Growing Summer Squash (Gentry F1)

The Gentry F1 is breed from the south. It has bright, yellow fruits with a crooked neck. They continue to produce even when things heat up.

Summer refers to when it is grow and eaten. Winter squash is still grown in the summer time but harvested and eaten in the winter.

CULTURE: When Growing Summer Squash remember it likes fertile, composted, well-drained soil.

DIRECT SEEDING: Sow beginning in late spring after danger of frost, when soil temp. is minimum 62° for treated seeds and 70° for untreated seeds. Seeds will rot in cool soil, especially cool, wet soil!

Sow 2-3 seeds every 9-12" (thin to 1 plant), 1/2-1" deep; or sow about 4" apart (thin to 1 plant/ft.), rows 5-6' apart.

ROW COVERS: AG-19 (heavier grade) floating row covers will provide about 4° of frost protection, and add warmth for vigor and earlier harvest.

DISEASES: If the first few fruits wither, blacken, and/or fail to enlarge, it indicates absence of pollination, remedied when male blossoms appear and provide pollen. Virus diseases tend to be cyclic; watch for resistant varieties.

Downy mildew may occur in cool, damp weather, powdery mildew in hot, droughty periods and in the fall. Till in the vines before winter or remove and compost mildewed plants. Copper fungicides offer some control.

INSECT PESTS: Protect young plants with floating row covers. Cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and vine borers can be a challenge. Rotenone and pyrethrin offer some control. Squash bug eggs laid on underside of leaves may be located and crushed. Keep borders well mowed.

For vine borers, use rotenone around the base of young plants. Cut borers out of vines and hill soil over the wound. Clean up refuse in the fall, and spring-plow the ground to bury the pupae.

HARVEST: Growing Summer Squash needs to be harvest regularly, 2-3 times a week depending on age of plants and growing weather. Pick the vegetables when they are about six inches long and 3/4 inches in diameter. Letting them get bigger than this will affect the taste.

STORAGE: Refrigerate at 32-50°F and high humidity to store 1-2 weeks. Can also be canned but not as good as fresh.

June 2010

Below is a picture of the pots I have started the seeds in.

The seeds germinated in about three days and are growing into nice seedlings.

I am using a heating pad and growing lights to make this happen.

Below is a picture of the Gentry squash. These seedlings are about two weeks old and progressing well.

Thank you for your visit.

Go to Squash Home Page from Growing Summer Squash.

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