Yellow squash is a delicious winter vegetable baked, stewed or in hot soups. This pumpkin variety is planted during the spring season and harvested in the fall when the outer skin hardens. To learn how to grow and harvest yellow squash, keep reading this article.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Plant the Yellow Pumpkin
Step 1. Plant it when the soil is warmed up
The seeds of the yellow squash do not germinate in cold soils and therefore need to be planted when you are sure that the frost is over. In areas with warm climates the right season could be mid-spring and in areas with colder climates you probably have to wait until late spring. If you plant yellow squash too early, it won't survive.
For a profitable start, you can plant the seeds indoors for a period of 3 weeks before the last winter frost. Plant the seeds with fertilizer for sowing in small pots. Always keep them moist and warm until the end of winter, then transplant them into the garden
Step 2. To plant yellow squash, choose a warm, sunny location
This type of pumpkin needs a lot of sun and heat to grow; plant it in the sunniest spot in your garden, trying to avoid shady spots, as it can't fully ripen without the sun.
Step 3. If necessary, enrich the soil
The yellow squash needs a soil rich in energy and substances to grow. If your land is poor, dig it up deeply and mix it with lots of fertilizer. Dependent on the amount of plants you want to plant, you may need to prepare a large enough area for your yellow pumpkins. Consider setting aside about 30 square centimeters of space for each plant.
Step 4. Plant the seeds in small mounds
Yellow pumpkins grow best when planted in raised ground. Create a mound about 7 cm high for each plant and leave about 30 cm of space between one mound and the other. Dig a 2-3 cm deep ditch at the top of the mounds and place 4 or 5 yellow squash seeds in it. Cover the seeds with some soil and place it by tapping it gently.
- When the seeds sprout, thin them out and leave 2-3 for each mound.
- If you want to transplant yellow squash plants that you initially grew indoors, plant one for each mound.
- Yellow squash vines can grow along the ground or on a trellis. If you want to grow them vertically, place a trellis or post near each mound of soil. When the vines sprout, gently wrap them around the base of the post or trellis and they will begin to grow upward.
Step 5. Cover the pumpkins' soil with a protective layer
To protect the soil and growing plants, sprinkle the area with the sprouts with pine needles or other light plants.
Method 2 of 3: Caring for the Yellow Pumpkin
Step 1. Water the pumpkin plants regularly
Keep the soil moist during the summer by watering the pumpkins several times a week. When the soil starts to look a little dry, water the plants well from the base, trying not to get the leaves wet (to prevent them from burning in the sun or forming mold).
Step 2. Eat the first buds of the yellow squash
The first flowers the plant produces are male, and eating them does not affect the growth and health of your yellow pumpkins. If you wish, tear off the yellow buds and use them to make salads or stir-fry them. Or, they will naturally fall off after a week.
The second set of flowers produced by the plants are female and grow just above the small fruits. Leave the female flowers on the vines
Step 3. Keep parasites away
Yellow squash plants usually don't attract pests until the growing season is over, when the plants are reaching the end of their life cycle anyway. If various types of pests (Acalymma vittatum or Anasa nistis) attack your plants during the growing period, you will need to try to get rid of them by various methods.
- If you see any specimens of Acalymma vittatum or Anasa nistis on the leaves of the plant, take them off with your own hands.
- Woodworms, on the other hand, attack plants from inside the stems. Unfortunately, if woodworms attack the pumpkin plants, there is nothing you can do to save them.
Method 3 of 3: Collect the Yellow Pumpkin
Step 1. Wait until the pumpkins are fully ripe
When pressing a fingernail on the pumpkin does not affect its surface, it means that it is ripe. It is very important to wait until the surface is hard or the pumpkin will spoil quickly.
Step 2. Collect the fruit before the first frost of the winter season
If you wait too long to harvest the pumpkins and they get cold, they will likely rot more easily. So pick them up before the temperature drops drastically.
Step 3. Cut the pumpkins from the vines
With a sharp knife, cut the pumpkins from the vines, leaving a few inches of the stems intact. Bring them inside the house immediately and wash them of the dirt on the surface. Thereafter, there is no need to leave them outdoors to dry or dry.
Step 4. Store the pumpkin
Fully ripe yellow pumpkins can be stored for months. Store yellow pumpkins in a cool, dry place and use them throughout the winter. For more information and tips on how to cook yellow squash, read the following articles:
- How to cut yellow squash
- How to make yellow squash soup
- How to roast yellow squash
Advice
- The seeds can be planted indoors and then transplanted outdoors. Plant the seeds indoors during the middle or late spring.
- If you put mulch around your plants, the squash will be protected from the dirt in the soil and will always stay moist.
