Squash can be great for your vegetable garden

I’ve been on a vegetable garden kick for the last few weeks. A great family project is to grow your own food. This week, let’s think about squash. Squash runs from the ever-popular zucchini to the winter squash, like acorn squash.

There are very confusing terms when growing squash. What is the difference between summer and winter squash?

The most common summer squash is zucchini. Zucchini comes in many colors and stripes. Other summer squash includes Crookneck and Scallop type squashes. It is time to plant your summer squash, and by middle of summer, you should be harvesting squash. Cucumbers are also considered summer squash.

Cantaloupe and watermelon are close cousins to squash as they are in the same family.

Winter squash means the squash fruit should be fully mature when harvested and the fruit can be stored after harvest, during the cooler fall and early winter months. Winter squash include acorn, buttercup and butternut. The most common winter squash of all is pumpkin.

So all squash actually grows in summer, including winter squash.

Summer squash, zucchini, winter squash, pumpkins, watermelon and cucumber require basically the same soil, light and water requirements. They also basically have the same pest problems.

As for soil, all squash prefer well-drained soil and it needs to be kept constantly moist. The plants do not like to go from wet to dry and back to wet soil conditions.

I have my plants on drip irrigation. The emitters are about a foot from the plant. All these plants are very sensitive to wet stems and they rot easily. I have the drip emitter on the plant or seeds when I first plant. After the seeds germinate and grow to about a foot, I add one-quarter tubing to the emitters and move the output of the drip to about six inches from the plants. Later, I move the drip tubing to about one foot from the plants.

The biggest pest that attacks my plants is whitefly. They are very small white winged insects; if you move, the leaves looks like white gnats flying.

I use insecticidal soap to control the whiteflies. But insecticidal soap is a contact spray, so you need to spray about every three to five days. You need to make sure you get the insecticidal soap on the bottom of the leaves, because that is where most of the whitefly live.

Buy insecticidal soap. Do not make your own; the plants are sensitive to insecticidal soap. If you mix it too strong, it can kill your plants. It needs to be sprayed first thing in the morning before it gets too hot.

Several beetles attack squash plants. Insecticidal soap will not kill beetles; use either pyrethrum or neem oil. Both are organic; the neem oil can help control powdery mildew on the plants also.

Powdery mildew leaves white dust on the leaves. These plants need as much sun as possible, and this will reduce outbreaks of powdery mildew. My plants are in full sun all day, but they still get powdery mildew. Above all, do not overhead water your plants, that also cause powdery mildew and the plant just do not like it.

Whenever using an organic or inorganic pesticide, be sure to read the label carefully and follow the directions. In summer, it is very important to know when the temperature is too hot to apply. Check to make sure it is ok to spray on your type of plant.

The general recommendation is to plant three to five seeds in a small hill, or you can plant one transplant if you bought at a nursery. I would read the packet of seeds or plant label on how far apart to place the hills.

Zucchini usually grows a smaller mound like plant. Most of the others make sprawling vines. I grow my cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers, and Asian cucumbers on trellises to take up less space in the garden.

Squash and its relatives can be a fun vegetable garden project. They can take up some space in the garden to plant for your needs. Be safe and enjoy your backyard.