Growing Squash (Zucchini)

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Summer and Winter Squash

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Squash, especially zucchini, are very prolific producers! Easy to grow, each plant will produce several squash a day during peak season. Make sure you harvest summer squash when tender and still immature!

Squash are generally divided into two categories based on when they’re harvested and how they’re used:

Summer squash are harvested in the summer before they reach full maturity. Because they’re harvested early, their skin is edible and they have a relatively short shelf life. Summer squash varieties include zucchini, straightneck squash (a.k.a. “yellow summer squash”), and crookneck squash.
Winter squash are harvested in autumn after or just before they reach full maturity. This leaves their skin inedible, but gives them a longer shelf life (some varieties are capable of keeping through the winter—hence the name “winter squash”). Winter squash varieties include pumpkins, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and acorn squash.

Can you believe that pumpkins and zucchini come from the same species of plant? That’s right—they’re both cultivated varieties (“cultivars”) of Cucurbita pepo. Despite the great diversity of squash, most commonly-grown cultivars belong to one of three species: Cucurbita pepo, C. moschata, or C. maxima. Over generations and generations, these plants have been cultivated to produce fruit in all kinds of shapes, colors, and flavors.

Thanks to their regular bumper crops, you usually only need one or two zucchini plants—and you may still find yourself giving zucchini away to neighbors or baking lots of zucchini bread!

Planting

If you wish to start seeds indoors due to a short gardening season, sow 2 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost in peat pots. (See local frost dates.) However, we recommend direct-seeding for squash because they do not always transplant well. If you do transplant, be very gentle with the roots.
The soil needs to be warm (at least 60ºF/16°C at a two-inch depth), so plant summer squash after spring (cool-season) crops, like peas, lettuce, and spinach—about one week after the last spring frost to midsummer.
To get an early start when soil temperatures are not yet ideal, warm the soil with black plastic mulch once the soil has been prepared in early spring.
In fact, waiting to plant a few seeds in midsummer will help avoid problems from squash vine borers and other pests and diseases common earlier in the season.
The outside planting site needs to receive full sun; the soil should be moist and well-drained, but not soggy.
Squash plants are heavy feeders. Work compost and plenty of organic matter into the soil before planting for a rich soil base. (Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.)
To germinate outside, use a cloche, row cover, or frame protection in cold climates for the first few weeks.
Plant seeds about one-inch deep and 2 to 3 feet apart in a traditional garden bed.
Alternatively, plant as a “hill” of 3 or 4 seeds sown close together on a small mound; this is helpful in northern climates, as the soil is warmer off the ground. Allow 5 to 6 feet between hills.
Most summer squash now come in bush varieties, which take up less space, but winter squash are vining plants that need more space. Bush varieties will need to be thinned in early stages of development to about 8 to 12 inches apart.

Care

Mulch around plants to protect shallow roots, discourage weeds, and retain moisture.
When the first blooms appear, apply a small amount of fertilizer as a side dress application.
If your squash blooms flowers but never bears actual fruit, 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!
For all types of squash, frequent and consistent watering is important for good fruit development. Water most diligently when fruits form and throughout their growth period.
Water deeply once a week, applying at least one inch of water. Do not water shallowly; the soil needs to be moist 4 inches down.
After harvest begins, fertilize occasionally for vigorous growth and lots of fruits.
If your fruits are misshapen, they might not have received enough water or fertilization.

Pests/Diseases

There are a couple of challenging pests, especially the squash vine borer and the squash bug. The best solution is to get ahead of them before they arrive.
Cucumber Beetle
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 a dimpled 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

Harvest/Storage

Harvest summer squash when small and tender for best flavor. You may harvest as “baby squash” or when mature (6 to 8 inches long). Large squash have very little taste.
Most varieties average 60 days to maturity, and are ready as soon as a week after flowering.
Check plants everyday for new produce. Once squash starts producing, you’ll be picking every day!
Cut the fruit off the vine rather than breaking them off. Leave at least an inch of stem on the fruit. Use a sharp knife.
Should you miss a picking or two, remove the overripe squash as soon as possible to reduce demands on the plants for moisture and nutrients.
Summer squash is very susceptible to frost and heat damage so you do want to pick them all before the first fall frosts arrive.
Fresh summer squash can be stored in the refrigerator for up to ten days.
Harvest winter squash when the rind is hard and deep in color, usually late September through October.
Winter squash can be stored in a cool, dark place until needed. Many varieties will last for most of the winter (except for acorn squash, which do not keep for more than a few weeks). If you have a cool bedroom, stashing them under the bed works well. They like a temperature of about 50 to 65°F (10 to 18°C).
Pull up the 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.

Acorn squash

Recommended Varieties

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

Wit & Wisdom

Squash flowers make a tasty treat when fried in a light batter.
Pumpkins and other squashes are nutritional powerhouses! Learn about squash’s health benefits.

Recipes

Cooking Notes

If you find yourself with a bumper crop, squash pickles are easy to make (see above recipe).
Or, freeze your 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. Learn more tips for freezing zucchini.

Planting Times

Reader Comments

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Surprise gift

Last year I put a whole Princess Pumpkin in a raised box, got sick and forgot it. This year I started to plant an heirloom tomato plant in that box. I put on my shovel and found the runny insides of the pumpkin. It was a beautiful orange. I just shoved it over and planted anyway. The surprise was the hundred seeds started making plants. I started transplanting plants. There are beautiful flowers just starting.
Here is my question? I would like to plant acorn squash because I know these regrow on their own and more of the winter squash if I knew they would grow. Have you ever heard of this? Does it work? I live in cold area on Oregon. This would give me a head start. Thank you.

surprise gift

First, congratulations on your success!

Here’s an attempt at an answer to what I think is your question: Acorn and other squash are annuals. They grow one season and die. However, seeds from their “fruit” can be the source of the next year’s crop; this is the purpose for saving seeds—salvaging them from the harvest. You got lucky in so far as you did not need to harvest and save your seeds; they survived on their own. That does not always happen and can not be predicted. You say you are in a cold area; that may have helped to preserve the seeds (freezing is a technique) but, again, it’s only a hunch. If you’re asking if you should plant acorn and winter squash now to allow their seeds to get going earlier next season…you could, on a bet and see what happens. Or you could plant, harvest, and save the seeds of this year’s harvest. BTW, hybrid plant seeds do not reproduce true to the original plant, so grow heirlooms.

Zucchini getting yellow and soft at flower tips

My zucchini starts to come in nicely, however, at about 3-3.5" in length the flower ends begin to turn yellow and become soft. What am I doing wrong? I have had to remove 3 zucchinis from the plants. Others are growing and I want to avoid having problems with those.

zucchini rotting on the vine

It sounds like blossom end rot, an unfortunately common occurrence due to excess moisture and inadequate calcium in the soil. See here for more specific information: https://www.almanac.com/pest/blossom-end-rot

Female flowers

I have a zuchinni plant that has so far only bloomed female flowers. I have 2 females so far and it looks like the next one to bloom will also be female. They have 2-3" fruits on them but they don't seem to be getting bigger since the bloom opened. Should i be concerned?

It sounds like they have not

It sounds like they have not been pollinated. If you don't have bees to move the pollen from the male flowers to the female ones, the fruit will not continue to grow. You can do this with a Q-tip or other small object. I have never had a zucchini that did not have male flowers along with the female ones, this is a necessity for the fruit to continue to grow.

Powdery mildew

I am having a hard time with a couple of my zucchini plants already. My plants are less then a month old and I think a couple already have powdery mildew. They are in a raised bed. I made sure to prep the soil, added compost and manure, etc but yet 3 out of my 6 squash plants are showing signs of disease. I have Battled PM but this time it looks different. The leaves are growing with white along the veins. Is it still mildew or am I doing Somethjng wrong? The size of the plants are beautiful and all my other plants are growing well. Please advice.

Ps. I did use a copper fungicide and it helped one of the plants.

powdery mildew causes and cures

We think you have identified the problem. See these pages for more information:

• How to identify—and confirm—that it’s PM: https://www.almanac.com/pest/powdery-mildew

• More pictures/examples of PM and remedies: https://www.almanac.com/blog/gardening/garden-journal/powdery-mildew-rem...

Winter & Summer squash

I am planting a three sisters garden in the arid southwest. I would like to have a combination of summer and winter squash. My corn is about 6 inches tall and I am ready to sow squash and beans. Can I plant both summer and winter squash in the same garden? With moderation of course...

Squash

Yes, there’s no reason not to plant more than one type of squash if you have the space.

Stunted growth

I live in growing zone 9 but it has been unseasonably cool this spring. I planted my seedlings of which most were very slow to germinate. All have finally germinated however each plant has been so slow to grow and are rather stunted. I just noticed that the plants, while still very small are trying to produce flowers (of which I know will yield a very poor crop of any at all). Now that the temps are a bit warmer, should I just start over and replant or will the existing plants eventually recover?

chilly squash

It’s hard to say, but they might possibly recover fine if the temperatures keep on the warm side, although there is the possibility that they may not be as vigorous. You might pinch off just these early flowers, so that the plant can focus on growth. You could also certainly add a few new plants, though, to be sure of a good harvest.

I would suggest keep trying

I would suggest keep trying with the plants you have. If you want, go ahead and plant one more to see which one seems better, but I have zucchini started in a little 6" pot, and since the warmer temperatures have come around, they are definitely starting to thrive more

Yellow crookneck squash

In Florida can squash planted in august do well ? Thank you.

planting dates for squash

See our planting dates for summer squash customized to your zip code here: https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates

Albino squash?

I've had two white squash grow on the same plant. They are about the size and shape as a butternut but one is pure white the other pure white with a very slight yellow stripe on it. I have no idea what kind they are or when to pick them. Any suggestions?

white squash

Another grower asked this question a bit ago (scroll) to see. Short answer: it is likely a mutation. The squash is fine to eat and will taste like any green one—yummy!

Summer Squash In Container Problems

I’m a first time grower, and I’ve already had a failed attempt at growing traditional summer squash in a 20 gallon Smart Pot container this season; I live in a Florida subdivision that doesn’t permit gardens, so I am trying to make due within my screened in lanai. The Smart Pot advertises that the fabric pot breathes so it helps to prevent root rot. I must have watered too much that even the Smart Pot couldn’t help me, because when I emptied the pot the soil was soaking wet at the bottom. I had small squash form but they died before they became anything substantial. I tried hand pollinating but that didn’t seem to work, female blooms never opened enough and male blooms fell off shortly after they bloomed. So I’m starting fresh and I just planted a summer squash hybrid “Sure Thing” so hopefully the pollination issue won’t be a factor this time around. Do healthy squash have dark green leaves? If they are yellowish does that mean too much water, not enough fertilizer, too much fertilizer? I’ve only planted three seeds this time in a mound, so as not to overcrowd… when the seedlings have more than two leaves and seem to be growing properly should I thin out to only one plant? How do you deep water a plant in a container? Does this mean to water until it runs through? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

squashed!

We are familiar with Smart Pots in particular so can not comment on the drainage or breathing ability. And we just looked up Sure Thing, a Burpee seed that is said to thrive and produce in cool, cloudy weather and not need bees nor male flowers to pollinate. We have ot grown this particular variety, be if it is like most zucchini, its leaves should be dark green. Yellow leaves could indicate too much water, but might also suggest a need for fertilizer. (It’s relatively easy to see/touch to know if water is the issue.) Too much fertilizer can cause blossom drop. You have not mentioned soil. (See here for guidance on fertilizer and soil additives: http://www.almanac.com/content/preparing-soil-planting ) However, the presence of pests such as aphids or disease such as wilt can also result in yellow or spotted leaves.

Thinning…yes, you should wait for the two “true” leaves to follow the initial sprouts. But if you get two or even three to sprout and start, why not keep them going too? Plant in a separate container or, if it’s large enough, leave in the original container.

About watering: Your container should have a drainage hole or some obvious way the water is going to run out. Watering from the bottom (with the container in a tray) will facilitate a deep soak; the soil will take it up until it can’t take no more. You can soak from the top…but water tends to pool on the top of the soil; the bottom soak works at its own pace——and gets to the roots, which are nearer to the bottom.

hand pollination

I need help/advice. I'm looking for any recommendations or ideas on how I could hand pollinate my non-self-pollinating food-bearing plants. I live in zone 7b in GA, where it is usually very humid and hot during the standard growing season.
My plots are simple, smallish, raised beds in the front yard, but they are in the direct sun I'm supposed to avoid spending much time in. (It's a health thing I can't avoid.) Last year, I was able to get a few items by supplementing the few bees we had with q-tip and small paintbrush brushing, but I am unable to spend this much time in the sun if I am doing this without their help.

I have already moved several of my potted or hanging plants to various areas of the yard to try to attract pollinators that might be close by, but none have come. Bee balm, lavender, lemon balm, echinacea, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, flowering beans and peas, etc... are not working. There may be some activity at night I've missed, but during the day - nothing is coming. After last year, I'm left to conclude that we may just have none left in the area.

I know I will have to make some serious changes next year (and possibly purchase and home bees), but, for now, the boxes are already set and, to my understanding, it's actually too late to start any potentially self-pollinating replacements. I would greatly appreciate any advice, any ideas I can try - as this is where I (used to) get most of my fresh and storage food, I would like to attempt to get something other than big, beautiful plants. And they are beautiful, but it's only June and I really don't want to give up.

Thank you

help with pollination

So sorry about your troubles! Would anything like a beach umbrella help while you work on the plants? Or, would you be able to hire a neighbor to perform this task for you? If you are having trouble with natural pollination, there are a few reasons why a plant may not fruit, including temperatures becoming too high (in the 90s or higher) or too low. If you suspect heat, perhaps give your plants some partial shade (shade cloth) during peak heat of the day. Check to make sure that your plants have enough water and nutrients, which can affect fruiting. If no flowers are forming, be sure that your plants aren’t getting too much nitrogen, which favors leaves over flowers. If you don’t have enough pollinators, could it be that the surrounding area has too many pesticides? Instead of raising bees yourself, you might consider arranging with a beekeeper to have a hive temporarily placed in your garden–some offer hive rentals. Hope this helps!

zucchini squash

Some of the flowers come out on very skinny stems. Should I remove these since they don't produce squash, or do they serve a purpose?

zucchini flower

The flowers on skinny stems are the male flowers; some of these are necessary for pollination (by insects) of the female flowers to produce zucchini. (You can also hand pollinate.) The plants tend to produce a lot of male flowers, though, so if you have a lot (and they usually come out first), you can harvest some–they are edible! You can dip them in light batter and fry them. Be sure to leave enough on the plant, though, for good pollination.

squash

my squash has been doing well but i am worried about its pot, if i keep it in the pot the whole time would it die and about how big would my pot have to be

container squash

The success of container-grown squash will depend in part on what variety of squash you have. It is best to grow bush varieties, because their smaller size better fit the confined conditions; the large sprawling types would be better grown directly in a garden. As to the pot size for bush types, that also depends, but as a guideline, it shouldn’t be less than 12 inches wide by 12 inches deep. Make sure that it has drainage holes at the bottom.

Cushaw Squash

Our cushaw squash grew wild in our yard without us doing a thing. However, they grew so large, and we would like to have them come back next year. Once I harvest, how do I ensure to keep the area for the vines to grow back? If I pull the vines, worried they won't grow back.

cushaws

Unfortunately, cushaws (Cucurbita argyrosperma, aka C. mixta) are annuals. The vines will die off at the end of the growing season, so you’ll need to replant the next season for another harvest.

sunshine squash

can you grow by drying out seeds?

squash seeds

You can save most seeds of plants to re-plant in the spring. Some plants are easier than others. The best candidates are beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers as long as they are standard or heirloom varietes, NOT hybrids. Hybrid seed is often sterile or the new plant is not true to the mixed parents so you don’t know what you’ll get. Plants that are open pollinated by insects or wind aren’t the best candidates for seed-saving. That includes squash which often crosses with other plants in their family. The only way to maintain the original variety is to isolate by large distances which is not always impractical in a home garden. That said, you can try and see how it goes!

Squash Leaves Drying and Yellow

I have a couple spaghetti squash and pumpkin plants that seemed to be doing great all summer. But the leaves have started changing color and looking wilted or like they are drying up. This is my first time growing them so I don't know if this is normal for mid-August in Alberta or is there something wrong with them?