Squash
Select Your Climate
Squash vines can be trained to grow vertically to save space.
When to plant/sow in zone:
Requirements:
Full sun; protection from wind
Soil:
Well-drained soil enriched with compost and/or well-rotted manure or organic pellets.
How to start: SEEDS: Best sown direct in the ground, 20mm deep, 1.5-2m apart. Sow 2-3 seeds per hole. Keep moist. Germinates in 5-10 days. Once germinated, remove the weaker seedlings. SEEDLINGS: Plant in the ground when seedlings are 5-10cm+ tall. Space them 1.5-2m apart. NOTE: Squash plants can be bushes or vines - if growing vines, they can be trained up and over a trellis.
How to grow: Keep moist and mulch with straw. Avoid wetting foliage. Apply seaweed solution or liquid fertiliser fortnightly. Apply organic fertiliser pellets monthly. If fruit production is poor, hand pollinate the flowers by removing the male flower and dabbing the pollen onto the female flower.
When to harvest: Harvest summer squash from 7 weeks, when fruit is large enough to eat.
Troubleshooting:
Aphids; powdery mildew; rats and possums
Wondering what to plant when?
Use our planner to create a planting calendar for your climate zone
View Planting Guide