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Post by restless on Jul 28, 2015 20:09:34 GMT -5
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Post by restless on Jul 28, 2015 20:12:54 GMT -5
Lastly, gardeners, I need your help. I am sad to report that three of my lovely, giant, swoopy squash were attached to that dead vine that I so haphazardly pruned. They have started to turn from light green and white to a greeny beige. They are maturing. The skin is definitely hardening. But they aren't mature to the point where I would normally start to cure them. What to do, what to do? Shall I cure them now? Shall I bring them inside and eat them all as they are? And with respect to curing, I have no shade on my patio. It is full sun. And it is going to be HOT tomorrow. Shall I bring them in? Opinions appreciated. 20150728_202103 by Purpleplum Radish, on Flickr
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 29, 2015 7:40:36 GMT -5
You should not get SVB even if the leaf stems are hollow so that's good news for the other vine but aghhh, how upsetting to cut your vine. I did the same thing to a nice big cluster of tomatoes when pruning some blight infected leaves but at least it was not the whole plant! that would be irritating.
I think that they may mature in the full sun but I am not sure. Pumpkins get left in the sunny fields to mature. I think that if you try to eat it before it is cured that it may not have a fully developed flavor. It won't be harmful, just not tasty.
I left a butternut squash from my dead vine on the ground to mature and it never got hard so obviously the vine died before the fruits were mature enough.
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Post by restless on Jul 29, 2015 8:20:33 GMT -5
I didn't get the whole plant. These things extremely vigorous. I just got one of the first vines with lots of female flowers. My trellis is still extremely full of lots of beautiful vines and maturing squash. From looking at my trellis, you wouldn't think I removed so much dead vine last evening. These Zucchino Rampicante can be eaten mature or immature. I eat plenty of them as summer squash and like to let some mature into winter squash. So if I eat them, I won't be missing out too much. I made the decision to bring them inside before I left for work this morning. With the extreme heat, I just didn't trust that they wouldn't wilt instead of mature because they are just starting to turn the slightest shade of beige. If they were more beige, I wouldn't worry about it. The other thing I wonder about curing winter squash...all information I read on this topic last night says to leave 2-3 inches of stem on the squash. These guys never have that much stem between the vine and the fruit. I can barely fit my pruner in between the fruit and the vine with these guys. Strange.
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Post by James on Jul 29, 2015 12:52:44 GMT -5
I think you are OK to eat squash at any time of their development. Young and tender as summer squash or mature and baked or boiled, however you like it. When I harvest a winter squash it is usually after the first frost, and I cut the vine, never the stem. Leave the stem on them. I think this helps prevent de-comp starting at the stem point if the stem were removed.
About growing squash: for me it is go out in the field and put in squash seed, early in the season. Stand back. I don't trellis, prune or anything. Just let it run wild. One exception is with pumpkins, I may move them a bit to get some slack in the vine then stand the pumpkin on its blossom end so it forms a nice round pumpkin. I may also remove all but the first fruit to set on the vine so all the energy goes into the one and perhaps it will be bigger?
I am sure there are many ways to grow squash. Just try something and see how it works for you. There is always next year. I am still playing and learning.
Oh, the season and growing conditions will be a factor. This year we had a late spring, wet and cold, now even having cool weather for July. Not sure I will even get any winter squash this year. The zucchini and crooknecks doing OK though.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 29, 2015 13:15:23 GMT -5
The other thing I wonder about curing winter squash...all information I read on this topic last night says to leave 2-3 inches of stem on the squash. Leaving some stem attached prevents causing an opening at the top of the squash. The length of the stem is probably not that important. I think that the main thing is to cut the stem, not try to snap it off which could make an opening for bacteria or fungus to enter the squash. After I harvest my squash I hose it off and let it sit outside in the sun for several days to a week. Then I make a solution of about 10% Clorox and dip them into it. Then I place them on newspapers in my garage to air dry. I feel that the Clorox solution disinfects all of the nooks and crannies where fungal spores love to hide. I have had winter squash stored in my cool basement for 9 - 10 months with no rotting.
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Post by desertwoman on Jul 29, 2015 15:02:03 GMT -5
And my experience is quite casual and also successful. I leave some stem- anywhere from barely an inch to 3" or so- whatever I can get. And I do cut them. Sometimes I press through with a knife, when the space is tight.
They get rinsed off and left out in the sun for several days. But that's where I differ. No bleach solution. No basement. (a house rarely has those here in the southwest) They just sit on the kitchen counter all winter. We finished our last in May with no rotting. Maybe it's due to the arid conditions?
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 29, 2015 15:06:21 GMT -5
Maybe it's due to the arid conditions? That would definitely help keeping mold at bay. I have also heard of people in small houses or apartments storing them under the bed!
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Post by tbird on Jul 29, 2015 16:01:38 GMT -5
Shall I bring them inside and eat them all as they are? that's what I would do. It seems a bit iffy to try and cure them and you might lose them.
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Post by OregonRed on Jul 30, 2015 12:38:27 GMT -5
<<Apartment Dweller I kept mine on the floor of the bedroom (coolest room, no light) in the closet or likewise...had two rot last year out of a dozen or so... no dipping no sun curing (didn't know about that) stem on
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 30, 2015 13:48:18 GMT -5
Sun curing hardens the outside skin.
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Post by OregonRed on Jul 30, 2015 18:51:24 GMT -5
thanks brown, gottit now... :~)
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Post by mauldintiger on Jul 30, 2015 19:25:49 GMT -5
I think heat cures, mine are in a hot garage, no sun. I bring them in when they are butternut tan.
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