12 Squash Growing Mistakes to Avoid this Season

by Jennifer Poindexter

Do you need a plant that will produce a large harvest? Squash could be it. One plant can produce anywhere from five to twenty pounds of summer squash. Growing conditions and care of the plant can make a large impact on the amount of squash you get from each plant. Other varieties of squash can also produce varying amounts.

However, there are some common mistakes and problems that gardeners run into when growing squash. Whether you’re new to gardening or an experienced gardener who struggles with raising squash, you should be aware of common issues with this crop. Here’s what you should know about the struggles of raising squash.

1. Gardeners Pick the Wrong Variety

It’s important to pick the right variety of squash for the time of year you’re planting it and also for your planting zone.

If you don’t align these two specifications with the type of squash planted, your crops won’t thrive.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

Summer squash usually produces under warm conditions and reaches harvest in approximately two months.

Winter squash can handle cooler temperatures but takes longer to reach harvest. If you have a shorter growing season, you might only raise winter squash if you have a greenhouse setting.

Summer squash is a viable candidate for most zones because of how fast it produces a harvest. Take all of this into consideration when choosing the right variety of squash for your growing situation.

Learn more. Squash Varieties

2. Gardeners Plant at the Wrong Times

Squash has desired growing conditions like every other vegetable. Therefore, you must provide what the plant needs for it to thrive.

This isn’t possible if you rush into planting too early. You might fail to provide the warmth the plant desires. If you plant the crop too late, you might run into weather that’s too cold.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

You must understand what each variety of squash needs to plant it at the right time. Summer squash needs temperatures around 70-degrees Fahrenheit to thrive.

Therefore, you should wait until all threat of frost has passed before planting this variety of squash. Winter squash needs approximately 100 days of no frost to reach harvest.

Check your first expected frost date and count backwards to know when to plant this crop. If you plant it too late, the frost might destroy your harvest.

Learn more: How to Find Your USDA Garden Zone

3. The Soil Gets Skipped

I understand the enthusiasm and excitement many gardeners feel when they can get outside, begin digging in the dirt, and producing their own food.

However, you can’t skip the basics and expect a fruitful harvest. Pay attention to your soil when raising squash.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

Squash plants are heavy feeders. Therefore, it’s vital that you amend the soil prior to planting. This ensures many of the nutrients, the plant desires, will be there as it grows.

This will also help the soil to become aerated and drain better. Well-draining soil is important because it allows the plants to receive moisture without being kept in a consistently soggy state.

Take care of your soil before planting squash, and your plants should be healthier for your added efforts.

Learn more. Improve Your Soil

4. The Squash Aren’t Given Adequate Space

As mentioned above, squash plants are heavy feeders. This is the reason it’s important to consider spacing in your garden before planting.

If you can’t provide squash plants with adequate spacing, it will hinder their growth. Look at your garden space and be realistic about how many squash plants it can hold.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

Squash plants need three feet of space between each plant and each row. If you plant them too closely, they’ll compete for nutrients and starve each other out.

Be sure to look at your garden space and mark the spacing prior to planting. This will provide a realistic view of what your garden space can support.

5. Incorrect Watering Habits

Did you know there’s a right and wrong way to water your plants? Some plants have shallow roots and should be watered lightly.

However, for plants that can form deep root systems, they need to be watered deeply. Squash plants fall under the latter category.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

Squash plants shouldn’t be watered lightly on a daily basis. Instead, you should practice the deep watering method.

This means that you’ll water your plants for a longer time, fewer days of the week. When watering your plants this way, it ensures it reaches the roots.

However, it also encourages the roots to dig deeper between watering sessions, which creates strong root systems and healthier plants.

When watering your squash plants, try to water them earlier in the day. This will give them time to dry before the temperatures decrease at night.

If you water your plants too late in the day, it provides a breeding ground for fungal diseases between the cooler temperatures and the moisture.

Learn more. Watering Tips

6. Pests and Diseases are Ignored

It’s easy to become busy while gardening. When growing a variety of plants, they all have needs. It can be hard to catch everything.

However, it’s important to at least try. If not, diseases and pests can demolish your garden quickly. You should also be aware of the common threats which attack squash plants.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

You can’t turn a blind eye to pests or diseases in your garden. If you do, you probably won’t have much of a crop to harvest.

The most common diseases to impact squash plants are fungal diseases, bacterial wilt, and blossom end rot.

Fungal diseases should be treated with a fungicide. You should also make sure the plants aren’t being overwatered, are being given time to dry during the day, and there’s enough airflow around the plants.

If bacterial wilt makes its way to you squash plants, there’s no cure. Therefore, the best thing to do is avoid this disease by keeping cucumber beetles out of your garden. These pests can carry the disease from plant to plant.

Finally, blossom end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency. If you notice signs of this disease, place powdered milk at the base of your plants to supplement the needed nutrient.

The pests which most commonly impact squash plants are squash vine borers and squash bugs. These pests can be treated using an insecticide and by placing a row cover over your crops.

Learn more. Squash Vine Borers. Squash Bugs.

7. The Plants Aren’t Fed Adequately

Squash plants are heavy feeders. Though the soil should be amended prior to planting, this probably won’t be enough to carry them through the entire growing season.

Therefore, it’s a mistake to not add additional fertilizer to your squash plants at the appropriate times. Understanding when and what type of fertilizer to use it vital in caring for your plants properly.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

You can avoid underfeeding your squash plants by applying a balanced fertilizer to each plant twice during the growing season.

The first instance is only if you’re growing the plants from seed. If so, when they first emerge from the soil, they should be fertilized.

The second instance is when the plants begin to bloom and form fruit. They’ll need an added boost of nutrients during this time.

Learn more. Fertilizing.

8. Squash are Planted with the Wrong Plants

Some gardeners participate in companion planting while others don’t. Companion planting isn’t a requirement when growing squash.

However, it is a requirement to understand which plants squash shouldn’t be planted around. There are some plants which attract the same pests and require many of the same nutrients as squash. You don’t want to plant these vegetables near each other to protect both harvests.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

If you choose to participate in companion planting, squash does well when planted with corn, beans, tomatoes, herbs, radishes, and peas.

However, squash plants shouldn’t be planted near potatoes. Placing these two vegetables near each other will cause them to compete for nutrients.

Learn more. Companion Planting

9. Harvesting at the Wrong Time

Understanding when and how to harvest your squash plants is necessary. If you harvest at the wrong time or in the wrong way, it can diminish your yield.

Different varieties of squash have different signs you should look for when harvest time is near. Be sure to know how to harvest each kind of squash planted in your garden.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

Summer squash should be harvested while it’s young and tender. When the squash is approximately four to six inches long, it should be ready to leave your garden and head to the kitchen.

However, when the squash becomes dark yellow, lumpy, or large know that you’ve probably missed your ideal time of harvest.

Don’t let it get you down. The older squash are wonderful for shredding and using when baking sweets.

Winter squash should only be harvested when the skin is tough. Press your fingernail into the skin of the squash. If it makes a dent, it’s ready to pick.

The stem of the winter squash should also be harder at time of harvest. Whether you’re harvesting winter or summer squash, be sure to use a sharp knife or a pair of shears to remove the fruit from the plant.

This will avoid harming the plant in the process. Winter squash must also be cured before storing it for long-term use.

10. Winter Squash are Stored Incorrectly

Squash is a difficult crop to store for long-term use. If you grow summer squash, you can only preserve it through dehydration or freezing. It’s not recommended for canning. 

Winter squash can be stored whole if it’s cured and stored correctly. If you fail to store winter squash correctly, the harvest will go to waste.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

Winter squash should be stored under the same conditions as root vegetables. You only want to store the squash that have no blemishes on them.

Those blemishes can frequently invite rot over a longer period of time. Therefore, if you harvest any winter squash that have issues, use them first.

Be sure to store the cured winter squash in a cool, dry location that receives adequate airflow. They should be stored at approximately 50-degrees Fahrenheit.

You can use a root cellar or basement to store winter squash. The most important thing is to make sure they don’t touch each other while in storage.

If they’re left touching, the flesh of the squash will break down causing rot. The rot will spread and ruin your harvest.

Learn more. Storing Squash.

11. The Plants Aren’t Given Enough Light

Squash are sun-loving plants. This is a vital part of ensuring they have an adequate grow space and ideal growing conditions.

Taking the time to consider your grow space, before planting, could make all the difference in your growing experience with squash.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

Avoid this mistake by ensuring your squash plants receive adequate lighting. They need full sun which requires a minimum of six hours of sunlight per day.

Provide your squash plants with well-draining soil that’s high in nutrients and adequate sunlight, and they should be happy in their designated growing area.

Learn more. Full Sun

12. Not Enough Pollinators in the Garden

The final mistake many gardeners make is not having a garden space that’s welcoming to pollinators. Squash requires pollination. They don’t self-pollinate. 

Therefore, if pollinators don’t do the job, you’ll have to. It’s up to you which method you prefer when raising squash.

How to Avoid this Mistake:

You can create a garden that’s welcoming to pollinators by planting herbs and annual flowers in your grow space.

I like to plant marigolds in my garden. Their scent deters unwanted pests, while their colors bring the right visitors to my grow space.

If you’d prefer to hand pollinate your squash plants, you must use your finger to remove pollen from a male flower and place it in a female flower.

Depending upon the amount of squash plants you’re growing, will determine which method will work best in your garden.

These are the most common mistakes people make when growing squash. Now that you’re aware of them, take these tips and use them to avoid mishaps when raising squash plants in your garden. 

Learn more. Pollinator Friendly Gardens

More About Growing Squash

http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene11f1.html 

https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-summer-squash-and-zucchini-home-gardens

https://web.extension.illinois.edu/veggies/ssquash.cfm