Squash, Summer

The summer squash plant is a versatile plant that can include so many different types of squash from yellow squash to zucchini. Growing summer squash is similar to growing any other type of vining plants. They also last a while in the refrigerator after picking, so you don’t have to eat them as soon as you pick them.

How to Grow Summer Squash

In order to get the best crop of summer squash plants, you will want to wait to plant the seeds in the ground until after any danger of frost. The frost free date for the Susquehanna Valley is around mid¬May.

When planting summer squash plants, you want to start them in the ground by seed. Start the seeds about two to three seeds in an area that should be spaced 24 to 36 inches apart. You can put four to five seeds in hills that are located 48 inches apart. Make sure that however you choose to plant these seeds, you plant them one inch deep into the soil.

Planting summer squash plants should be done in well drained soil that has been raked well. When planted on hills, you will see vines and tendrils coming off the vines everywhere after a while.

You can rearrange your summer squash plant tendrils so they keep growing near or on the hill, but once the tendrils take hold, don’t pull them or you might disrupt the growth of the plant. Further, be careful once you see fruits starting to form because if they fall off, or if you knock the flowers off your summer squash plant, it won’t produce that particular fruit.

Summer Squash Tips

Your squash will develop rapidly after the flowering stage of the plant. When harvesting the growing summer squash, you should decide what you want to use the squash for. You can use it in recipes and many different dishes. Because they come in different varieties, there are different flavors as well. Some are milder than others.