5 Tips For Growing Summer Squash

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How to Grow Summer Squash: 5 Essential Tips By: Angela Judd | August 21, 2025

Summer squash is one of the easiest and most productive warm-season crops you can grow. Just a couple of plants can produce an abundant harvest of zucchini, yellow squash, or pattypan (often more than enough for your family and neighbors).

In this guide, you’ll learn how to grow summer squash successfully in hot climates. We’ll cover:

• The best time to plant
• Which varieties to choose
• How to plant and care for your squash
• Common problems like pests, pollination issues, and bitter fruit
• And tips for harvesting and preserving your squash

Learn how to grow summer squash in raised beds, containers, or in-ground gardens with these tips.

What’s the Difference Between Summer and Winter Squash?

• Summer squash (mostly Cucurbita pepo) are harvested young before the skin hardens. They are used fresh and have thin, tender skins. Think zucchini, yellow squash, and pattypan.
• Winter squash (C. maxima, C. moschata, etc.) are harvested at full maturity and store well for months. Think butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash.

Learn how to grow winter squash in this guide.

1. Plant Several Types of Summer Squash

Summer squash comes in all shapes and colors: round, long, scalloped, striped, yellow, green, and gray. Each has a different flavor, texture, and culinary uses.

Favorite Summer Squash Varieties: (click the seed name for seed sources)

• Yellow Crookneck or Straightneck – classic, early maturing, and reliable
• Black Beauty – dark green zucchini, easy and prolific
• Grey Zucchini – great flavor and texture, perfect for calabacitas
• Pattypan (Scallop) – firm texture, good in soups and sautés (get the specifics about how to grow pattypan squash in this guide)
• Tatume – vining heirloom, excellent for stuffing, vines up to 12 feet
• Incredible Escalator – space-saving, climbing zucchini

Looking for more ideas? Here are 8 Summer Squash Varieties to Grow.

Bush types are great for small spaces. I plant them along the edges of beds so they can sprawl into walkways. You can also train bush types vertically with a stake or cage. This method improves airflow and can help reduce the risk of powdery mildew and vine borers.

• Summer squash also plays an important role in the Three Sisters Grow Bag Garden, a traditional companion planting method adapted for containers. You can also try the Three Sisters method in raised beds. The squash’s spreading vines act as a living mulch, helping to shade the soil and suppress weeds.

2. Plant at the Right Time for Your Climate

Summer squash grows best when soil temperatures are consistently warm. The ideal temperature for germination is 86°F (30°C), but seeds will sprout within a range of 60 to 95°F (15 to 35°C).

Start with transplants early in the season while the soil is still warming. Plant young transplants about two weeks after your last frost date. Handle them carefully and avoid disturbing the roots.

Once soil temperatures reach at least 70°F (21°C), summer squash grows best when direct-sown from seed.

In hot climates like the low desert of Arizona, squash is best planted during two windows:

• Spring: mid-February through March (start seeds indoors in January–February)
• Late Summer: mid-August through early September (start seeds indoors in July–August)

For more planting date information, see my Arizona Low Desert Planting Guide.

Spacing Guidelines:

• Square foot gardening: 1 to 2 squares per plant
• Hill planting: 4 to 6 seeds per hill, thin to 2 or 3 plants
• Rows: space 12 to 24 inches apart

Squash prefers full sun. In very hot climates, especially in late spring and summer, afternoon shade can help protect young plants from heat stress.

Hot summer gardening tip: Keep in mind that during periods of extreme heat, squash plants often stop producing or die back completely. Pollen may not be viable, and plants may suffer from heat-related stress. In many cases, it is better to start a new round of squash during the late summer planting window than try to maintain struggling plants through the summer. Starting fresh with healthy plants gives you a better harvest in the fall season.

How to Plant Summer Squash

Soil and LocationChoose a full sun location with well-draining soil. In hot climates, light afternoon shade can help protect young plants from heat stress.

Planting Depth

• Seeds: Plant ½ to 1 inch deep.
• Transplants: Plant just deep enough to cover the root ball. Do not bury the stem.

Planting Tips

Use a stake or cage to support bush types grown vertically.

Summer squash grows well in containers. Choose a container that is at least 12 inches deep. For more container-specific advice, visit: Vegetables That Grow Well in Containers.

3. Fertilize at the Right Time and Water Smart

Fertilize when the first flowers appear. I use this organic fertilizer as needed to support flowering and fruiting.

Squash needs deep, even moisture. Inconsistent watering is one of the top causes of bitter fruit, cracking, and blossom end rot.

Watering Tips:

• Use a watering grid in raised beds to ensure even, efficient water distribution to plant roots.
• In containers, I recommend using oyas—clay vessels that slowly release water to the surrounding soil and help reduce watering frequency.
• Mulch deeply to regulate soil moisture and protect the soil from temperature swings.
• Water deeply and less frequently to encourage strong root development.

Do not assume wilted leaves in the afternoon mean the plant needs water. In hot weather, wilting can be a natural response to heat stress, not a sign of drought. This process is called transpiration.

During the hottest part of the day, squash plants may close the stomata on their leaves to reduce water loss. As a result, the leaves lose turgor pressure and droop or wilt temporarily. This is the plant’s way of protecting itself and conserving moisture.

Before watering, check the soil moisture by sticking your finger into the soil a couple of inches deep. If it still feels moist, it’s best to wait. Plants experiencing temporary heat-related wilting usually recover on their own by evening when temperatures drop and transpiration slows down.

Overwatering based on appearance alone can lead to root rot and other issues, so always check the soil first.

4. Monitor for Pollination Problems and Pests

Pollination

Squash plants produce male and female flowers. Early in the season, it might just be one type (usually males), but be patient. Within a week or two, most plants begin producing both.

• Female flowers have a small fruit at the base.
• Male flowers are on a long, thin stem.

To improve fruit set, grow multiple plants and encourage pollinators. If fruit is not forming, hand-pollination can help.

If bees aren’t visiting your squash blossoms, you can pollinate them by hand to ensure fruit development. Learn how to hand pollinate squash to improve yields, especially early in the season.

• Identify the flowers:Male flowers have a thin stem and a pollen-covered stamen inside.Female flowers have a small immature squash at the base and a central pistil.
• Pollinate early in the day:Flowers are usually open in the morning and may close by afternoon.
• Transfer the pollen:Use a cotton swab, small paintbrush, or the stamen from a male flower to gently brush pollen onto the pistil of a female flower.

One successful pollination is usually enough. Repeat every day or two as new flowers open.

Pests and Disease

What’s the best thing I do daily? Flip squash leaves over and check for problems.

• Remove squash bug eggs by hand.
• Pick off adults or use row covers for prevention.
• Remove leaves with powdery mildew and treat remaining foliage with potassium bicarbonate spray.
• Spray off aphids and whiteflies with water or use insecticidal soap.

Learn more: How to Get Rid of Squash Bugs

Early detection is key. Sometimes it is best to remove a struggling plant entirely to protect the rest of your garden.

5. Harvest Early and Often

Squash grows quickly and is best when picked small and tender. Check plants daily.

• The ideal harvest size for most varieties is 6 to 8 inches long.
• Cut the stem cleanly with a knife or pruners, or twist off.
• Frequent harvesting encourages more fruit.
• Oversized squash have tougher skin and more seeds.

In Arizona’s low desert, summer squash is often ready to harvest by September—find more September-ready crops in the harvest guide.

Grate and freeze extra squash or preserve it using freeze-drying. Summer squash also stores in the fridge for about a week.

Looking for ways to use your harvest? Try my favorite recipes:

• Zucchini Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
• Carla’s Calabacitas

Final Thoughts

Summer squash is productive, quick to grow, and surprisingly rewarding. When you:

• Plant a mix of varieties
• Time your plantings just right
• Water deeply and consistently
• Watch your flowers and leaves closely
• Harvest often

You will enjoy a steady supply of delicious squash throughout the season.

If this post helped you, please share it with a fellow gardener or on social media.Have a favorite summer squash variety or recipe? Let me know in the comments below.

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