|
|
|
|
How We Plant Pumpkins and Squash
 Pumpkins, squash, gourds, cucumbers, melons and zucchini are all members of the gourd, or cucurbit, family. They are leggy vine plants that love hot days, lots of water and tend to sprawl all over the place. Summer squash, such as zucchini, are large, upright plants that produce early and continue producing until fall. Winter squash, such as pumpkins and gourds, are vining plants and produce only a few fruit. Squash are heavy feeders and will require extra nitrogen during the growing season to remain healthy. If you plant them too close, they can cross-pollinate and you will get some strange results.
Watch out how many zucchini you plant, because each one produces plenty, and we do mean plenty of fruit. One year we put our zucchini into 2 wooden barrels off to the side of the garden, in the hopes of limiting their production. But no such luck! They just keep producing and producing and producing… Well, that’s zucchini!
|
|
|
Planting in a Barrel
 |
 |
 |
| Add fertilizer to hole |
Trim lip off of peat pot |
Cover pot with soil
Water
|
|
|
|
|
|
The way we plant all varieties of squash is to begin them inside in peat pots around the end of May. We put them in the outdoor garden, between the pea plants, towards the end of June. The peas, which are completely picked shortly thereafter, are pulled from the garden, leaving room for the squash plants. This is a good example of succession, or relay, planting.
|
|
|
Planting in the Garden
 |
 |
 |
| Cut slits in plastic |
Dig hole in soil |
Mix fertilizer in hole |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Remove lip of peat pot |
Lower plant into hole |
Cover pot with soil
Water
|
|
|
|
|
|
Many seed companies will sell a mixture of squash in a single seed package, because normally only 1 or 2 plants are all that will be needed by most home gardeners. In the past we have planted Autumn Cup Hybrid, a green buttercup, Early Butternut Hybrid, a butternut squash, Heart of Gold Hybrid, a colorful variety, Dark Queen zucchini, which never stopped growing, and an Early Sugar or Pie pumpkin, which is good for both cooking and Halloween.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
