Winter Squash
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting
Winter Squash
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow winter squash in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- How many winter squash plants to grow
- Growing conditions for winter squash
- When to plant winter squash
- How to plant winter squash
- Watering, fertilizing, and pruning winter squash
- Companion plantings for winter squash
- How to harvest, store, and use winter squash
Growing Winter Squash
Winter squash—acorn, banana, buttercup, Hubbard, spaghetti, and turban—are vining, warm season annual vegetables. They are plants with large, hairy leaves bearing many black, green, orange, yellow, and multicolored, round, oval, club-shaped, or asymmetrical squash with thick rinds and containing succulent flesh with varied textures and flavors, 4–30 in. (10–75 cm) long and wide.
Grilling, boiling, and baking are typical recipe uses of winter squash. Once cooked, squash may be mashed, sliced,or grated as a main or side ingredient of casseroles, pies, stews, or soups.
Winter Squash Plant and Care Guide
How Much to Plant
Allow 1–2 plants of each cultivar per household member.
How to Plant
Seed germinates in 8–10 days.
Average Climates: Sow seed or transplant seedlings in full sun in spring when soil warms to 65–85°F (18–29°C).
Mild-Winter Climates: Sow seed in spring and early autumn.
Sow 4–5 seeds, 2–3 in. (50–75 mm) deep, 3–4 in. (75–100 mm) apart, thinning to 2 plants per drill, in hills raised 1 ft. (30 cm) high and 2 ft. (60 cm) wide, 6–8 ft. (1.8–2.4 m) apart, or in rows 3–6 ft. (90–180 cm) apart, installing sturdy tripod supports at time of planting [see: Installing Supports].
Best Conditions for Growth
50–90°F (10–32°C). Flowers will drop at temperatures over 100°F (38°C).
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained soil. Fertility: Rich. 5.5–6.8 pH. Prepare soil at least 30 in. (75 cm) deep.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep evenly moist; avoid wetting foliage or fruit. Fertilize monthly with 5–10–10 formula. Cultivate. Keep heavy fruits from direct soil contact by placing squash on boards. Aphid, vine borer, squash bug and fungal disease susceptible.
Pairing Recommendations
Beans, nasturtiums, and bush peas.
Maturity, Picking and Gathering
60–110 days. Cut when rinds are full colored—some acorn squash remain green, with semi-hard rinds—and stems become hard and dry, before frost; cut squash stems 2–4 in. (50–100 mm) from fruit with hand shears and wipe away any clinging soil. Avoid washing squash.
How to Store and Preserve
For best fresh storage, cure in garden in direct sun at 75–80°F (24–27°C) for 2 weeks after harvest. Fresh, stored in a cool, dry spot, for 3–4 months; cooked and frozen, 4–6 months; cooked and canned, 1 year. Exposure to frost concentrates sugars for better flavor and texture. Spaghetti squash, a novelty, is prepared by roasting slices drizzled with olive oil, then using a fork to free its spaghetti-like strands from the rind for use in vegetarian dishes with cream or marinara sauces, butter, or olive oil.