[No. 143] Bearing Fruit Once MoreโThe Autumn 'Follow-up Harvest' Shown by Butternuts ๐พ๐ถ
I thought I had finished harvesting the butternuts in July.
As the seasons turned, even into October, new fruits were swelling at the ends of the vines.
Though they have lost the vigor of summer, life still flows through them.
In that sight, I felt the depth of nature's time.
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๐ Tilling, LivingโRenji Enko's Field Records
After writing about the winter melon harvest๐๐ฟ
In [No. 139] 'Reaching for the Sky, Bearing Fruit in AutumnโDetermining the Winter Melon Harvest Time,' I recorded the connection of life from the end of summer to autumn through the 'follow-up harvest'.
As I touched upon in that article, the butternuts were also showing a second harvest.
It was an event I hadn't originally intended to cover, but as I kept photos of the growth process, the existence of those small fruits became something I simply had to write down.
โFollow-up harvestโโa natural rhythm๐พ๐ถ
A follow-up harvest is a phenomenon where, after the initial harvest is finished, the remaining flower buds and vines bear fruit once again.
If the temperature, sunlight, and soil conditions are right, fruits can be born once more even at the end of the season.
Those small lives do not have the intensity of the peak season.
However, they carry a somewhat calm and gentle presence.
The 'autumn butternuts' grow not under strong sunlight, but under soft light.
In that stillness, I felt the richness of time.
The difference between the general harvest time and the follow-up harvest๐งบ๐ฟ
The general harvest time for butternut squash is late July to mid-September.
About 40 to 50 days after flowering, the skin turns beige, and when the stem becomes cork-like and hard, it is considered the signal for the 'main harvest'.
On the other hand, follow-up harvests are often seen from October onwards, and if the plant still has vitality, the flower buds will bloom and bear fruit again.
However, because the temperature drops, growth is slow, and the size tends to be modest.
Regarding nutritional value,
the water content is slightly higher, and the flesh is softer
the sugar content tends to be slightly lower
the shelf life is shorter, but the flavor is mellow
are some of its characteristics.
It is different from the 'intensity' of summer, but you can feel a gentle sweetness typical of autumn.
Grown from the 'remaining strength' of the plant, it has a somewhat calm and quiet taste of life.
After three monthsโbetween change and continuity๐ธ๐ฑ
July 20th.
It was incredibly hot around this time, and weeds were growing vigorously around the field.
If I left them alone for even a little while, they would immediately cover the vines.
Even so, in that heat, the fruits firmly took shape.
And October 21st.
The air has softened, and the scenery of the field has changed.
The weeds have turned into withered grass, and the sound of them swaying in the wind is somewhat calm.
In the field where the seasons have completely changed, new fruits were still growing.
Strangely, the way the fruits were attached in July and October was similar.
Like brothers or sisters,
it looks as if they are harboring the same shape within the same plant.
The surroundings are covered in lush weeds, a time when light and soil feel like they are being fought over.
Even so, there was a strength in how they firmly took root and seized the nutrients.
There is more withered grass, supporting the fruit as if it were a soft 'pillow.'
Having stored plenty of the nutrients absorbed during the summer, it was quietly heading toward its autumn harvest.
Even if the surrounding environment is completely different,
the rhythm dwelling in the roots remains the same.
It might be a bias I feel precisely because I have been the one raising them, but
somehow, I cannot help but feel something like a blood connection.
Listening to the continuation of life๐ฟ๐ถ
Even after the end, there is a continuation.
It is not human will, but the 'next chapter' within the workings of nature.
In the time spent gazing at the field,
I am reminded once again that 'growth is by no means a straight line.'
Even after exhausting all its strength,
there is energy that remains quietly.
That may be the essence of a late harvest.
๐ Click here for the Butternut Trilogy ๐๐
With this four-part series, the Butternut squash 2025 is complete.
๐ Look forward to Butternut squash 2026 as well.
Caution๐ ๏ธ๐ฑ
๐ฑ This article is based solely on personal experience and impressions.
๐ Appropriate methods vary depending on the region and environment.
โ ๏ธ Please always ensure safety when implementing.
โ
Please make decisions and take action at your own responsibility.
Fields, bodies, and investmentsโa way of life that keeps on tilling.
Renji Enko