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I hand-pollinated a butternut squash and I am curious whether they grow/mature as fast as a zucchini?

Vimal
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Not much is as fast as zucchini. Butter nut is a "winter" squash and grows much longer , developing a tough skin.

blacksmith37
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I would say it takes a couple of months for them to fully mature and develop their hard skin. Much more slowly than zucchinis (or courgettes as we call them in the UK). Once mature they keep well in a cool dark storage location.

I intend to leave most of mine until the plants wither and then I'll go round and collect all the squashes. This is in Cambridgeshire, UK and YMMV in another climate.

Max Spencer
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  • Wow, are you sure it's a few _months_ after _pollination_ and not planting? I've seen 100 days mentioned online, but it seems to be seed - fruit time, not pollination - fruit time? – Vimal Sep 12 '19 at 13:55
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    I expect there's a huge range of times depending on the variety of squash and the climate. The plants grow very quickly under favourable germination so maybe like 50 days from germination to pollination + 50 days to harvest doesn't sound unreasonable. But feel free to harvest them as soon as they look good to eat. My key point is (in my experience) squash don't get over-ripe like zucchinis/courgettes do (when they turn into giant, bland marrows). – Max Spencer Sep 13 '19 at 12:50