Pet & Animal: How to Grow Squash

Thursday, 18 September 2014

How to Grow Squash

With a little well-drained soil and a lot of sun, summer and winter squash can be a prolific part of any home garden. The squash, or cucurbita, species includes zucchini, butternut squash and pumpkins.^[1] Try a summer and a winter variety to yield a large crop this summer.

Steps

Cultivating Summer Squash

Contact your local county extension agent or gardener’s supply to see what varieties of squash grow well in your local area. Consider starting with zucchini (green), patty pan (round) and crookneck (yellow) squash to get a variety of shapes and flavors.

Check when the last frost is scheduled to hit your zone. If you have not checked what your hardiness zone is, go to http://ift.tt/KmFh2G Since squash is native to North America, it can grow in sunny summer seasons in zones three through 10.

Decide whether you will purchase starts from a gardening store, start seeds indoors or plant seeds directly into the ground. The answer will depend upon the amount of space you have and the area where you live.
- Consider purchasing squash seedlings or starts from the Farmer’s Market or gardening centers if you have never grown it before. Purchase more than you need, since some plants don’t transplant into the ground very well. Buy them two weeks after the last frost.
- Start seeds inside if you have a shorter growing season. Start the seeds in peat seed pots two to three weeks before the last frost. Use warm water when planting to keep the soil above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Plant seeds directly into the garden soil if you have a long, hot growing season. Plant them two weeks after the last frost.

Plant your seeds into the garden when there is full sun for more than six hours per day and the soil is between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 21 degrees Celsius). Amend your soil with compost before you plant. Squash like a nutrient rich, well-drained soil.

Choose a place that has plenty of sunlight. Plant summer squash away from short plants, since the leaves are likely to shade and kill them. If you don’t have a lot of garden space, consider building a trellis.

Plant your seeds or seedlings one-half inch (1.3 cm) deep in hills. Space them three feet (0.9 m) apart and at the edges of your garden bed to avoid overcrowding.^[2] Consider planting them in large, deep pots if you are worried about other plants.
- Plant them six seeds or three seedlings to a hill. You will need two to three plants to grow per hill, in order to pollinate the flowers and yield fruit.
- If you are planting starts or seedlings, be sure to keep the entire root ball intact.

Place mulch around seedlings. Mulch can be made with straw, leaves or other material. It helps to drain the soil and provide nutrients to the hungry plants.^[3] Apply organic fertilizer once per month to improve your harvest.

Rig soaking hoses underneath your plants for best results. Squash plants can develop powdery mildew if sprinkled from above. If you only have a hose, water underneath the leaves.

Hand pollinate if you don’t see fruit developing in 45 days. You can use a paintbrush to gather pollen from the male flowers and brush it into the female flowers. Squash blossoms can be harvested for use in recipes; however, you should ensure that they are pollinating well and only pick the male blossoms.^[4]
- Female blossoms mature into the fruit.

Pick summer squash when it is less than eight inches (20 cm) long. Pick round squash at a diameter of less than eight inches wide. Larger squash will lose its sweetness and tenderness.

Use summer squash within a week or freeze it for winter storage.

Cultivating Winter Squash

Decide to purchase starts, grow from seed indoors or plant outside, just as you would summer squash plants. Start them indoors two weeks before the last frost date.

Wait two to four weeks after the last frost to plant winter squash. They prefer soil at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) to germinate in the garden. They are often more likely to die of frost when young than summer squash.

Plant seeds in hills six feet apart and rows eight feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) apart. Winter squash vine and need a larger space to grow.^[5] You can also plant them near a trellis or metal fence so that they will vine vertically.

Plant five to five seeds per hill or three seedlings. You will need to thin them to two to three plants per hill once they are growing strong.

Water deeply every one to two days. Soak underneath the plants to avoid powdery mildew.^[6] Fertilize them once per month.

Set growing fruit on a wooden plank or rock to discourage squash borers from ruining the fruit. Squash hanging on trellises are less likely to attract garden pests.

Let the winter squash ripen completely on the vine. It can take 75 to 120 days for them to completely mature. When ready for harvest, their hard skins should resist breaking if poked by a fingernail.

Cut the squash away approximately two inches into the stem with sharp garden shears. Store in a cool, dry place. Some varieties need to be eaten within a week or two, while others can be stored separately for three months.