How to Care for Italian Squash Plants
Italian squash are popping up in farmer's markets and organic produce stores. These squash are light or grayish-green and are drier than most zucchini. The large plants produce fewer fruits than other summer squash varieties and more male flowers. If you dream of stuffed or fried squash blossoms, try the Romanesco, Zuchetta or Tromboncino varieties. Italian squash may require slightly more room in the garden, but the growing requirements are similar to those of other summer squash. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Compost
- Shovel
- Weed-free straw or black plastic
- Lightweight sheets or row covers
- 10-10-10 fertilizer
- Garden hose
Instructions
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Select a garden location that receives at least six to eight hours of sunlight per day. Amend the soil in early spring with 2 inches of compost. Blend the compost with the topsoil to a depth of 8 inches. Italian squash need a soil pH level between 6.0 and 8.0. Add lime to the soil to raise the pH level if necessary. Add sulfur to lower the pH of very alkaline soil.
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Plant the Italian squash seeds after the last expected frost. Plant two or three seeds in hills spaced 24 to 36 inches apart. When the seedlings come up, remove all but one plant from each hill. Two or three plants are sufficient for most families.
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Lay black plastic mulch or weed-free straw over the soil. These mulches warm up the soil, reduce weed growth and conserve moisture. If a late frost is forecast, cover young plants with lightweight sheets or floating row covers.
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Water Italian squash plants at least weekly to keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Water a quickly draining sandy soil more frequently. Also water more frequently during windy, hot weather. Thirsty squash plants require at least 1 inch of water per week, especially when they're producing fruit.
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Add a balanced vegetable fertilizer---such as 10-10-10---to the soil surrounding the plants, following package directions, to produce vigorous growth and high yields. Take care to avoid getting the fertilizer on the plants. Cultivate the soil lightly with a hoe to mix the fertilizer into the ground. Do not hoe deeply, as squash have shallow roots that are easily damaged.
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Harvest Italian squash when they're less than 8 inches long for the best flavor. Cut them with a sharp knife at the base of the fruit. Twisting and ripping them off may damage the plant. Continue harvesting them until the first heavy frost. Throw away any large fruits with hard shells and prominent seeds.
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Watch for insect and disease problems. Pick off Japanese beetles by hand and destroy them, and treat severe insect problems with an insecticidal soap. Powdery mildew commonly affects squash plants, but usually doesn't decrease yields. Other diseases, such as anthracnose, have no cure. Remove dead and diseased leaves, space the plants far enough apart so there is good air circulation, and rotate the plants to a different location each year.
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Tips & Warnings
Use only the male blossoms for stuffing and frying. They have a slender, trim base, while female flowers have a thick, stout base with a bulge at the end, which is the developing fruit. Cut the blossoms at their base with a sharp knife and use them immediately, but leave a few male blossoms to pollinate the females and produce fruit.
Store the unwashed fruit in a plastic bag in the vegetable crisper drawer. Use them within two to three days.
Most gardeners tire of summer squash long before production ends. Grate and freeze Italian squash or make it into relish. Share it with friends and co-workers.
