Squashes

Summer Squashes

In general, summer squash are most tender and flavorful when very young.

Pick baby summer squash as well as the more mature ones.

                                              

Black Zucchini Squash

      ·        Zucchini is easy to grow and produces plentifully. 

·        Produce may be cooked in a variety of ways as well as frozen. 

·        Place plants in a sunny location in late spring in warm soil. 

·       Plants should be cultivated in enriched soil which is firmed around the plant base and kept moist and composted. 

·      The first fruit blossoms may fail to produce; don’t be concerned as this is a normal occurrence. 

·        Harvest when fruit is 5-7 inches long and 1-1 ½ inches wide. 

·        This form of harvesting will extend the growing season for this squash.

Lebanese White Bush Marrow

·        Early season heirloom that provides a harvest approximately 50 days after planting.

·        Produces large, six to eight inch, creamy white squashes.

·        Stands up to dry conditions better than many squash varieties.

·        Needs plenty of room as this is a large plant.

·        Space plants at least three feet apart.

·        This variety is also good for steaming and stuffing.

Lemon Squash

·        Fruit is the size, shape and color of a lemon and can be grown on a trellis on the patio.

·        The small fruit are very tasty and are especially good when sautéed.

·        Spacing: 6-8 feet apart

·       All varieties of squash prosper in fertile soil with high levels of organic material.

·        Amend the soil with compost or a balanced fertilizer.

·        The ideal pH for lemon squash is between 6.0 and 6.5.

·        Lemon squash is a warm-season crop and should not be planted in the garden until all danger of frost has passed.

·        The prime soil temperature is 85 degrees F.

·       Heavy drinkers, lemon squash require consistent watering to grow into large plants.

·        To reduce the competition for water and nutrients, weed the area while the plants are young.

·       As the lemon squash plant matures, the large leaves will help shade the ground and reduce weeds.

·       This variety of summer squash is best harvested while still young and it reaches the size of a large lemon.

·        Best when harvested immature, lemon squash tastes identical to crookneck and straight-neck squash varieties.

·       To minimize damage to the plant, use a serrated knife to cut the squash from the plant.

·        In addition to the squash itself, the edible blossoms may be harvested in the early morning when they are fresh and firm.

Odessa Squash

                                                        

·        A Russian squash variety, tender with good flavor.

·        Fruits are short, fat and white.

·        Seedlings should be gradually hardened off.

·        Do not disturb the roots while transplanting.

·        Grow 4-5 feet apart in a sunny location.

·        Plants prefer rich, compost enriched soil as they are very heavy feeders.

·        They will cross pollinate within their species.

·        May be harvested all season and while immature.

·        After harvest they should be ripened for 30 days in a cool location.

 Summer Crookneck Squash

·        Plant summer crookneck squash in hills with one to two plants per hill. 

·        Water each hill regularly at the center of the plant during hot, dry periods, as crookneck squash grows better with ample sun and water.

·        Weed as often as necessary.

·        Harvest crookneck squash while they are young, pale yellow in color, and four to six inches in length.

·        Squashes grow rapidly and, when more than one plant exists, you can expect to harvest daily after production begins.

Yellow Scallop Squash

  

·        Golden bright yellow fruit with a rich, mellow flavor.

·        Bush plants with a good yield.

·        Grow 3 feet apart in a sunny location.

·        Plants prefer rich, compost enriched soil as they are very heavy feeders.

·        Do not disturb the roots while transplanting.

·        Grown for immature fruits which can be harvested all season.

Winter Squashes

Winter squashes are best left on the vine until fully mature. It should require quite a bit of pressure before your fingernail pierces through the rind into the flesh. For the best sugar content, cut the stem an inch or so from the body after the first light frost, and if the weather is dry, let them cure in the field. If temperatures drop below 25°F, bring your harvest inside and store in a cool dry location.

Galeux d’Eysines Squash

  

·       French heirloom squash has beautiful salmon-peach colored skin covered with peanut shell-like warts caused by sugar in the skin.

·       Traditionally used in France for soups and sauces, when cooked, the sweet, orange flesh is as smooth as velvet.

·       Each flattened squash weighs 10-15 pounds and can store for up to 6 months.

·        Squash and pumpkins prefer good fertile soil and plenty of sunshine.

·        For best results transplant prior to the second set of true leaves.

·        Work 1 cup of complete fertilizer into the soil around each plant. 

·        For direct sowing, plant after your last frost and when the soil has warmed to at least 60°F.

·        Optimum soil temperature for germination: 65-80°F. Days to germination: 5-10.

·        Sow 1 inch deep and 24 inches between bush varieties, 36 inches between vining varieties.

·       Squash needs just-barely-damp soils to germinate. Too much moisture causes the seed to rot.

Gill’s Golden Pippin Squash

                                          

·        Considered the best tasting of all acorn squashes. 

·        Small acorn-shaped fruits have a sweet flesh which is very flavorful. 

·        Plant in very rich, well-amended soil. 

·        Plant in rows 5-8 feet apart or in hills 6-8 feet apart. 

·        Thin to three plants per hill. 

·        Plants require full sun and plenty of moisture. 

·       Harvest in the autumn when the skins are too tough to be easily punctured with a thumbnail.

Greek Sweet Red Butternut Squash

• As summer-growing plants, butternut squash seeds or seedlings need a warm weather start.
• Put butternut seedlings or seeds in the spring garden only after the last frost lifts. In cold areas of the country, wait until night time temperatures rise over 60 degrees F, to protect the new plants from cold temperatures and late frosts.
• Butternut squash plants require long growing seasons, with maturity dates as late as 80 to 100 days. Get mid-summer butternut squash seedlings into the ground 3 1/2 months before the first frost to give them time to mature, or choose quick cultivars and plant accordingly.
• Mix organic compost into the garden soil before planting to provide a rich, crumbly foundation, and plant the squash only where it gets full sunshine all day.
• Give each squash seedling the space it requires, depending on whether you're growing a large vining or small bush cultivar.
• When mature they somewhat resemble an elongated butternut squash, both in shape and color, and should have a rich sweet flavor.  They are mature and ripe when they harden as they aren't good as soft vegetables.
• Green skin turns golden when ready for harvest.
• Cut stem 6" from squash for best storage. 

 

Triamble/Shamrock Squash

      

·       Grow winter squashes in very rich soil, amended with manure, compost or other rich source of plant nutrients.

·       Plant in rows 5-8 feet in both directions, once plant each 6-12 inches or in hills 6-8 feet apart with three plants per hill. 

·       Full sun, ample moisture and insect control are necessary for good production. 

·       Harvest in the fall when the skin is too tough to be easily punctured by a fingernail.