How To Grow Squash

By Author: Sadie Hurst
Total Articles: 17
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Planting Squash

Squash is a unique plant to add to your garden's variety. It is perfect to be grown even if the space available is limited but the weather conditions are an important factor playing a role in its growth and development.

Weather and soil specifications

The ideal time to grow squash in tropical countries is in the wet and dry seasons. It can be planted in variety of soil types but the most adequate would be the compost rich soil. A lot of tilling is not requires in such a soil type. Usually a low humidity and warmer weather is preferred for the squash plants to grow. The ideal temperature needs to be 65 Fahrenheit for the seedlings and the pH should be 5.6-6.5.

Preparation and planting

The soil should be added to a mound 2 feet in diameter for planting squash. Manure should be added before preparing the soil mound and each mound should be separated by at least 3 feet. Not more than 5 plants should be planted in each mound and the weak plants should be cut off.

Care and maintenance

The plants should be watered once a week and it should be thoroughly done. Avoid watering ...
... the leaves. Cultivation should follow to avoid weed growth which can hamper the growth of the squash plants. Some shade from the light should be provided once the plants have grown to some height and this also prevents the growth of the weeds. Mulching is highly important for the squash to grow. Plastic, hay and rice straw can be used to preserve the moisture within which is specially vital during the dry season. After about 3 weeks of planting, 1-2 tablespoon of fertilizers should be added to every plant to aid in growth and richness.

Harvesting

Harvesting of squash is ideally done 3 months after planting of the squash. It is done when the fruit has fully ripened or when the peduncle gets dried up. While harvesting care should be taken to preserve a part of the peduncle on the plant which will aid in adding to the storage life of squash.

Disease and pests

Various diseases infect the squash plant. Powdery mildew causes the tissues to turn yellow in color and the growth of the plant is hindered or stopped completely. The downy mildew produces purple colored spots on the underside of the plant and yellow spots on the leaves. The mosaic virus causes the squash leaves to completely rot and become wrinkled. The fruit will turn a pale or green color and can also become whitish or dark green colored. The prevention of disease can be brought about by keeping your garden absolutely clean and using fungicides, insecticides and other kinds of chemicals available in the market or nurseries. These chemicals should be used cautiously and appropriately according to the requirement and keeping the environmental safety in mind.

The disease spreading pests responsible for destroying squash plants are Yellow Squash Beetle, the red spider mites, aphids and the squash borer. The yellow square beetle eats up the leaves of the plants and kills it. Aphids slow down or prevent the plant from growing. The red spider mite and the squash borer are responsible for the progression of the disease. Use of insecticides will help in keeping the pests away from your plants.

Squash is a wonderful fruit to grow which adds to the beauty of your garden and the fruits provide a great beverage. It is not a time consuming process and a healthy yield can be obtained if instructions are followed properly.

Please visit this link for more information on How To Plant Squash. You can find more information on planting a vegetable garden here: How To Grow Butternut Squash.