Seed to Seed Guide: Squash
Delicious, nutritious, and bound to drown you in fruit, the members of the Squash family are a diverse, multi-species group that includes everything from pumpkins to zucchini to butternut squash. Traditionally separated into two main groups, summer, and winter, summer squashes are defined by their thin skins and soft seeds and tend to be harvested and eaten during the growing season, hence the moniker of summer squash. Varieties of Summer Squash include zucchini, pattypan, and crookneck. Winter Squash, in contrast, is harvested at full maturity in the fall, cured to further harden their already tough skin, and can be stored in a cool, dark spot for months on end. Common Winter squash include pumpkins, spaghetti squash, and acorns.
High in vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron, squash is a versatile and delicious addition to hundreds of dishes. Stuff them, roast them, peel and chop them to serve in a salad, and puree them for sauces, soups, dumplings, and pies. Even the blossoms are edible! One of my favorite squash blossom recipes is the stuff them with cheese, bread them, and fry them in oil for a crunchy snack.
Seed Starting:
When starting your Squash from seed, it’s best to start them directly in the ground when the soil temperature is at or above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. In Minnesota, this means you will sow seeds into your prepared garden bed sometime in mid-May or early June
First, prepare your garden bed. Ensure it is free of rocks and other debris and mix in compost or manure to make sure the growing squash plants have all the nutrition they need to grow. Incorporate the organic material thoroughly and rake it smooth and even.
Plant the seeds ¾ of an inch deep into the soil, 24-30 inches apart for summer squash and 30-48 inches apart for winter squash. To help you estimate what this looks like, the distance between the first and second knuckle on your middle finger is approximately 1 inch. (Check yours against a ruler to ensure accuracy.)
Cover the squash seeds with the surrounding soil and give everything a good soak to get started
Optionally, you can cover the prepared bed with black plastic to help the soil retain heat while the seeds are germinating
Under ideal conditions, the squash will begin to sprout within 7-10 days of planting. At this point, remove the black plastic cover, if using.
If you are growing climbing varieties like zucchini, make sure to provide the plants with a sturdy trellis to climb as they mature. Attach the vines to the trellis as they grow with twine or gardener's tape. Keep in mind that the stems and vines will continue to grow, so don’t tie them on too tight!
Ongoing Care:
Squash are very thirsty plants. Make sure to water the soil deeply and often if the plants are not getting enough water from available rain. Just try to avoid watering the tops of the leaves, as squash can be susceptible to various fungal diseases that can stunt their growth.
You can encourage fruit growth by feeding your squash plants. There are several over-the-counter options available in gardening stores. Make sure to read the directions thoroughly before using, as too much concentrated fertilizer can burn your plant's roots and leaves, stunting its growth.
Mulching around your squash plants is a good way to control weeds and add organic material to your garden bed. Straw or hay bales can be broken apart and layered to provide a cheap and sustainable alternative to wood chips that can be folded into the soil or heaped on the compost pile at the end of the growing season.
Summer squashes are best harvested when they are young and tender. As for winter squashes, they are ready to harvest when their skin is difficult to puncture with a fingernail. For those of you who want to store your winter squashes for long-term use, you must first cure them by storing them in a warm place for 10-14 days somewhere with good air circulation; set your squash on an elevated rack or even a window screen and let air circulate in and around them as they cure to avoid rotting.
Seed Saving:
Saving Squash seeds is at once easy and challenging. Easy, because squash seeds are big, prominent, and are often already removed during the cooking process. Where it gets challenging, however, is how readily the many different varieties of squash interbreed. Zucchini, for example, can breed with varieties like acorn and crookneck squash, giving you seed hybrids that don’t produce fruit that really looks or tastes like either of the parents! If you want to ensure pure seed stock, plant each variety a minimum of 800 feet apart. Or just grow one variety at a time.
A note on Summer squash; since the fruit is harvested and eaten immature, a mature squash of this type will be much larger than the typical market size and will undergo a color change when fully ripe
Split the squash in half and remove the seed cluster either by hand or using a spoon
Remove as much of the stringy pulp from the seeds as possible, then transfer to a wire mesh strainer and rinse to remove any remaining pulp
Spread the seeds in a single layer across a mesh screen to dry completely
Once completely dry, place into an envelope labeled with the date and variety of squash, and place into a clean, dry glass jar to store in a cool, dry place like a basement or cupboard. When done correctly, the seeds can remain viable for up to 6 years.
Check out these sources from the University of Minnesota, The New World Encyclopedia, and Seed Savers Exchange for more information:
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/pumpkins-and-winter-squash
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-summer-squash-and-zucchini
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Squash_(plant) and
https://www.seedsavers.org/grow-squash
For starting with seeds and saving seeds check out our Youtube channel under growing resources for 2023!
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