How to grow and harvest winter squash?

There are many different shapes and colors of winter squash. These squashes provide a wonderful delicious feast in late fall and winter, especially in soups and when they are roasted. I like to grow winter squashes because of the many different ones and they are easy to grow. Winter squashes can be grown in containers, and the stems can be trained to make a decorative fruit, but I have not yet done this, I have planted them  in my garden with my other vegetables.

I planted my seeds in pots under cover in the spring. I do this by filling 4 inches pots with seed compost, water each pot real good, and then let each pot drain real good. I put one seed in each pot 1 1/4 inch deep and I continue on doing this until I get all of my winter squash planted. Next, I will set each pot into a heated propagator set at 59-64 degree for a week or two. When I see my seedlings and I know that it is definitely not going to be anymore frost, I will then plant them out in my garden because winter squash and frost sensitive.

In early summer, is when I plant my winter squash plants, but before I do this I will harden them off first to get t hem acclimatize to outdoor conditions. I place them outside during the day, and the I bring them back inside at night for two weeks. After this I plant them out at 3 feet apart, and water them well. They also need to be planted a the same depth in the ground, as I had them planted in my pots. Always protect them from slugs by putting a light dusting of pellets on them. I keep my planets water well as they are growing and all through the summer months. The plant needs to be feed well by regularly applying a general-purpose fertilize as it says on the instructions.

There are two types of winter squash and they are bushy or trailing. Bush-types ones has clumps of leaves and the trailing plants send out long, winding stems.

Now, I would like to write about some different winter squash tat is available to grow. "Butternut" is a classically shaped squash that is grown on trailing plants. This one has deep orange flesh and few seeds. They are ideal for stuffing and roasting. this winter squash stores real well. "Harlequin" is a very colorful fruit, this one would be the one if the space is limited and it produces a good harvest. "Sweet Dumpling' is a trailing variety and the squash has a slightly ribbed , white-skinned fruits with green vertical stripes. It grows 5-6 inches in diameter and it has yellow flesh. "Queensland Blue" is a Australian heirloom variety that has heavy-ribbed, gray-blue fruits. They grow to 10 inches in diameter and has a nutty, orange flesh. "Uchiki Kuri" is called "onion squash" and it is a trailing variety winter squash. The fruit has orange flesh and it harvests five or six fruits per plant. "Turk's Turbar" is a trailing type that has unusually shaped orange fruit that has a sweet taste to it. It also has bold green and white stripes to the fruit. The fruit grows to 8 to 10 inches in diameter. "Cream of the Crop" it produces acorn-shaped fruits that are large and it has cream skins and nutty-flavored, golden flesh. It is a compact plant and it produces 3 or 4 fruits per plant. "Crown Prince" is a trailing plant that bears round, gray-blue fruit and they are 8-10 inches in diameter. It has an orange flesh that tastes very nutty when they are cooked. Vegetable spaghetti is a trailing plant and the mild-tasting flesh of the fruit separates into spaghetti-looking strands, It produces 3 or 4 fruits for each plant.

Mid-fall my winter squash fruits should be coloring up. I will harvest all of my winter squash before the first frost  comes. I always leave a little stem on my winter squash, as I am cutting it form my plants. I will leave my fruits in a warm, sunny spot for two weeks to get them harden. The fruits can be stored when needed.