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
Papaya Pear - bright yellow fruit resemble papaya, harvest when fruit are 3" for continual harvest during the season, All-America Selections winner
Eight Ball - zucchini type with round fruit, AAS winner
Bossa Nova - ornamental foliage and fruit are both mottled, compact plants are great for containers, early maturing, AAS winner