Summer squash is one of the most popular summertime vegetables. Summer Squash Recipes is often centered around this one vegetable. Summer Squash Info is easily found online, but you might not get all the essential facts when attempting to grow it at home. Some of the things that most new and experienced squash gardeners do not know are the proper care requirements, the varieties of summer squash, and how to pick the best squash to grow. Here are some important facts for those who want to grow squash this summer.
Summer squash plants are best planted in containers. They need to be made into a partial container prior to planting. If you plan to use a square foot garden planter then that’s fine. The soil mixture should be one part garden soil with one part sand, and one part perlite or cinder gravel. A permit or cinder gravel base encourages more root development. It also provides a protected growing environment for your summer squash plants from birds and other pests.
Watering is a key point when caring for your summer squash plant. For those who want to harvest their squash harvest early, or just want to have healthier squash the correct watering practices are very important. In order to yield healthy fruit, squash must be watered carefully and not over-watered. Watering should be done no more than once or twice per week during the growing season. Too much water or too many cycles of drying and re-wetting will stunt squash yields.
Harvesting your squash crop late in the season or after it has begun to bruise will encourage the growth of small black dots on the leaves. This is called spider mites, and is not a disease but rather a condition of the leaves caused by the lack of moisture. Simply remove the dead leaves and flatten them back against the stalk to prevent new black dots from forming. If you harvest zucchini too soon you will have small dark spots on the leaves which will look unattractive and reduce the taste and quality of your squash.
One key point of early and consistent fertilizer applications is ensuring adequate soil fertility for your squash plants. If you do not feed your plants well they may not grow to their maximum potential so it’s important to make sure you’re giving them the right kind of fertilizer and sufficient amounts of it at the right time of year. When you fertilize your summer squash plants, make sure you use a quality product formulated for this purpose; these products are designed specifically to feed your squash plants so they can grow to their full potential.
Another point of fertilizing your summer squash seeds inches deep is that the soil at the base of the plants needs additional moisture. This is achieved when you water the soil beneath the seedling. If you over-water the soil, it will dry out excessively and the seedlings won’t be able to survive. So keep in mind that the water goes only one way – from the top of the seedling up.