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Varieties
Scallop: Bennings Green Tint, Earl's White Bush, Early White Bush, Patty Pan, Peter Pan, St. Patrick, Sunburst
Yellow Crookneck: Dixie, Early Summer, Early Yellow, Horn of Plenty, Pavo
Yellow Straightneck: Burpee's Butterstick, Butterbar, Conqueror III, Early Prolific, Goldbar, Hyrific, Multipik, Onyx, Saffron, Smoothie, Sunray, Supersett
Zucchini: Ambassador, Aristrocrat, Blondie, Cashflow, Costata Romanesca, Eight Ball Tigress, El Dorado, Goldfinger, Gold Rush, Hyzini, Madga, President, Senator, Zucchini Elite
Soil Preferences
Fertile, well-drained with pH range 6.0 - 7.5. Will not tolerate wet, poorly aerated conditions.
Optimum Growing Conditions
Warm to moderate air temperatures (60-80°F), with low humidity. Very cold sensitive.
Establishment Methods
| Planting Method | Direct seeded (transplants well) |
|---|---|
| Optimum Time | Soil temperature in seed zone exceeds 60°F after all danger of frost has passed |
| Seeding rate | Bush types - 2-3 lbs/acre Vining types - 1-2 lbs/acre |
| Approx seed/oz | 120-400 |
| Seeding depth | 0.5 - 1.0" |
| Seedling spacing | Bush types - 12-36" in-row on 34-40" wide beds Vining types - 72-120" |
Fertility/Fertilization
Rates presented as actual lbs/acre N2, P2o5, and K2o (base actual rates applied on soil test results).| Generalized rate: 70 - 70 - 80 lb/acre | |
| N* | 60-70 lbs 40-50 lbs applied pre-plant 20 lbs side dress if needed at bloom |
|---|---|
| P | 70-120 lbs banded approximately 2" below seed at planting |
| K | 80-100 lbs applied pre-plant (not normally needed in most areas of the state) |
Water/Irrigation
7-10" applied uniformly throughout cropping season. Squash are relatively shallow rooted, so light frequent applications best (3-5 per crop life).Pest Management
Squash Diseases and Common Name of Fungicidal Controls
| DISEASE | FUNGICIDE* | OMRI LISTED FUNGICIDE** |
|---|---|---|
| Choanephora fruit rot | mancozeb, potassium phosphite, | potassium bicarbonate, |
| Downy mildew | acibenzolar-s-methyl, azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, copper sulfate, cyazofamid, fenamidone, cymoxanil, dimethomorph, fluopicolide, fosetyl-Al, mancozeb, mandpropamid, maneb, potassium phosphite, propamocarb hydrochloride, pyraclostrobin, sodium tetraborohydrate decahydrate, trifloxystrobin, | Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, clove, rosemary and thyme oil, copper hydroxide, cuprous oxide, extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis, hydrogen dioxide, neem oil, potassium bicarbonate, streptomyces lydicus, |
| Gummy stem blight | azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, copper sulfate, kresoxim-methyl, paraffinic oil, polyoxin D zinc salt, potassium phosphite, pyraclostrobin, tebuconazole, thiophanate-methyl, | Bacillus subtilis, copper hydroxide, cuprous oxide, extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis, hydrogen dioxide, |
| Nematode | 1,3-dichloropropene, chloropicrin, metam-potassium, metam-sodium, sesame oil, | azadirachtin, |
| Powdery mildew | acibenzolar-s-methyl, azoxystrobin, kaolin, kresoxim-methyl, myclobutanil, potassium phosphite, potassium salts of fatty acids, pyraclostrobin, tebuconazole, thiophanate-methyl, triflumizole, | Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, clove, rosemary and thyme oil, copper hydroxide, extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis, neem oil, potassium bicarbonate, streptomyces lydicus, sulfur, |
| Viruses | paraffinic oil, |
Squash Insect Pests and Common Name of Insecticidal Controls
| INSECT | INSECTICIDE* | OMRI LISTED INSECTICIDE** |
|---|---|---|
| Aphid | Acetamiprid, Bifenthrin, Dinotefuran, Endosulfan, Fenpropathrin, Imidacloprid, Lambdacyhalothrin, Malathion, Naled, Oxamyl, Oxydemeton-methyl, Permethrin, Petroleum oil, Potassium salts of fatty acids, Sodium tetraborohydrate decahydrate, Soybean Oil, Thiamethoxam, Zeta-cypermethrin | Azadirachtin, Garlic Juice Extracts, Neem oil, |
| Leafminer | Abamectin, Cyromazine, Deltamethrin, Dinotefuran, Lambdacyhalothrin, Malathion, Naled, Paraffinic oil, Permethrin, Petroleum oil, Soybean Oil, Thiamethoxam, Zeta-cypermethrin | Azadirachtin, Garlic Juice Extracts, Spinosad, |
| Looper | Methomyl, Naled, | Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis, Garlic Juice Extracts, Pyrethrins |
| Melonworm | Acetamiprid, Beta-cyfluthrin, Bifenthrin, Carbaryl, Chlorantraniliprole, Cryolite, Cyfluthrin, Deltamethrin, Endosulfan, Flubendiamide, Indoxacarb, Lambdacyhalothrin, Methomyl, Permethrin, Spinetoram, Zeta-cypermethrin | Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis, Spinosad, |
| Spider Mite | Abamectin, Fenpropathrin, Lambdacyhalothrin, Malathion, Naled, Potassium salts of fatty acids | Neem oil |
| Squash Vine Borer | Acetamiprid, Bifenthrin, Endosulfan, Esfenvalerate, Flubendiamide, Lambdacyhalothrin, Malathion, Permethrin, Zeta-cypermethrin, | Azadirachtin |
| Sweet Potato Whitefly | Bifenthrin, Cyfluthrin, Deltamethrin, Dinotefuran, Endosulfan, Fosetyl-Al, Imidacloprid, Lambdacyhalothrin, Paraffinic oil, Petroleum oil, Potassium salts of fatty acids, Sodium tetraborohydrate decahydrate, Soybean Oil, Spiromesifen, Thiamethoxam | Azadirachtin, Garlic Juice Extracts, Neem oil, Pyrethrins, |
Weeds and Common Name of Herbicidal Controls
| WEED | HERBICIDE* | OMRI LISTED HERBICIDE** |
|---|---|---|
| Preplant incorporated | clomazone, ethalfluralin, bensulide, trifluralin | Corn gluten meal |
| Preemergence (prior to spear emergence) | ethalfluralin | |
| Postemergence | carfentrazone, oxyfluorfen, paraquat, halosulfuron, sethoxydim, glyphosate, pelargonic acid, clethodim | d-limonene, clove oil, cinnamon and clove oil |
* The above is a partial listing of controls intended as examples. Some labels may have been revoked since the publication of this guide. Refer to product labels for specifics and use accordingly. Ensure that products with one of the listed active ingredients is registered for the crop it is to be used on. Failure to do the above may result in crop injury, death and/or citation for law violation. Humans, animals and the environment may also be adversely affected by misuse.
** As stated in §205.206 of the National Organic Standards, pest management decisions should follow a hierarchical approach, which should be defined in a farm's organic systems plan. Please ensure that you have followed the appropriate steps and any product to be used in certified organic production systems has been approved by your certifying agent.
Harvest
| Days after planting | Direct seeded - 40-45 days Transplanted - 30-35 days |
|---|---|
| Normal method | Hand Harvest anytime after fruit has obtained desired size and seeds still tender |
| Containers | Field basekts |
| Grades | Grades based on defects and size U.S. #1 & U.S. #2 |
| Packaging/Handling | 1/2 bushel baskets (20-24 lbs) Fiberboard cartons (20-24 lbs or 40 lbs) |
| Anticipated yield/acre | 12,000 lbs/acre |
Transit Conditions
50-55°F at 95% RH; shelf-life of 5-7 days.Comments/Production Keys
- Shallow rooted crop (most roots in upper 6-8" of soil), so frequent light applications of irrigation water required
- Are well adapted to drip irrigation-plastic mulch culture
- Uniform moisture supply required for maximum yields
- As with all cucurbits, squash have male and female flowers. Adding bees to the field will maximize pollination and subsequent yield.
- Warm temperatures and high humidity increase disease incidence
- Viruses are the limiting factor to successful production. Plant early to avoid build up of insects (aphids) which transmit these organisms.
- Reflective mulches and row covers have been shown to offer some reduction in virus incidence
- Fruit bruise easily, so take extreme caution during harvesting, handling and packaging
- Squash is a very prolific crop, demanding a lot of labor to harvest every other day for maximum yield and fruit quality (fruit harvested in immature state)