How To Plant, Grow, And Harvest Zucchini & Summer Squash

Ever found a giant zucchini hiding under a leaf like it’s trying to win “Vegetable Hide-and-Seek”? You’re not alone. Zucchini and summer squash are famously productive—and delightfully sneaky! Whether you’re dreaming of crispy sautéed slices or a freezer full of zucchini bread, this guide will walk you through growing these summer staples from seed to squash. Get ready for a harvest that just might overrun your kitchen (in the best way).

About Zucchini

Note that squash is generally divided into two categories: summer squash (harvested in summer) and winter squash (harvested in autumn). The skin of summer squash is edible, unlike the skin of winter squash. Most summer squashes now come in bush varieties, which take up less space, whereas winter squashes are vining plants that need more space.

Zucchini are warm-season crops with compact, bushy, or trailing varieties to pick from. Compact types are suitable for containers—indeed, anywhere you don’t have a lot of space—while trailing types may be trained as climbers to grow up supports such as a trellis or wire mesh.

Buy Seeds Now

Green zucchini are always going to be popular, but try a few of their more charismatic cousins as well, including varieties with yellow fruits, striped or ribbed fruits, and even round fruits.

This guide focuses on summer squash. Summer squash varieties include zucchini, yellow squash (straightneck squash), and crookneck squash. Note: All types of summer squash require very similar care, so even though we mainly refer to zucchini on this page, consider it to be applicable to whatever summer squash variety you’re growing!

Zucchini is a vigorous grower. While each plant will produce several squash during peak season, you’ll typically find that one or two zucchini plants will produce a “bumper” (unusually large) crop, leaving you to give the squash away to neighbors or bake lots of zucchini bread!