How To Grow And Care For Squash

There’s hardly a family dinner or holiday meal in the South without squash on the table. From old-school squash casserole to roasted butternut squash, there’s a squash recipe for every season. Squash is also easy to grow, and just a few plants yield plenty of fruit for cooking, freezing, or, in the case of winter squash, long-term storage.

You can grow both summer and winter squash in your garden. Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) is a warm-season crop that has a tender rind and doesn’t store for more than a few days. It has a bushy semi-vining form and takes about 45 to 55 days to mature, depending on the variety. You usually can grow more than one crop of summer squash per season in your garden.

Winter squash (Cucurbita spp) is a warm-season crop that’s mature when the vines die back and the rind is hard and resists puncture by your fingernail. It takes up a lot more space in the garden, reaching up to 25 feet in length. It requires 80 to 120 days to mature, depending on the variety.

Here is everything you need to know about planting and growing squash in your garden:

Plant Attributes

Squash Care

Squash loves heat, so don’t plant too soon or seeds won’t germinate well. The plants also have zero tolerance for surviving a frost. Sow seeds directly in the garden after all danger of frost has passed in your area and the soil is 65ºF or warmer. Or you can start seeds indoors about three weeks before you plan to transplant.

For direct sowing, place two to three seeds about one inch deep in rows or on small mounds, which may improve drainage. For summer squash, plant rows about three to four feet apart. Plant winter squash in rows or mounds about six to eight feet apart. Thin seedlings when they’re a few inches tall.

Water lightly until germination. Weed your bed regularly as plants don’t compete well for moisture and nutrients. Install a sturdy trellis to keep fruits off the ground and save space in the garden. Gently redirect vines to climb up it as they grow.  

Squash plants produce male and female flowers. The male flowers appear a week or two before the females. The female flower has a tiny squash just below the flower. Pollen must be carried from the male to the female flowers on the same or different plants. If insect activity is low, the female flowers will drop, so plant pollinator-friendly flowers, such as Sweet alyssum, Zinnias, Catmint, and Salvia, near your garden.

Light

Both summer and winter squash need at least six or more hours of direct sunlight every day.

Soil

Squash like rich soil. Do a soil test to learn what you may need to add. Fertilize at planting time with a balanced food, then again when the squash plants begin to flower and fruits form.

Water

Squash are thirsty plants. Water deeply and at the base of each plant, especially during hot, dry weather and when the fruits start to form.

Types of Squash

Summer:

There are three types of summer squash: Yellow straight neck or crooked neck; white scallop or patty pan; and zucchini.

‘Early Prolific’

This is a type of yellow straight neck and an All-America Selections (AAS) winner. AAS seeds have been trialed for performance in home gardens. It produces loads of creamy yellow fruit early in the season.

‘Zephyr’

This is a type of yellow crookneck hybrid that’s a vigorous grower. It produces nutty-flavored, firm yellow squash with green blossom ends.

‘Eight Ball’

This summer squash produces cute round zucchini about the size of a billiard ball about five weeks after planting. It’s an AAS winner.

‘Sunburst’

This AAS winner is a scallop type that produces a large number of two to three-inch fruit early in the season.

Winter:

Winter squash are categorized by fruit size, ranging from one to four pounds up to 50 to 100+ pounds.

‘Honeybaby’

This is a winter squash AAS winner that grows on compact vines two to three feet long. It produces an abundance of lightbulb-shaped fruits that are about six inches long.

‘Early Butternut’

This is a classic butternut with medium-sized fruit that matures more quickly than other butternut varieties. It’s an AAS winner.

‘Cornell’s Bush Delicata’

This delicata type has good powdery mildew resistance on a more compact vine. It’s the first winter squash to ripen.  

Harvesting Squash

Harvest summer squash when at a young stage, not when they become large, seedy, and tough. Aim for four to six inches long and one to two inches in diameter. Make sure to check the plant daily once it starts producing. The more you pick, the more summer squash will produce!

Harvest winter squash when the fruits are their mature color (buff, green, blue, or orange), and the vines have died back. The rind should be hard to scratch or dent with your fingernail. Use a knife to cut them free of the woody vine.

Common Problems with Squash

Powdery Mildew

This white, powdery fungus affects older leaves during cool, damp periods. Use drip irrigation and choose resistant varieties, or use a fungicide, such as horticultural oil.

Blossom-end Rot

Fruits have a black spot on the end. Weather conditions, low soil pH, too much nitrogen, too much water, and drought may increase susceptibility, so it can be tough to pin down the problem. Remove affected fruits; new ones may develop fine.

Squash Bugs

These insects are pale green, gray, or brownish and suck the sap from leaves and stems, leaving them speckled and withered. They tend to attack older plants. Pick by hand oruse neem oil.

Squash Vine Borer

Adult clear-winged moths lay eggs near the base of plants. Developing larvae tunnel into stems and cause plant wilt and death. It’s a tough pest to control, but you can cut out the insect if discovered early and mound soil over the wound. Hint: Most types of butternut squash are more resistant to this pest due to their thick, woody stems.

Spotted and Striped Cucumber Beetles

These beetles attack all stages of the plant and transmit bacterial wilt; make sure to weed because they overwinter in weeds along the garden’s edge. Plant a disease-resistant variety or use neem oil.