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Squash & Zucchini

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Botanical name: Cucurbita

Plant type: Vegetable

USDA Hardiness Zones: Varies

Sun exposure: Full Sun

Soil type: Loamy

Squash is a seasonal vegetable. It is very susceptible to frost and heat damage, but with proper care it will produce a bumper crop with very few plants.

There are many varieties of summer squash to choose from, including zucchini. The main difference between winter and summer varieties is their harvest time; the longer growing period gives winter squash a tougher, inedible skin. Here are their various botanical names: Cucurbita pepo (Summer squash/Zucchini), C. maxima (True winter), C. pepo (Acorn, delicata, spaghetti) , C. moschata (butternut).
 

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

By Anonymous on May 20

I have a plant that has volunteered in my front yard. It has yellow flowers and looks much like the zucchini I planted in the back yard, but the fruit is light green, slightly long and light green. I can't figure out what kind of plant it might be or if it would be safe to eat.

By Anonymous on May 20

I meant to say (instead of light green twice), that the fruit is slightly ovoid or bulbous, not elongated like a zuccini

By Anonymous on May 13

I was looking at the flower on my squash and it tore. Does that mean the squash wont grow?

By Anonymous on May 18

The flower naturally plucks right off when the that one flower is spent. The female flowers should be easily plucked off when the fruit set and is growing. Without removing the flower as the fruit grows will lead to rot before it fully grows

By Anonymous

I harvested yellow squash in the summer. Now the plant is producing purple fruit in the fall. Is it edible

By Almanac Staff

Not being able to see the fruit, we can not identify it, and therefore would advise not eating it. We haven't heard of yellow squash turning purple later in the season (although we suppose it is possible if it had a cultural or pest/disease problem). It might be that you have an heirloom type that exhibits this trait, although a particular cultivar doesn't come to mind at the moment. Could it be possible that the original plant has died back and a volunteer is now growing in its place? It could be an edible vegetable, such as eggplant, but it may also be an inedible weed. To be safe--don't eat it! You might want to bring a sample to your local Cooperative Extension (if in the USA) for identification. To find your Extension, go to:
http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services

Hope this helps!

By Anonymous

I thought I planted a regular zucchini, but it turns out to be white, and not light green like what I've been reign about, but white. I was going to shred it up into some bread, but the outer skin is kind of tough papery. Is this actually still a zucchini or some other kind of vegetable.

By Almanac Staff

It is probably a zucchini. Sometimes a plant grows a mutation and the color and texture can be different. See link below.
www.garden.org/boards/index.php?q=view&id=19514&board=20&top=19514

By Anonymous

These are growing on a vine that looks like a zucchini plant. At first the fruit looked like a big fat round cucumber, then they turned orange. I have picture but not sure a can post them here.
Does anyone know what these are?

By Almanac Staff

There are SO many types of squash. For example, the "banana squash" is orange and oblong. Also, you'll find that squash will cross-pollinate with other nearby squash varieties, creating some interesting results! However, cucumbers belong to different species and will not cross with each other or squash. Here's a web site with photo IDs of different squash varieties. Hope this helps!
http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/vegetables/squash-glossary3.asp

By Anonymous

Is big and white and I keep on hearing I should harvest when small help plz

By Almanac Staff

We're not sure what variety you have, but most squash varieties taste best when small and tender. The larger squash may be a bit bitter, but pick it and see how it tastes for yourself!

By Anonymous

I planted the seeds from the squash I ate and now have flowers and vins growing allover.I now have huge green long squash growing want to know if edible. We ate the flowers. DGree12@comcast.netplease e-mail

By Almanac Staff

If you saved your seeds to replant and new squash grew, you can eat it! Congrats!

By Anonymous

My local newspaper printed a recipe for zucchini relish in 2009. The recipe was from Sonoma-Williams company book of recipes.

I make it every year..Better than pickle relish. Delicious on hot dogs, burgers, deviled eggs, tuna and chicken salad. Also top cream cheese on basil/tomato wheat thins..delicious for appetizer or snack.

By Anonymous

Can I eat the squash from plants that have bacterial wilt

By Almanac Staff

You need to remove or destroy the infected vines, but I suppose if you had fruit that formed before the virus (which kills the plant), then you could pick it off, wash, and eat it.

By Anonymous

We have tried both zuccini and summer squash but one produced only male flowers and one only female.Have seen bees on the blossoms many times.

By Anonymous

My plants look healthy and are producing flowers like crazy, but no squash. What can I do?

By Almanac Staff

Sounds like a pollination issue. Do you have a lot of bees in your garden? If not, you can try planting some flowers that will attract more or you can physically pollinate your plants with a Q-tip.

By Almanac Staff

In general, all of the early flowers are males. Female flowers often develop many days later once the climate is ready for them. The females can be identified by the miniature fruit at the flower base. Both females and males will need to be blooming for pollination and keep your fingers crossed that the pollinators (bees) aren't deterred by fluky weather as timing is important; otherwise, you can hand pollinate.

By Anonymous

I have a ton of ants on my squash plant. They don't seem to be doing any damage yet but I am concerned they are going to hurt the plant. Should I leave them or get rid of them?

By Almanac Staff

Ants are generally harmless, but they are often a sign that your plant has other sucking insects that are NOT harmless. We suggest spraying in the early morning with an insecticidal soap.

By Anonymous

How do you get large zucchini flowers to grow?

By Almanac Staff

Are you interested in large flowers because you wish to cook them? If so, perhaps select a variety known for large blossoms such as "Butter Blossom."

By Anonymous

Do you know where I can get butter blossom seeds?

By Almanac Staff

We apologize. ‘Butter Blossom’ is mentioned at
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/ssquash.cfm
But we couldn’t find a source for ‘Butter Blossom’ seeds.
Costata Romanesca is also great for blossoms and you can find seeds at
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7655-costata-romanesco.aspx

By Anonymous

Thank you very much!

By Anonymous

Pick the zuccini flower off or leave it on?

By Almanac Staff

If you wish to cook the blossoms, harvest only the male blossoms, but leave some on the vine for pollination. (The male blossoms have a thin stem; the female blossoms have a thick stem with a bulb at the base which develops into the squash.)

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