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
Related Content
Article
Categories
Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars
April 3, 2024
Garden Trends
Franklin Public Library, Franklin, WI
April 10, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
Container Gardening Throughout the Year
Register now
April 11, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
7 Steps to Managing Water Where it Falls in Your Yard
Register now
April 17, 2024
Landscaping for Birds:
A Gardener’s Perspective
Glendale, WI
April 18, 2024
Be a Waterwise Gardener
Golden Rondelle Theater, Racine, WI
Register now
April 20, 2024
Pruning Hydrangeas and Other Shrubs
Pasquesi Home & Gardens, Lake Bluff, IL
April 27, 2024
Ridges & Rivers Book Festival
Viroqua, WI
April 28, 2024
Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
May 1, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables
Register now
May 9, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
How to Plant Your Rain Garden
Register now
WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
Learn More