Summer Squash Tips for Every Beginner Gardener

Tips to Help the Beginner Gardener

Summer squash is the first thing to pop up in your spring garden with an only 55-60 day maturity rate; these few tips will help take your summer squash to the next level. With all plants, you have to find the seed that is right for you, at Hoss Tools we enjoy using the hybrid varieties as they boost in production. Hybrid means that the seeds get cross-pollinated, not that they are a GMO. You also have to decide if you want to plant a crookneck or straight neck squash. There are always choices in gardening, and when you get ready to plant, you are faced with the decision to direct seed or to transplant. Transplanting can be very beneficial with many crops, but with squash, we have seen that direct seeding does better as they germinate quickly. When you are direct seeding, you want to make sure you plant every twelve inches apart to ensure adequate spacing. Squash spreads out across the plot, so you want to make sure they are not all over each other. To be able to take care of your squash, you need to understand the importance of pollination. Summer Squash has two blooms, the higher one is the male bloom, and the lower one with the flower is the female bloom. The bee first goes to the male bloom and then to the female to pollinate. If you do not have pollinators present in your garden, you will either have no fruit or a very misshaped squash. Once the flower falls off, that usually is a tell-tell sign that your squash is ready to be picked. Squash is a plant that has to be harvested every two to three days once they start to pop up. We suggest that you pick them on the smaller size as that is when they are nice and tender. If you let the fruits grow to large, that leaves them open to more disease and pests and can make them unpalatable. When squash plants cease production, remove the plants from the garden to prevent any fungal spores from overwintering and becoming a problem in future years.

The BEST Fried Summer Squash Recipe

1. Get a bucket full of small tender squash out of your garden and rinse them off very well
2. Take a small knife and slice your desired amount of squash into sliced pieces
3. Pour some peanut oil in a cast-iron skillet and let it heat it, you will know it is ready for cooking when you put a pinch of flour, and it dances around the hot oil
4. Sprinkle your sliced squash with Cavenders Seasoning, Garlic Salt, and Black Pepper, enough to make sure they are seasoned well
5. Get a bowl of plain flour and take your seasoned squash slices and mix them in with the flour
6. Put the flour-covered squash into the grease when it is ready, and let it cook until golden brown
7. Please take out the squash with a fork and let the grease drain off of them on a paper towel
8. After your squash is cooled and dry, put on a plate and serve with some ranch dressing
9. Enjoy!!

Summer Squash Varieties

• Alexandria Squash
• Cue Ball Squash
• Eight Ball Squash
• One Ball Squash
• Slick Pik Squash 
• Golden Delight Zucchini 
• Gentry Squash
• Gold Star Squash
• Gold Prize Squash
• Sunburst Squash

We want to help you grow your food to the best of our ability if you found any of these summer squash tips helpful, or you would like to learn more check out the video below from Hoss Tools!