Growing Summer SquashGrowing summer squash is performed throughout the warm months of spring and summer, thus, the name. Gardeners love summer squash because of its non-spreading trait as well as abundant yields on even small garden plots. Chefs love it because of its tender texture and delicate taste that makes for great dishes.
Varieties Available
There are many varieties of the summer squash, a few of which are as follows together with their characteristics and harvest times:
* Early Golden Summer - Bright yellow and warty skin; 53 days * Peter Pan Hybrid - Light green and meaty fruit; 50 days * Butterstick - Bright yellow meat; 50 days * Burpee Hybrid - Medium green skin; 50 days * Gold Rush - Bright golden skin; 45 days Your choice of the summer squash varieties to plant will depend on your geographical location, soil conditions and culinary preferences. Better yet, you can always plant two or more varieties just so you will have a fully stocked pantry.
Planting Tips
The best time in growing summer squash is after the frost and its dangers have passed, which is usually from early spring until the mid-summer months. This way, you can have two plantings for the summer squash, thus, two harvests in the early summer and in the early fall.
The location must receive full sun and the soil must be moderately fertile with plenty of organic matter worked into it. The ideal pH level of the soil is from 5.8 to 6.8 so as to facilitate growth. You may also look into specific mulches to increase the quantity and quality of the yields.
The better way is to cultivate squash seedlings bought from your local nursery. But you can also sow the seeds directly into the soil when its temperature is at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
The seedlings are to be planted in the hills with spacing at 3-4 feet apart, with two plants for each hill. If you have grown from pots, ensure that the seedlings are transplanted into the ground soil at the same depth as when these were growing in the containers. Then, you have to cover the seedlings with floating row covers as protection against cold winds and other pests. Do remember to remove these covers when flowers appear to facilitate insect pollination.
As for care, growing summer squash requires mulching the plants with organic matter so as to conserve moisture and to prevent weed infestation. Water the plants every week for depths up to an inch while also providing fertilizers once every 2 weeks. Use either compost tea or seaweed extract, either of which is low in nitrogen.
Summer squash has its share of pests like the cucumber beetles and the squash bugs. Use the right kind of pesticide from the stores to deter these pests from degrading the quantity and quality of your harvests. Be careful when harvesting as summer squash can easily scratch and bruise. You should use pruning shears to cut at the stem while harvesting the female blossoms as a delicacy.
Growing summer squash is an easy, fast and tasty crop. The trick is in learning how to become successful at it, which should be easy enough given the many resources available.
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