomes dull and the tendrils nearest the fruit die off.

The time from flowering to harvest varies with cultivar and environment. For immature fruit, this is generally one to two months after planting or as soon as a week after pollination of the female flower. Fruit generally reaches maturity 30 to 60 days after pollination.

HARVEST SEASON/PERIOD

Winter squash varieties are usually harvested during September and October.