I am growing butternut and acorn squash this year. I have several green squash on my vines. I have done the fingernail test and they all seem to have the hard rind that I am looking for. Would it be harmful to leave them on the vine a bit longer? Are butternuts green or orange when they're ripe? I was also wondering about the butternut vines themselves. The original vines are yellowing and dying back, but there are new vines (Sprawling all over my lawn I might add) that are still blossoming and starting baby squashes. Is this normal? Do I cut all the dead old vines back? I don;t want to kill the whole plant but I don't want to invite pest problems by leaving the dying vines in the bed.