From Cinderella to Goldilocks and Beyond: How to Grow Delicious, Delightful Squash Varieties in Your Garden
Delightful Décor, Delicious Dinners, and Scrumptious Snacks: Grow Great Squash in Your Garden
Do you love layering summer squash in ratatouille? Or perhaps you prefer adding zucchini to a quick summer stir fry when the last thing you want to do is spend hours in a sweltering kitchen. Or maybe you want to trick your kids into eating healthfully by baking sweet, nutritious zucchini muffins or pumpkin bread. And of course, harvesting your own pumpkins for Halloween decorations makes gardening fun for the whole family!
It’s easy to grow great squash in your garden.
However you enjoy squash, you’ll find an amazing array of varieties to grow in your garden. But which ones are right for you? To help you decide how best to grow squash in your garden, we’re sharing some tips and techniques from our expert National Garden Bureau members: Heather Kibble with Sakata Home Grown; Nate Crenshaw with Johnny’s Selected Seeds; and Peter Westerbeek with Seminis/Bayer. They also shared their favorite squash varieties to make your garden thrive.
All squash varieties need full sun, rich, well-draining soil, and good air flow for healthy, productive plants.
Before you plant squash in the garden, test your soil—preferably in the fall. A soil test not only shows the soil pH, but also tells you the presence and availability of nutrients and microbial activity in the soil. Many university extension agencies provide a detailed report suggesting amendments for what you plan to grow. And we all know, a good garden is the result of great soil!
Summer Squash, Winter Squash: Which Should You Grow?
If you’re new to growing squash, the terminology and varieties may be a little confusing. Summer squash? Winter squash? A zucchini is a squash, right? What about a pumpkin? Is that a squash, or is it a totally different category?
Take a breath—and then take a look at these classifications:
Summer squash
A quick-growing, early-to-harvest fruit, usually eaten before the seeds mature. These squash sport thin, soft skins and mild, smooth, tender flesh. You can eat summer squash raw or cooked in your favorite recipes—or just sautéed it in a bit of olive oil with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top. When you hear the term “summer squash,” think of zucchini, yellow crookneck (or straightneck), chayote, cousa, and pattypan.
Winter squash
Typically looks a little funky, with interesting shapes, tough–often warty–skin, and fibrous flesh. These fruit mature later in the season. With a little curing, winter squash stores well, so you can enjoy delicious squash throughout the winter. Pumpkins, butternut, acorn, hubbard, delicata, buttercup, honeynut, kabocha, kuri, sweet dumpling, spaghetti, carnival, turban, banana, and tromboncino (although it’s harvested young and eaten like summer squash) belong to the winter squash category.
If you’re seeing a lot of flowers but no fruit, don’t fret!
Squash vines produce both male and female flowers on the same plant—but the male flowers appear first. Female flowers follow soon after. Take a look at the blooms: male flowers are straight where they join the stem, while female flowers sport a large, roundish ovary directly under the bloom. Once the female flowers join the male blooms, you should soon see baby squash. (But remember: keep insecticides away. Bees pollinate the flowers.)
Small Garden? No Problem! Just Choose the Right Variety
Many gardeners fret that squash vines will hijack the entire garden. Honestly, it’s a valid concern. Some squash varieties grow vines that sprawl throughout the garden—and beyond. It’s not unusual for vines to reach 20 feet!
What’s the secret to growing squash in small spaces? Research. Decide which varieties you love in your meals, and then look for cultivars labeled with “bush” or “semi-bush” as the growing habit. Bush varieties grow upright, rather than sporting sprawling vines. Some bush varieties even grow well in a container—but make sure it’s a large container, at least 2 to 3 feet in diameter.
You may have seen the idea of trellising squash vines. While trellising works well for small squash fruit, be careful: larger, heavier fruits can cause the vine to break if they’re not supported. Use cotton fabric to create slings that support the fruit and tie the slings to the trellis to help eliminate vine damage. And if you have bush types as described above, you won’t need to trellis at all!
For summer squash, like yellow crookneck and zucchini, make sure to harvest fruit often so the plant stays productive throughout the growing season.
Look under the leaves of dense plants to make sure you haven’t missed any fruit. We’ve all seen those forgotten zucchini that look like baseball bats—and when a squash is forgotten on the vine and the fruit’s seeds begin to mature, it signals to the plant that its work is done—meaning no more need to produce flowers and fruit. By harvesting fruit frequently, you’ll enjoy squash all season long until frost. For winter squash, leave the fruit on the vine until it fully matures, but make sure to harvest all squash before freezing temperatures arrive. See…it’s easy to grow great squash in your garden.
Try These Delicious, Easy-to-Grow Squash Varieties Recommended by NGB Members:
Bonbon
(C. maxima) All-America Selections Winner 2005
If you like sweet potatoes, this squash is for you. This pretty, delicious buttercup squash sports smooth, deep-green skin with a prominent gray “button” at the base. Originally bred as a substitute for sweet potatoes in northern climates, Bonbon’s texture and flavor mimic your favorite orange spud. High-yield and uniform, blocky fruit make this a great addition to your garden. Average weight: 4–5 lb.
· Plant Habit: Semi-bush; mature vines can reach 8 feet
· Matures: 88-95 days
· Harvest Details: Cure fruit for best flavor and longest storage
Bossa Nova
(C. pepo) All-America Selections Winner 2015
The dark and light green mottled exterior of Bossa Nova zucchini looks pretty in the garden–and makes the fruits easier to see during a long and prolific harvest. Compact plants produce fruits earlier in the season and continue producing for three weeks longer than other varieties. You’ll love the smooth texture, sweet, mild flavor, and abundant harvests. Resists Watermelon Mosaic Virus (WMV) and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus (ZYMV).
· Plant Habit: Bush
· Matures: 30-45 days
· Harvest Details: Pick when fruit reaches 6 to 8 inches in length
Butterscotch
(C. moschata) All-America Selections Winner 2015
A perfectly-sized squash for dinner–with no leftovers! The dense, smooth, creamy texture and sweet flavor make this a delicious addition to your garden-to-table meals. An early-maturing butternut variety, this easy-to-grow squash needs no curing before you can enjoy it in your favorite recipes. Stores up to 3 months after harvest. Resists Powdery Mildew (PMR).
· Plant Habit: Semi-bush
· Matures: 100 days
· Harvest Details: Pick when fruit reaches 6 to 8 inches in length
Bush Delicata
(C. pepo) All-America Selections Winner 2002
If you’ve never eaten a Delicata squash, this one’s for you. Rich in vitamin A, the sweet, orange, fine-textured flesh tastes delicious without coarse strings. It’s so sweet that butter and brown sugar aren’t necessary—although it does create an over-the-top tasty treat. With a long shelf life, you’ll enjoy eating squash throughout winter. About 100 days from sowing to harvest, the tolerance to powdery mildew helps increase overall yield. Resists powdery mildew (PMR).
· Plant Habit: Bush
· Matures: 100 days
· Harvest Details: Pick when fruit reaches 8 inches in length
Butternut Genesis
(C. moschata)
Get your recipes ready, because you’ll enjoy more delicious, usable squash with Genesis. Large, buff-colored fruits sport a deep-orange interior, measures 12 to 14 inches long, and weighs 5 to 7 pounds. The small seed cavity sits very low on the fruit, giving you more sweet squash for favored meals. This extra-large beauty with a thick, long neck stores well, letting you enjoy a tasty treat on cold winter days. Strong vines resist powdery mildew (PMR).
· Plant Habit: Vining
· Matures: 100 days
· Harvest Details: Fruit is mature when skin turns color, looks dull, and the stem hardens. Mature fruit can’t be dented with your thumbnail. Use pruners to clip fruit, leaving 2 inches of stem, and cure for 7 to 10 days.
Butternut Little Dipper
(C. moschata)
The perfect squash for a party of two! The delicious, easy-to-prepare smaller fruit makes mealtime a breeze: just prick the squash with a fork and stick it in the microwave or oven for a tasty treat. The smaller fruit weighs about 2.5 pounds.
· Plant Habit: Vining
· Matures: 100 days
· Harvest Details: Fruit is mature when the skin turns color, looks dull, and the stem hardens. Mature fruit can’t be dented with your thumbnail. Use pruners to clip fruit, leaving 2 inches of stem, and cure for 7 to 10 days.
Fiesta
(C. pepo)
A delicious, smooth, deep-green zucchini squash that doesn’t put up a fight at harvest. The spineless petioles and open habit makes this squash a cinch to pick. (But use snips when harvesting to avoid damaging the plant.) You’ll love the high yields and great flavor of this gardener-friendly squash.
· Plant Habit: Bush
· Matures: 45 days
· Harvest Details: Pick when fruit reaches 6 to 8 inches in length
Greyzini
(C. pepo) All-America Selections Winner 1963
For the earliest and highest-yielding zucchini, add Greyzini to your garden. The pretty, light-green fruit with grayish mottling and faint stripes looks lovely in the garden—and on the plate. With abundant fruit that begins appearing in just 50 days, you’ll have a great supply for your favorite recipes—with plenty of zucchini left to share with ALL the neighbors.
· Plant Habit: Bush
· Matures: 50 days
· Harvest Details: Harvest young at 3 to 4 inches, or wait until fruit reaches 5 to 7 inches in length
Spaghetti Primavera
(C. pepo)
A high-yielding hybrid spaghetti squash with a good size—but shorter vines that make growing in small spaces easier. The fruit’s skin turns a pretty canary-yellow color when mature. Reduce your carb intake by substituting spaghetti squash for pasta!
· Plant Habit: Semi-bush
· Matures: 90 days
· Harvest Details: Pick when the fruit turns bright yellow. Fruit is mature when the stem hardens and the fruit can’t be dented with your thumbnail. Use pruners to clip fruit, leaving 2 inches of stem, and cure for 7 to 10 days.
Sunshine
(C. maxima) All-America Selections Winner 2004
A perfect, multi-purpose winter squash you can eat immediately after harvest! You’ll love the deep exterior color and delicious flavor of this 3 to 5 pound squash. The smooth, tender, sweet flesh is excellent for baking, mashing, and pies. Even the skin is edible—no need to peel before processing. Eat it right away or cure it to enjoy during chilly winter days.
· Plant Habit: Short vines
· Matures: 95 days
· Harvest Details: Pick when fruit reaches 7 inches in diameter. Fruit is mature when the stem hardens and the fruit can’t be dented with your thumbnail. Use pruners to clip fruit, leaving 2 inches of stem, and cure for 7 to 10 days.
Sweet Jade
(C. maxima) All-America Selections Winner 2023
Cute, petite sea-green squash with deep-orange, sweet flesh makes perfect single-serving sides, soup bowls, or stuffed entrées. Great for small families and singles. With heavy yields and exceptional storage, Sweet Jade will be your new favorite squash. The 1 to 2 pound fruit tastes delicious roasted, baked, or puréed.
· Plant Habit: Vining
· Matures: 95 days
· Harvest Details: Fruit is mature when the stem hardens and the fruit can’t be dented with your thumbnail. Use pruners to clip fruit, leaving 2 inches of stem, and cure for 7 to 10 days.
Goldilocks
(C. pepo) All-America Selections Winner 2021
Just like the fairy tale, this squash is “just right!” The vigorous, high-yield, disease-tolerant plant produces abundant fruit with a rich, nutty flavor. The bright-orange fruit not only tastes delicious but their uniform shape and color make them an adorable ornamental decoration.
· Plant Habit: Bush
· Matures: 85 days
· Harvest Details: Pick when fruit reaches 4 inches in diameter. Fruit is mature when the stem hardens and the fruit can’t be dented with your thumbnail. Use pruners to clip fruit, leaving 2 inches of stem, and cure for 7 to 10 days.
If pests like squash bugs (Anasa tristis) invade your vines, be proactive.
Look underneath leaves for eggs–and squish them. Rotating crops each season helps prevent diseases and pests in the soil from attacking your plants. Avoid planting squash in the same location each year.
Unfortunately, some pests—like the clearwing moth responsible for squash vine borer larva (Melittia cucurbitae)—fly, making it harder to protect your plants. Growing extra plants helps ensure you’ll enjoy squash in your garden-to-table meals.
So, are you ready to get growing? Whether you choose to grow your own pumpkins or create delicious garden-to-table meals with zucchini, you’ll find a fabulous variety of summer and winter squash to grow in your garden.
Do you know that National Garden Bureau members include the most innovative breeders and distributors of squash seeds and plants perfect for home gardens?
If you’re looking to grow a lovely, productive garden filled with your favorite summer and winter squash, check out the varieties available from National Garden Bureau members.
About National Garden Bureau
Founded more than 100 years ago, the National Garden Bureau educates, inspires, and motivates people to grow home gardens. National Garden Bureau members are horticultural experts, and the information shared with you comes directly from these experts to ensure your gardening success.
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