Squash Culture
Native Americanscalled itisquoutersquash. The British call it marrow. Squash is the American English term. averages 65ºF (18ºC). Squash can be sown in late spring just about everywhere, and if you live in a long growing season region where the weather turned warm six weeks ago, you may be on to your second planting of squash, perhaps a second variety.
Most summer squash require 50 to 65 frost free days to mature. That means you can safely plant squash in the last week or two of spring. Winter squashes take a bit longer: 60 to 100 frost free days to mature. You can still sow winter squash seeds in late spring and get to harvest before the first frost in most regions. Tender summer squash can be eaten raw or cooked. If you got an early start on your squash this year, you may already be adding sliced raw young squash to salads.The requirements for planting and growing summer and winter squashes are the same except for the time required to harvest.
Site. Squash require full sun, warm weather, and good air circulation to mature.
Soil. Plant squash in humus-rich, well-drained soil; work in organic compost the autumn before planting or spread compost in the growing bed during the growing season. Bush-types varieties can be grown in containers. Squash is often planted on slight mounds or hills.
Watering Squash. Squash requires regular and even watering. Keep the soil just moist. Avoid overhead watering.
Feeding Squash. Squash are heavy feeders; apply lots of compost to the soil and they should do well. You can feed squash with compost tea every couple of weeks during the growing season.
Companions. Grow squash with celeriac, celery, corn, nasturtiums, melons, onions, radishes, peas, and beans. Avoid growing squash with potatoes.
Squash Pests. Aphids, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, squash vine borers, and other insects can all attack squash. Use rows covers to protect young plants from cucumber beetles and squash borers; remove covers when the plants bloom. Clean up refuse at the end of the season, and turn the soil in spring to bury insect pupae.
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- Delicata -Sweet Dumpling Squash
(C. pepo) 100 days. High sugar content. Fruit is 1-3 lbs each, and skin color is rust-white with green stripes. Delicate sweet flavor. This old heirloom was introduced in 1894 by Peter Henderson & Co.- Ronde de Nice
50 days. This is a delicious French heirloom variety. The flesh of this round, green zucchini is very tender and fine-flavored, making it an ideal squash for stuffing. A popular variety for home gardens and specialty growers. Vigorous, quick-growing plants.
- Table Queen Acorn
C. pepo) 80 days. Dark green Acorn-type fruit. Iowa Seed Co. introduced this variety in 1913 and is possibly of Native American origin. The small fruit has sweet, orange flesh.
- Yellow Crookneck
Crookneck squash, also known as yellow squash, is a cultivar of Cucurbita pepo, the species that also includes some pumpkins and most other summer squashes. The plants are bushy and do not spread like the plants of winter squash and pumpkin.
- Butterstick
Bright yellow zucchini with firm texture and sweet, nutty flavor. Prolific plants with single-stem habit and a long harvest period. 'Butterstick' produces a yellow straight-neck squash on a zucchini type plant. Proven tops for performance, flavor and wide adaptability.- Dark Green Zucchini-
Dark Green Zucchini is a variety that produces exceptionally high yields of flavorful zucchini. When mature, it can be up to 10 to 12 inches long. Ideal for multiple cooking dishes and baked goods such as cakes, breads, and muffins,this variety is a delight in the kitchen.
-Dark Star Zucchini
For those who love green zucchini, Dark Star is a top pick. Bred through a collaboration of the Organic Seed Alliance and Eel River Farms, with a goal to create an open-pollinated zucchini that is reliably uniform and dark green.
- Black Beauty Zucchini
"Black Beauty" zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) is an heirloom summer squash prized for its crisp, white flesh and dark green skin. This early-maturing zucchini is ready to harvest in just 48 days and produces an abundance of slender fruit.
- Buttercup Squash
The classic buttercup. A northern New England favorite. Great culinary attributes for an organic, open-pollinated variety: creamy, deep orange flesh with rich, sweet flavor. Avg. weight: 3–5 lb. Avg. yield: 3–4 fruits/plant
-Butternut Squash
Larger fruits with small seed cavities and thick, straight, cylindrical necks. Flesh has smooth texture and sweet flavor, particularly after 2 months of storage. This 1970 All-America Selections winner from Massachusetts is still deservedly the most widely grown, full-size OP butternut. Fruits avg. 9" long. Avg. weight: 4–5 lb. Avg. yield: 4–5 fruits/plant.
-Sugar Pumpkin
HEIRLOOM. An older, smaller variety of the Connecticut Field pumpkin. Small Sugar is even better for pies than its larger cousin Connecticut Field pumpkin. When Mr. Burpee offered it in 1887 he said: "A very prolific and handsome little pumpkin; usual size about 10" in diameter; skin is a deep orange-yellow. It is very fine-grained, sweet and sugary, and keeps well."
-Cinderella Pumpkin
The Cinderella is an excellent pumpkin for canning or baking pies and pumpkin bread as it has a great eating quality! This pumpkin variety is an heirloom variety from France that was selected out of the older variety, Rouge vif d’Etampes. Cinderella has deep ridges and exceptional flatening, making it a beautiful decoration for Halloween and other other fall festivities. This variety’s vines are very productive with pumpkins that have grooved, thick walls.