Grow your own summer squash

Zucchini, marrow, gem squash and patty pan are all varieties of summer squash. The name refers to their shorter storage life than “winter” squash, which are also — confusingly —  grown in summer. Summer squashes are harvested and eaten when immature, with a tender, edible skin. Winter squashes are left until their skins harden and can be stored for many months.

Varieties

Summer squashes vary widely:

• Zucchini (aka courgettes or marrow): Large, bushy plants, bearing cucumber-shaped fruit, varying from yellow to stripy and dark green.
• Patty pan: Flying-saucer shaped squash with scalloped edges, ranging from white to dark green or yellow.
• Round or oval: Ranging from bright yellow to dark green, these squash are either compact bushy plants or send out long stems that can be trained up a vertical support.

Growing

Squash plants require full sun, well-drained, fertile soil and consistent water. They like warm soil and are frost sensitive. They are heavy feeders and benefit from being planted in a fertile mound enriched with compost and Talborne Vita Grow (2:3:2). When flowering begins, feed with Talborne Vita Fruit & Flower (3:1:5).

An excellent method of feeding and watering squash is to bury a plastic nursery pot (with drainage holes) in the centre of the mound, leaving its rim sticking out. As the plants grow, their roots spread around the bottom of the pot. Use the pot to water and feed with liquid fertiliser, delivering these directly to the roots without wastage.

Saving Space

If you have limited space choose a trailing variety such as Rolet gem squash. Place your mound and watering pot in the centre of a tripod and when the plants starts sending out trailing vines, wind them up the tripod. This saves space, makes for easier harvesting and helps prevent disease and pest infestation by raising the plants off the ground and allowing air to circulate.

Pests and diseases

Squash are susceptible to powdery mildew, especially with continual wet weather. Spraying weekly with an organic foliar spray helps prevent this.

In very wet weather, a milk spray can help prevent mildew. Spray weekly with a 40/60 milk/water dilution. It's best to do this when it's sunny, as the milk proteins create an antifungal effect when exposed to sunlight. If mildew does take hold, use an organic copper spray to prevent it spreading.

Leaf- and squash-eating beetles can be a problem. If you have a few bugs on your plants they can be hand-picked. For bigger infestations, spray with an organic insecticide.  

Harvesting

Summer squash bear prolifically and with regular picking they will continue yielding from December through April. They are best eaten when quite small. The larger they grow, the more watery and less tasty they become. When harvesting, use scissors or a knife to cut cleanly through the stem.  

Flower power

I would often read recipes for squash blossoms and ignore them, thinking I was destroying a potential squash fruit for every flower I ate. Then I discovered that only female flowers produce fruit. Male flowers can be eaten as long as four or five remain on the plant to do their pollinating. If you look inside the flower you'll see the difference. Male blossoms, which appear first, have a straight stem and a single stamen. Female flowers, which follow about a week later, have a distinct bulge (the ovary) just below the flower and inside is a far more complicated pistil with four parts.