Melinda Myers

Summer Squash

Botanical Name

Cucurbita pepo

Hardiness

Tender Annual

Height

1 to 3 feet

Width

2 to 4 feet

Flowers

Mid summer to late fall: yellow, females produce fruit, edible

Fruit

Zucchini, scallop, and constricted neck (straight or crookneck) types

Light

Full sun

Soil

Well-drained, organic

Planting & Care

• Squash germinate best in warm soil temperatures of 70 F to 105 F
• Begin sowing when the soil has warmed to at least 70 F and all danger of frost has passed. Plant 4 to 5 seeds per hill at a depth of 1 inch. Space hills 3 to 4 feet apart. Thin to 2 or 3 plants per hill.
• When sowing in rows, plant seeds 1 inch deep, 4 inches apart in rows set 4 to 5 feet apart. Thin plants to 1 plant per every 1 to 2 feet.
• Squash can be started indoors for an earlier harvest. Sow 3 to 4 seeds per pot and thin to 1 or 2 plants per container. Harden off before transplanting. Set plants out in the garden when the soil has adequately warmed and all danger of frost has passed. Space 1 to 2 feet apart.
• Mulch the soil to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture
• Mounding some soil around the base of the plants will help discourage squash borers from laying eggs

Problems

Squash bug, squash vine borer, striped cucumber beetle, bacterial wilt, mildews

Varieties

• Embassy - heavy fruiting zucchini type
• Sundance - smooth, bright yellow, crookneck type
• Goldbar - golden yellow straightneck type
• Peter Pan - light green scallop type