How to Grow Summer Squash

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By apalmer
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Growing summer squash in the garden.

Squash grow in vines and bush varities and taste great. Growing squash is easy if grown properly. Squash love growing near icicle radishes and nasturtium flowers. They seem to dislike nothing. Squash grow in containers if they have 2 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet. Purchase melon seeds in packages or bulk at the local garden center. Here is how to get started growing delicious squash.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Seeds
Transplants
Fertilizer

Step 1

LOCATION. Squash plants prefer a sunny, warm location and are easy to grow in these conditions.
Step 2

GROUND PREP. Squash are hungry plants and need plenty of well-rotted manure and one-inch compost before planting. Squash plants do best in raised hills or mounds to keep the roots warm and drained. Make hills four feet apart and about a foot tall.
Step 3

TRANSPLANTS. If you want to jump start on the season, start seeds in three-inch peat pots three to four weeks before the frost free date. Set out three plants per hill. On the day you transplant, sow more seeds in separate hills to extend your harvest period.
Step 4

PLANT. Soak squash seeds in compost seeds 15 minutes to overnight. Squash seeds can be directly sown outside in prepared hills. Sow four seeds per hill, later you can thin to three of the best seedlings. If all the seeds do well, consider making another hill somewhere and plant it there. Move the seedlings you thin to another hill.
Step 5

FERTILIZE. Apply 1 pound of alfalfa meal per 25-foot row and mulch well. Mulching will keep the soil cool and moist give you a longer harvest and better melon growth. Every 1 to 2 weeks water with compost tea to fertilize. Apply 1 gallon of compost tea for every 25 feet row. Make sure to apply fertilizer tea early morning or late evening, when temperatures are cooler in the day.
Step 6

HARVEST. Summer squash can be harvested once they hit desired size and coloring, which is usually about eight inches long.

Winter squash are harvested when plants start to die at the end of the season, and especially before frost. Winter squash should be cured two weeks in a sunny location before storing.