Growing Winter Squash, Planting Winter Squash, How to Grow Squash
Easy tips and methods for growing winter squash in backyard vegetable gardens. Learn how to plant, care for, and harvest winter squash varieties such as such as Acorn, Butternut, Hubbard, and Spaghetti squash for best gardening results. Design Your Own Vegetable Garden Layout Using our Free "Vegetable Garden Planner" Software! How to Grow Winter SquashVegetable gardeners usually do not begin winter squash until warmer weather arrives in their area because the slow growing winter squash thrive best in warmer temperatures.Winter squash can take as long as 110 days to grow before ready for harvesting. Some of the trailing vine types spread 15 feet or more. So be sure to leave lots of space in the garden for your squash plants! Planting Winter SquashWinter squash varieties include Acorn, Butternut, Hubbard, and Spaghetti squash plants. Planting and growing methods are the same for all of the winter squash varieties. Growing winter squash require special soil attention. Start by digging a hole about the size of a bushel basket. Download Free Garden Planning Worksheets, Garden Diary, Zone Chart, Or Planting Guide There are both male and female blossoms on squash plants that are easy to tell apart. The male's flower stem is straight and slim. The female's stem has a bulbous growth just below the flower, which will become the fruit. Typically, a squash plant produces a number of male flowers before the female flowers appear. There are always more male flowers than female.
Favorite Winter Squash VarietiesEarly ButternutEarly Butternut is harvestable in 82 days. An All America Selections Winner, the compact vines of the plant produce thick necked fruits with rich orange flesh nearly ten days earlier than standard butternuts. Produce averages 10 inches long with creamy yellow skins.Table QueenTable Queen Acorn Squash is ready for harvest in 85 days. This winter squash variety is an heirloom favorite. The dark green acorn squash has orange colored flesh. Fruits measure 5 inches long and are excellent for storage. This old time pick is great tasting baked in the oven.Waltham ButternutThe growing winter squash variety Waltham Butternut comes highly recommended by avid gardeners. This squash is resistant to diseases and most importantly to the squash vine borer. (You can imagine what this insect does according to its name!) The butternut squash has a smooth beige skin that is easy to peel and thick flesh which means more food on the table. Most of all, it has flavor superb. The only detractor to the tremendous producer is that it is a vining crop and the vines can take up a lot of vegetable gardening space. Other winter squash favorites include Hubbard and spaghetti squash, both of which are great additions to the vegetable garden harvest. All in all, the good points outweigh the challenge of finding enough space when growing winter squash! Harvesting Winter SquashGrowing winter squash are intended for long periods of storage. On the other hand, if they are picked the wrong way, the produce will only last a few days. For example, the vine of the Waltham Butternut, bred for resistance to the attack of the squash vine borer is woody and tough. Although, the quickest way to harvest this squash is to just pull the fruit from the vine and break the stem off where it joins the fruit, this would leave the fruit open to rot and disease. When harvesting winter squash, cut the stem with shears about one inch from the fruit and take care not to scratch the squash as you harvest.
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