Advice from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client: My spaghetti squash are growing like crazy but are not ripe. What can I do?
(summer 2016)
(both pictures courtesy of client.)
Response from the UCMGP Help Desk: Thank you for contacting the Master Gardener help desk with your spaghetti squash question.
Spaghetti squash is one of the winter squash varieties along with acorn, butternut and hubbard squash. They are called winter squash because although grown in summer, they can be stored unrefrigerated to be eaten in the winter.
The secret to harvesting good winter squash is patience. Even though it may be at its maximum size, the squash needs to be left on the vine until it has formed a hard shell. It's better to leave them too long than to pick them early. Wait until the stem turns brown and the shell has finished changing color before harvesting. That way you will know it is completely ripe.
When you harvest, leave a 2" stem on the squash. Store them in a dry, dark place as close to 50-60°F as possible, and your winter squash should last in storage at least 2 months.
Please let us know if you have more questions. Happy gardening!
Editor's Note: An interesting blog post on growing spaghetti squash in the Solano County MG's blog “Under the Solano Sun” is highly recommended, especially for the comments.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa County (SEH)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (//ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).