Zucchini and yellow squash are some of the simplest and most rewarding vegetables to grow in your garden. Zucchini and yellow squash are summer squash varieties. They grow into bushlike plants that stand almost 3 feet tall and several feet wide.
Planting Zucchini and Yellow Squash:
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Planting Squash Seeds in a Mound |
Pat the soil of the mound with your hand to give it some structure and scoop out a little bowl formation at the top of the mound and fill it with rich potting soil.
Plant the squash seeds about ½” deep. I plant 2 or 3 of seeds in the mound in case an insect gets one of them.
Gently mist the mound to help it keep its shape and avoid erosion. Water the squash seeds too. Squash seedlings will sprout in 5-8 days.
Squash Flowers and How to Harvest the Squash:
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Squash Flowers (male) |
Male flowers are usually on a longer stem and have a fairly straight base. The flower I am touching in the picture is a male flower. Female flowers have a ½ “round bulge at the base of the flower (at the location where my finger is touching the bloom. This round bulge is the ovary and indicates a female flower. Only female flowers will turn into a squash. Many beginning gardeners think something is wrong when they begin to notice that not all of the squash flowers are turning into squash. But don’t worry, that is just nature taking place.
Picking and Cooking Squash Blooms:
At this time, I have a lot of male squash flowers on my plants. This is pretty common in the beginning of the season. If you have too many male squash flowers you can cook them. Pick the male flowers while they are closed. Squash blossoms are open in the morning and then close during the afternoon or evening. The way to prepare squash blossoms is to fry them. Fried squash blossoms are a delicious treat. To fry squash blooms, dip them into a thin milk and flour batter and then fry them like you would fry potatoes.
Harvesting Squash:
Harvest your squash when it is between 6-8” long. Don’t let it get any longer than that or the outer skin will become harder and the inside seedier. Harvest your squash frequently so that the plant can put more of its energy into making more new squash.
To harvest your squash, cut the green stem above the squash. Turn your knife so that you cut away from the central stalk (so you don’t slip and cut into the plant. Don’t pull on the squash.
Squash Dishes:
Zucchini and yellow squash is great sautéed with rosemary, thyme and basil. Zucchini squash is also used in zucchini bread. Southerners love fried yellow squash. They slice it into thin round slices and roll it in cornmeal and fry it like potatoes.
Squash Pests:
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Squash Bug |
Watch for pests on your squash. The most common pest is the squash bug (also commonly called a stink bug because it emits a stinky smell when it is squished). Check your squash frequently for squash bugs by gently parting the leaves and looking toward the central stalk of the plant. If you see a squash bug, hand remove them (don’t smash them on your hand).
If you are having trouble catching the squash bug, use the board trick. Lay a small board on the ground near the central stalk of the plant. Make sure there is a little dugout of space under the board. Then come out the next morning and pick up the board and the squash bug(s) will be gathered under the board. Then you can get them all in one place.
Squash Bug Eggs:
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Squash Bug Eggs |
Watch the Video for more information:
Awesome! Make more videos!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if the squash bugs cause damage to the stems of the plant? I had issues last year with the stems looking burrowed into. What would be a good way to prevent this?
ReplyDeleteLoved your video, new subscriber, very professional and informative. Thank you for all the info.
Hello. More than likely the other squash culprit was to blame for the burrowed damage on the stems. That is the squash vine borer. I usually don't share wikipedia articles, but this one has some good pics of borer damage at the bottom of the page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_vine_borer
ReplyDeleteYou can actually wrap the stems with panty hose to help prevent them from entering your squash plant ;). Good luck to you.
Thank you so much! I'll be planting my own veggie garden soon, and this post told me pretty much everything I needed to know.
ReplyDeleteHi, I live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia Canada.
ReplyDeleteI have two problems when growing Zucchini - Mildew and End rot
I use a soaker hose for watering and water only in the morning.
By the middle of the season all the leaves basically turn white.
And many of the zucchini will grow 4-5 inches and then start rotting on the end
Anything I can do for these problems?
Thank you
I harvested some zucchini and now the leaves look limp. Does this mean the plant is already done?? I tried wAtering it but not helping much
ReplyDelete