Wed 7 Jan 2009
There are two types of squash. Summer squash, the faster growing, smaller fruited type, is planted for warm weather harvesting and eaten when young with skins, immature seeds, and all. Winter squash is planted and grown just like a pumpkin, which it resembles in vine size and fruiting characteristics. Summer squash can yield prodigious crops from just a few plants and will continue bearing for several weeks. The bushes are large - 21/2 feet x 4 feet across at maturity -and will overgrow smaller vegetables unless given plenty of room. Winter squash, a rampant grower with bigger fruits, is grown for late harvest and winter storage. The skin is hard and inedible. Scoop out seeds and pulp before baking. Seeds may be saved, dried, and roasted.
How to plant
Wait until frost danger is past and the soil is warm. Plant seeds 1 inch deep in circles of three to five, spaced 4 to 5 feet apart. Later thin to two plants per circle.
Care
Since squash loses lots of water through its large leaves, water heavily and frequently. Mulches help conserve moisture and decrease loss of fruit to rotting. Squash needs plenty of fertilizer to replace the nutrients removed by heavy growth and prolific fruit production. Dry fertilizers are hard to apply because of the heavy foliage canopy. Feeding and watering can be accomplished at the same time by planting seeds around a 2 to 3-gallon can that has been perforated and sunk into the ground. Fill it full of water twice weekly and with a dilute solution of fertilizer at least once a month.
Harvesting
Pick yellow varieties when pale yellow rather than golden. Harvest scalloped squash when small and greenish, before they turn white.
Summer squash should be picked before the skin turns hard; test it with your thumbnail for tenderness. From 4 to 8 inches long is the best harvest stage; the seeds and skin begin to get hard and tough in larger fruits. To prolong the harvest period, pick frequently and do not allow any fruit to reach large size.
Harvest winter squash in late fall after the vines have dried but before a heavy frost. The skin of fruits should be hard when tested with your thumbnail. Stems are thick; cut them with a sharp knife, leaving a 2-inch stub. Store the squash in a warm, dry place.
In containers
Squash plants are too big for all but the largest containers.
