Harvesting Winter Squash: Timing and Ripening

Pick spaghetti squash at 6–8" or when green stripes fade. Acorn squash: harvest at store size, even if partly white. Early, frequent picking = more fruit. Squash ripens off-vine but loses flavor. Only pick early if frost threatens.

Indicators

• Spaghetti: faint stripes, 6–8".
• Acorn: mature size, color set.
• Vine die-back = harvest all.

Vine-ripened tastes best.