Garden Plot

Summer Squash and Zucchini

Summer squash and zucchini are annual plants, which means, they must be planted from scratch each planting season. If seeds drop after the season and the seeds are turned over into the soil over the winter, you will occasionally have volunteers that will crop up the following year. This type of vegetable grows into trailing vines up to as much as 3 feet but can also be trained to grow in a compact space.

Summer squash comes in a variety of different skins including green, yellow, white or striped colors. Zucchini are best when harvested when they are very young as the skin is very tender at this stage. Zucchini that has grown to a mature size is usually not as tasty and the skin is rather tough with a center that is dry and hollow in places.

Squash blossoms are wonderful when sautéed in a little olive oil with fresh garlic and is considered a delicacy in many fine dining restaurants. These blossoms can also be eaten raw and served as part of a green salad and is best if eaten immediately upon preparation.

Summer squash are grown, as the name implies, during the warm summer months and grow best in soils that have low nitrogen levels of about 21. You will recall in a previous article the suggestion to test your soil in order to learn PH levels.

If you are planning to grow squash, there is still time to take advantage of this year’s growing season. Because it is a little late, you will want to purchase plants to begin your crop rather than attempting to start from seeds.

Here is a list of some of the squash you may want to consider for your garden plot: