Growing Summer Squash, Planting Zucchini, How to Grow Squash
Design Your Own Vegetable Garden Layout Using our Free "Vegetable Garden Planner" Software! For summer squash, this warm season vegetable requires a minimum soil temperature of 60 degrees F. Although, an ideal ground temperature is 95 degrees! Summer is the most productive season of the year. Summertime also demands extra vegetable gardening to keep up with the supply. Reaping the benefits of your efforts is in tasty delights such as fresh summer squash. Summer SquashThe beginning of the summer season is marked by the arrival of the solstice. This solar event marks the longest day of the year and the start of the long hot days of summer. Extended daylight hours and heat combine to cause growth spurts in summer squash. It is not unusual for zucchini and yellow summer squash foliage to grow an inch or more a day during the summertime!Heat also helps flower formation in fruiting vegetables and ensures the plants set fruit. Protect summer squash from extremely high temperatures to prevent stunted growth, blossom loss, or failure to produce fruit. Mulch heavily around the low growing summer squash to deter weeds and pests. Support heavy fruit such as growing summer squash to avoid direct contact with the soil. Download Free Garden Planning Worksheets, Garden Diary, Zone Chart, Or Planting Guide
Planting Summer SquashGrowing summer squash is easily accomplished for vegetable gardening novices and seasoned veterans alike. Squash varieties vary in shape from gourd-like, cylinder shaped, round, scallop, straight necked, and crooked necked. Zucchini is probably the most well known variety of summer squash. Plants bear very broad leaves rising out of each of the 4-6 vines which grow from a central root.How to Grow Zucchini and Other Varieties of Summer SquashSoil Preparation for Growing SquashMaintain a 5.5-6.8 pH level by applying abundant amounts of organic compost, a low nitrogen 5-10-10 fertilizer, or well aged manure. Raise mounds 6-8 feet apart if growing summer squash are allowed to spread. Place raised hills 4 feet apart if plants are supported on wooden tripods.
Summer Squash Planting Time• Growing summer squash requires plenty of space, 6-8 feet in all directions! • Plant summer squash seeds at a depth of one inch in seed trays. • Germination for seeds is 8 to 10 days. • Allow 1-2 plants per family of 4, unless you are planning to freeze or give away large quantities of summer squash. • Wait for all danger of frost to pass and garden bed has warmed before planting. • Transplant 2 successful plants per hill. • If planting from seed, sow 4-5 seeds, 2-3 inches deep, 3-4 inches apart, in hills spaced 6-8 feet apart. • For row planting from seed, sow two seeds 2-3 inches deep, 10 inches apart, in rows spaced 3-5 feet apart. Care & Feeding of Summer Squash Plants• Throughout the summer season, water the vegetable plants regularly. • Fertilize growing summer squash monthly with 5-10-10 fertilizer. • Inspect daily for signs of plant disease or pest attack. • Treat damages from insects or diseases.
Harvesting Summer SquashBy midsummer, it will be time to harvest this delightful vegetable. Growing summer squash can typically be harvested at the peak of freshness in 50 days!Storage of Summer SquashThe ideal place to store summer squash is in cool and moist conditions. Adding humidity to a cool location reduces water loss and withering of fleshy vegetables. If your refrigerator has a vegetable bin with a separate temperature and humidity control, set it no lower than 40 degrees F with the humidity set at 90 percent. Although, most fleshy vegetables can be stored for a week, some will retain their flavor and texture for several weeks.Growing Summer Squash to Vegetable Gardening You Might Also like to Read:
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Easy plans for growing summer squash including zucchini, yellow squash, crook neck, round and scallop squash. Learn how to plant and grow summer squash in home vegetable gardens!
