When to Plant Squash Seeds

Plant summer squash in the spring if you want a summer harvest, or if you want a fall harvest, plant it in the mid to late summer. Plant winter squash in either late spring or in the height of summer.

Where to Plant Squash Seeds

Plant your squash where they can receive full sun. Squash plants love to “eat,” so they need well-fertilized, rich soil that is well-drained. Fertilizing your squash as they grow will ensure a healthy, large harvest.

How to Plant Squash Seeds

Sow summer squash seeds ½ inch deep, and sow winter squash seeds one inch deep. If you are planting in rows, seeds should typically be planted two to three feet apart for vining squash and two feet apart for bush varieties. Rows should be four to six feet apart. If you are planting on in hills, place three to four seeds in a ring on the top of each hill, and space your hills three to four feet apart.

How to Harvest Squash

Check your summer squash daily during the growing season. Summer squash grows very fast and can double in size from one day to the next. Leave for the weekend, and you may come back to “baseball bat” sized zucchini, for example. Harvest summer squash when they reach six to eight inches, and you can puncture the skin with your nail. Harvest winter squash near the end of the growing season. The skin should be tougher to pierce with your nail.