Eight Ball Hybrid Squash F1

Be sure to check out our Summer Squash Growing Guide to learn more tips & tricks on successfully growing summer squash.

Eight Ball Squash is a hybrid zucchini that was an All American Selections winner in 1999. Plants have a bush-like growing habit and will average 18" tall and 2' wide. Eight Ball Squash has a nutty, yet buttery flavor with a firm texture. Fruits are best harvested at 3-4" in size, and will become spongy if allowed to get too large. Eight Ball fruits are perfectly round, glossy and have a dark green exterior with white flecks. The round shape provides a wide range of applications for cooking. The inside has very few Seeds and is mostly full of flavorful, squash meat.

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.

Eight Ball 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