Growing Summer SquashGrowing Summer Squash Summer squash is also known as crookneck, zucchini, straight neck and zucchini squash. Growing on vines that can get quite widespread. The vines also have small, sharp spikes so use caution when picking or weeding in the area of Summer Squash. They can be round, scalloped, curved or long and thin. They are best harvested while they are till young and tender. Planting Summer Squash Summer squash can be planted as soon as the soil is warm enough. The daytime temperature should be at least 60 degrees and the night temperature no colder than 45 degrees. The seeds can be planted in small mounds or hills. Place only 2 or 3 seeds in each mound. They should also be about 2 to 3 feet between the mounds. They can be thinned when the plants are about 2 or 3 inches tall. The soil must be a rich soil and have good drainage. Squash is a sun loving vegetable. Squash is one of the plants that bloom with female and male blossoms. This is necessary for pollination.
Mid April through mid-August is a good time for planting summer squash. Squash only needs about an inch of water a week and should be watered when fertilized. The water is most important when they start to bloom. Harvesting Summer Squash Most Hybrid Summer Squash is ready to harvest in 45 to 65 days. The smaller varieties can be picked when they are 2 or 3 inches long. The summer squash that is of the long variety should be about 6 or 8 inches long. If you leave them too long before picking, they will become tough and you will not want to eat them. One thing you should do after they start blooming is to check them almost daily. Some squash is ready to pick only 4 days after they start blooming. During harvest squash can only be kept a few days. They are very easily bruised since the skin is tender and will not last more than about 3 or 4 days. Summer Squash Pests and Diseases One garden pest you’ll likely encounter growing Hybrid Summer Squash is the cucumber beetle. They will eat the leaves as well as the seedlings. They are also disease spreaders. Mosaic disease as well as bacterial wilt are spread by these beetles. The cucumber beetle will be close by when the season starts. They can destroy a whole crop of summer squash because there can be several sets of new cucumber beetles in one season. The squash bug is another pest to be concerned with when it comes to the summer squash. They like the leaves of the plant. Young plants are especially affected by this pest. The squash vine borer is a larvae that bores into the stem at the base of the summer squash. Once there they feed until they have become adults by which time the summer squash vine has been severed from the root. Similar Posts _________________________________________________________________ Top of Growing Summer Squash Listed under Gardening Plants Gardening Coupons
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