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I'm a first time gardener so I'm not sure how this works - I may have picked my squash too soon, I also think I may have mixed squash together which would have made a hybrid (from my understanding).

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Will my squash ripen over time now that it's picked? I think it was suppose to be spaghetti squash. How do I know when it's time to pick?

Rebecca RVT
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  • Looks ripe to me Rebecca. I am going to go roust a 'gourd' gardener on our site to take a peek. His name is SHULE. – stormy Aug 26 '17 at 21:36
  • @stormy I'm use to eating spaghetti squash with a yellow color, there are green ones too? – Rebecca RVT Aug 26 '17 at 21:42
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    Also note that a lot of winter squash (if not most) can be eaten before they're ripe, like a summer squash. I'm not sure about Spaghetti squash there (but it's less likely to be stringy if it's not ripe). So, even if it doesn't ripen, you could still eat it. :) – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx Aug 27 '17 at 00:09

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Yes, most squash will ripen off the vine, so long as it's relatively mature (i.e. the squash has begun to change color). This is especially true of pumpkin, butternut squash and spaghetti squash.

Sunlight may help your squash ripen quicker.

grill
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  • I've definitely found that Cucurbita ficifolia will ripen in storage, if picked unripe; the seeds even seem to mature further in storage (although it may take a long time); it can keep for years, though. Zucchini will turn orange in storage, in my experience. Spaghetti squash are the same species as most zucchini; so, I imagine they'll probably ripen in storage, too, as long as they're hard already (and not so soft that they'll rot some time soon). – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx Aug 27 '17 at 00:13
  • Agreed on zucchini. We always seem to have so many that a bunch eventually end up turning orange. Can't say that I've ever tried an orange one though... – grill Aug 27 '17 at 00:23
  • I have found zucchini will mature seeds in several days at room temperature. – blacksmith37 Aug 27 '17 at 15:41
  • You'll find the longer you leave it the sweeter it will become- I leave mine until after xmas before eating them- I find I have a glut of smaller ones that need eating first- just watch that the skin will become quite hard and woody too- so watch yourself when in the kitchen! I actually kept one for 10 months and it was fine in an ordinary central heated home, and still edible too. Tastes like hot melon if just served plain up. – olantigh Aug 30 '17 at 19:13