7 Tips for Growing Summer Squash

Summer squash is one of the easiest vegetables to grow. There are lots of health benefits of having this as a side item for dinner as well. Read on to find 7 Tips for Growing Summer Squash that your family can enjoy!

7 Tips for Growing Summer Squash

1. Prepare the soil before planting. The bed in which you plant summer squash needs to be well fertilized before hand. Mix the soil with organic compost or rotten manure to give your squash the nutrients it needs.

2. Plant summer squash in May. It’s best to plant the seeds two to three weeks after the last frost. Depending on the region you live in, May is usually a good month to aim for when wishing to plant summer squash. You can sow the seeds or grow them indoors for three weeks before transplanting the seedlings to the ground. Here are tips for starting summer squash indoors.

3. Mix summer squash seeds and transplants for best results. Planting both in your garden will stagger the harvest periods, resulting in lots of produce at different times of the season. Plus, the more you plant, the more chances you have of good, ripe, and delicious squash!

4. Make sure your squash gets lots of sun. Summer squash grows best when it can get lots of direct sunlight. Position the bed where there are no trees or possibility of shade. Also note, the soil needs to stay moist, which will require regular watering since the sun will dry out the dirt.

5. Plant your squash in hills. Raised mounds are necessary for summer squash to properly grow. Be sure to toss in some aged compost before planting and covering the seed or transplant. Make sure they are at least two inches in the ground, and spaced 8 inches from the next plant.

6. Attract bees to your squash plants. Flowers on the summer squash plants are separately male and female. The plants need the pollen from the male to be moved to the female, and bees perform this duty. Avoid using pesticides or bee repellents! Here are more tips for attracting bees to your garden.

7. Shield your summer squash from pests. Though bees are needed to properly grow squash, other bugs are harmful to your crop. Floating row covers can be placed over your plants until they begin to bloom. This will keep the pests away until the summer squash is strong enough to handle the damage. Here are 5 homemade bug spray recipes if you need additional help ridding your squash of insects.

Use these tips to grow summer squash that your family will enjoy eating at the dinner table! With the this vegetable being easy to plant and maintain, you would have a good harvest in 7-8 weeks after you plant!