Squash: Planting, Growing and Harvesting Squash Plants

Planting

Start seeds indoors 2 to 4 weeks before last spring frost in peat pots.
Do not seed or tranplant seeds outside until the soil temperature is 55 to 60º F for successful germination. Usually, you can seed any time from one week after the last spring frost to midsummer. You may be able to have two crops per season if you time it right.
The outside planting site needs to receive full sun; the soil should be moist and well-drained, but not soggy
Work compost or aged manure into the soil before planting for a rich soil base.
To germinate outside, use cloche or frame protection in cold climates for the first few weeks.
When you transplant, take care not to damage the root ball.
Plant seeds one inch deep and 2 to 3 feet apart.
Most summer squashes now come in bush varieties, but winter squash is a vine plant and needs more space. They will need to be thinned in early stages of development.

Care

Mulch plants to protect shallow roots, discourage weeds, and retain moisture.
Plants love lots of compost and will produce better if well fed. When the first blooms appear, apply a small amount of fertilizer as a side dress application and water thoroughly.
After harvest begins, fertilize occasionally for vigorous growth and lots of fruits.
For all type of squash, frequent and consistent watering is recommended. Water most diligently when fruits form and throughout their growth period.
To know when to water, use the finger method. Put your finger in the soil and if it's dry beyond the first joint, it needs watering.
If your fruits are misshapen, they might not have received enough water or fertilization.

Pests

If your zucchini blooms flowers but never bears actual zucchini, or it bears fruit that stops growing when it's very small, then it's a pollination issue. Most squashes have separate male and female flowers on the same plant. To produce fruit, pollen from male flowers must be physically transferred to the female flowers by bees. If you do not have enough bees, you can manually pollinate with a Q-tip—or, add nearby plants that attract bees!
Cucumber Beetle (link to pest page)
Squash Bug (link to pest page)
Squash Vine Borer (link to pest page)
Blossom End Rot: If the blossom ends of your squash turn black and rot, then your squash have blossom-end rot. This condition is caused by uneven soil moisture levels, often wide fluctuations between wet and dry soil. It can also be caused by calcium levels. To correct the problem, water deeply and apply a thick mulch over the soil surface to keep evaporation at a minimum. Keep the soil evenly moist like a wrung out sponge, not wet and not completely dried out.
Stink Bug: If your squash looks distorted with dippled area, the stink bugs overwintered in your yard. You need to spray or dust with approved insecticides and hand pick in the morning. Clean up nearby weeds and garden debris at the end of the season to avoid this problem.
Aphids (link to pest page)

Harvest/Storage

Harvest summer squash when small and tender for best flavor. Most varieties average 60 days to maturity, and are ready as soon as a week after flowering.
Check plants everyday for new produce.
Cut the gourds off the vine rather than breaking them off.
Fresh summer squash can be stored in the refrigerator for up to ten days.
Harvest winter squash when rind is hard and deep in color, usually late September through October.
Winter squash can be stored in a cool, dark place until needed. It will last for most of the winter. If you have a cool bedroom, stashing them under the bed works well. They like a temperature of about 50 to 65 degrees F.
Freezing Summer squash: Wash it, cut off the ends, and slice or cube the squash. Blanch for three minutes, then immediately immerse in cold water and drain. Pack in freezer containers and freeze.
Freezing Winter squash: Cook as you normally would, then mash. Pack in freezer containers.
Pull up those vines and compost them after you've picked everything or after a frost has killed them. Then till the soil to stir up the insects a bit.

Recommended Varieties

‘Goldbar’ (yellow summer)
‘Cocozelle’ (zucchini) dark green, slender
‘Butterbush’ (butternut)
‘Cream of the Crop’ (acorn hybrid, prize winning)

Recipes

Wit & Wisdom

Squash flowers make a tasty treat when fried in a light batter.

Comments

Zucchini

Submitted by shepherdess1976

One pest you left out is the squash vine borer, which has killed many plants I have in Indiana. If you plant radish seed with it and start them later in the season, you have a better chance of live plants. I feed the extra large ones to my sheep.

Thanks

Submitted by Almanac Staff

We've added squash vine borer to the list. A very serious pest!

Squash plants

Submitted by Sammakate

If you shouldn't use hay or straw, what can you use for mulch ? And also, I have a problem with ants eating my plants, I have tried everything but can't get rid of them.. Thanks

ants in squash

Submitted by Anonymous

My cousin suggested I try cornmeal for ants that were bothering my pepper plants.

squash plants

Submitted by Anonymous

thanks, but what about squash vine borers ? They have killed my squash plants 2 years in a row !!

Cantaloupe

Submitted by Teddy

Not only do cantaloupe need a pollinator but several other things can prevent the flowers from forming fruit: temperature and watering methods being at the top of the list. Cantaloupes prefer being watered at ground level and the temps near to be at a steady 85-95 every day for a couple weeks will signal the plant to produce a viable blossum. Since most of you are writing your questions at the beinning of July, depending on where y'all live, the temperatures might not have reached the prime target for viable blossum development. The pollinators can tell by the aroma of the blossoms if the blossums are viable or "ready." Pollinators tend to have a keen sense of weather prediction and "knowing" when to pollinate certain plants. Bees especially will not waste their time with nectar that is not ready. ;)

I bet y'all have fruit by now. Blessings!!!!

squash

Submitted by Cowell

I had no luck with my squash, it keeps blooming but no fruit. Why is that pls help.

Hi Cowell, Have you seen any

Submitted by Almanac Staff

Hi Cowell, Have you seen any bees buzzing around the garden? Bees are necessary because squash plants need to be pollinated in order to produce fruits. If there are no bees, you can manually pollinate the plants. Try putting the pollen on a q-tip and transferring it from male to female flowers. That should do the trick. Good luck!