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A Beginner's Guide to Growing Zucchini and Summer Squash

© Jojo Sigurgeirson

Squash can be grown from seeds or from plantlets, available at nurseries. Seed packets (up to 40 seeds) come in more varieties, but planting them all will yield too many plants/fruit.

Squash need lots of sun to produce fruit and in rainy climates, well-drained soil is essential.

Tips for Outdoor Planting

• Wait until the chance of frost has passed, and the soil has warmed up.
• Space the plants about 1 meter apart.
• Use organic compost or mushroom manure, and organic fertilizer.
• Dig in a few handfuls of dolomite lime. This will provide calcium and prevent rot.
• Plant each seed about 3 inches (7 cm) deep.
• Don't water heavily until the seeds have sprouted.
• Sow three to four seeds in a group and thin by cutting out (not pulling out) the best 2 plants once they have one true leaf.

Summer squash need about 65 frost-free, good gardening days in order to mature. If you live in a climate where that isn’t possible, buy plants or start them indoors. Squash seedlings will be happy indoors only up to 4 weeks, unless you transplant into a larger pot and set them into a greenhouse or under artificial heat and light.

Indoor Seeding Tips

• Start indoors 4 weeks before planting outside is possible.
• Use individual paper or peat pots (not plastic) to minimize root disturbance when you plant.
• Plant 1 seed per pot.

Tending the Plants

Zucchinis usually grow at least 15 leaves before flowering. Often the first flowers are male and will not produce fruit. A female flower has a small swelling at its base, while a male flower does not. If desired, pick male flowers for eating -- they're great in salads or lightly braised with sweet peppers.

Water the plants deeply, letting the top of the soil dry out a bit between waterings. Water around the base of the plant only, not from above. This is important especially in cold climates, where mildew can flourish on the leaves if water droplets sit on them for too long.

Squash are light feeders and shouldn’t require extra fertilizer. You may top dress and dig in a few litres of compost per plant to give them a boost late in the season. Avoid using products that are high in nitrogen, such as fish fertilizer, which will encourage more leaves and stems.

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