🥕 Summer Squash
Cucurbita pepo
vegetables fruit (culinary vegetable)
☀️ Sun
Full sun (6–8+ hours)
💧 Water
High; 1–2 inches per week; consistent moisture prevents blossom end rot
🗺️ Zones
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
🪴 Soil Type
Rich, compost-heavy loam; squash thrive in old compost heaps
🧪 Soil pH
6.0–7.5
💧 Drainage
Well-drained but moisture retentive; plant in hills/mounds
📏 Spacing
24–36 inches apart; rows 48–60 inches
📅 Days to Maturity
45-60 days (from seed); harvest young at 4-8 inches for best quality
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Young fruit (whole)"🍽️ "Flowers (stuffed/fried)"🍽️ "Seeds (roasted)"]
🤝 Companions (7)
🤝 Corn
Three Sisters guild companion — squash shades soil suppressing weeds; corn provides wind protection
🤝 Bean
Beans fix nitrogen that squash needs; squash's prickly stems deter bean pests and animals
Strong trap crop for aphids and squash bugs; repels cucumber beetles
Nematode suppression; repels squash bugs and cucumber beetles
Repels squash vine borer; fast-growing intercrop
Attracts bees for pollination; improves flavor; adds trace minerals
Attracts parasitic wasps that target squash pests
⚠️ Keep Apart (3)
💊 Medicinal Uses
["High in vitamins A and C", "Low calorie, good source of dietary fiber", "Contains manganese and potassium"]
📝 Notes
Summer squash is an umbrella term for thin-skinned, immature-harvested squash including zucchini, yellow crookneck, pattypan, and straightneck. All are C. pepo. Harvest when skin is still tender (test with fingernail). Prolific producers. Squash vine borer is the deadliest pest — use row covers early, check stems for frass.