Question about butternut squash and cantaloupe
Hi all!
I wonder if anyone here can answer a question I have about when to pick some things I have in my garden?
Here's the issue: I have a little side garden into which I planted my 'wandering' stuff - the butternut squash and cantaloupes. Unfortunately, there is a wood chuck who's been marauding in there and has been taking out my melons. Not eating them, just damaging them so they rot rather than ripen, the little bugger. I'd like to pick to keep the rest of them from getting damaged but they aren't to the point of falling off the vine yet (even though the vines are dying too). Will these ripen off the vine if I pick them? What about the butternuts? They look like they are the right color, but the vines are still green with a touch of brown hue over them. Does this mean they are ripe? Will they finish ripening if I pick them or should I just leave them in the garden and hope the wood chuck doesn't bother them?
I wonder if anyone here can answer a question I have about when to pick some things I have in my garden?
Here's the issue: I have a little side garden into which I planted my 'wandering' stuff - the butternut squash and cantaloupes. Unfortunately, there is a wood chuck who's been marauding in there and has been taking out my melons. Not eating them, just damaging them so they rot rather than ripen, the little bugger. I'd like to pick to keep the rest of them from getting damaged but they aren't to the point of falling off the vine yet (even though the vines are dying too). Will these ripen off the vine if I pick them? What about the butternuts? They look like they are the right color, but the vines are still green with a touch of brown hue over them. Does this mean they are ripe? Will they finish ripening if I pick them or should I just leave them in the garden and hope the wood chuck doesn't bother them?