Growing Summer Squash: Varieties, Planting, and Harvest Tips

Summer squash—planted for warm-weather harvest and eaten immature—includes scalloped white pattypan, yellow crookneck and straightneck, and cylindrical green or gray zucchini (Italian squash). Blossoms and tiny developing fruit at the base of female flowers are edible delicacies.

Summer squash yields prolifically from just a few plants within 50-65 days of sowing, continuing for weeks. Vines spread 2½-4 ft. at maturity; if space is limited, choose bush varieties.

Spacing

• Bush varieties: 2-4 ft. apart in rows; 4-ft. diameter circles ("hills")
• Vining types: 5-ft. spacing in rows; 8-ft. diameter hills

Care

All squash need rich soil and periodic fertilizer. Keep roots evenly moist but leaves and stems dry to prevent disease. Harvest fruit small and tender.

Squash Bug Control

Squash bugs cause wilting and fruit damage. Destroy yellowish-brown egg clusters on leaf undersides. Trap adults with boards or burlap placed in the garden at night; collect and destroy each morning. Various insecticides are also labeled for control.