Early Crookneck Summer Squash
Early Crookneck Summer Squash has been a favorite in vegetable gardens for over a century. Productive plants produce golden-yellow fruits with a slight crook and bumpy exterior. C. pepo. 50 days to maturity.
Treatment: Untreated
Description
Be sure to check out our Summer Squash Growing Guide to learn more tips & tricks on successfully growing summer squash.
Early Crookneck Summer Squash is an open-pollinated squash variety that's probably the most popular variety of summer squash grown in gardens across the country. This variety produces meaty fruits that are best harvested at 5-6" long, but can be harvested smaller for even more tender fruits. These golden yellow squash have a slight crook in the neck and a bumpy exterior texture. Plants can get relatively large if kept watered and fertilized. Early Crookneck Summer Squash has a bush-growing habit which makes fruits easy to find for harvesting. This is a great variety for almost any squash dish you can imagine. They're great fried, steamed, sauteed and even raw!
Squash may be direct seeded or transplanted, although we highly recommend direct seeding. To ensure a good stand, we recommend planting squash Seeds every 12" along the intended row. Once plants emerge, thin plants to one every 2 feet. Squash can be susceptible to plant diseases like downy mildew and powdery mildew if leaves receive excess moisture. As a result, we recommend using drip irrigation on squash to reduce plant moisture and feed plants more effectively. During periods of heavy rainfall, using a fungicide like Liquid Copper can help to alleviate disease pressure as well.
Squash are a crop that will require multiple harvests throughout the growing season. Regardless of variety, squash will have better flavor and texture when harvested on the small end of the spectrum. We recommend harvesting every 2-3 days to ensure no fruits become too large and 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. Proper crop rotation is extremely important with all squash varieties to reduce disease and pest pressure.
Early Crookneck Summer Squash Planting Information
Planting Method: direct seed
When to Plant: after last frost
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Seed Spacing: 18-24"
Row Spacing: 5-6'
Days to Maturity: 50
Disease Resistance: None
