Zucchini and other squash are one of the easiest vegetables to grow and most prolific in gardening. Even if you are planning your first garden, your harvest may be the envy of your neighbors with a few zucchini seeds and sunny summer weather. Growing a bountiful harvest of summer and winter squash or other types of squash is very simple and you will have plenty of pumpkins to share.

Zucchini and other squash don’t need a lot of prep work. They generally do not tolerate cold soil, cold air, or frost, and their roots do not do well when transplanted ¹ . This is all good for you as you will be able to sow pumpkin seeds in late spring, after the soil has warmed up, and sow your seeds directly into garden soil that receives all the sunlight. There is no need to start sowing seeds early indoors or buy pre-seeded plants from a plant store.

Don’t sow pumpkin seeds until at least two weeks after the last expected frost has passed through your region. If you are not sure when that will occur, your county extension agent can help you. When it is time to sow, it would be good to do “successive sowings”. By sowing the seeds every two to three weeks through midsummer, you can maintain a consistent pumpkin crop until the freezing winter. Successive harvests also help improve pollination and that means bigger and more abundant harvests for you.

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When you plant pumpkin seeds or other plants, you are not limited to the varieties available from your local store, as this gives you a large number of pumpkin varieties to enjoy. Choose from traditional types seeded for generations, like the dense Italian Costata Romanesco zucchini with a nutty flavor or try the sweet yellow Patisson squash. You may want a newer variety that is resistant to disease and pests, and when sowing seeds, you have a choice.

Pumpkins are summer or winter, depending on when they are ready to eat. Soft-skinned summer squash, such as zucchini, ripen quickly and are often ready to eat within the first two months after planting. Winter squashes, like Des Moines squash or squash, take at least three months or more to mature and develop thick skin. But if they have thick skin, they also last longer. The seed packages include this information.

Like  cucumbers , squash varieties are shrub or vine varieties. If your garden is small, bush varieties are an excellent choice. But if you definitely want a vine squash, grow your pumpkins vertically on a trellis. Simply secure the vines with soft rope as they grow and give the squash extra support as needed. Many types of summer and winter squash grow well in large planters , and even on urban balconies or patios.

Pumpkins need a lot of nutrients and benefit from a lot of organic matter in the soil and fertilizers specially designed for vegetable gardens. A plant nutrient with added calcium feeds your pumpkins and helps protect them against a disease called blossom end rot. Nourish your pumpkin plants when they begin to bloom and again when they begin to bear fruit.

It is very important to water the squash plants, especially once the little zucchini start to form. Make sure they get at least 1 inch (2.54 cm) of rain or irrigation water a week. Water them early in the morning and avoid watering them from above. Keep the leaves as dry as possible to prevent  fungal diseases in the garden . If common diseases like powdery mildew and mildew occur, apply a proven and effective treatment, such as Daconil ^® fungicide , which you can use on pumpkins until harvest day.

Pumpkin plants depend on insects to pollinate the flowers that produce their crops. Without good pollination, the fruits are small, withered, or misshapen. You can help nature pollinate squash blossoms by doing it yourself. Pollination by hand ensures that the job is done right and is a lot of fun for adults and children, but don’t be surprised if you find little pumpkin bees sleeping inside the flowers.

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Pumpkins have separate male and female flowers that are easy to tell apart. Male flowers have long, thin stems, while females have thick stems with a bulge underneath the petals, and that bulge is what will become your pumpkin. Cut the male flower with its stem and gently remove the petals. Leave the pollen-covered center intact. Use the stem with the pollen as a painter’s brush to paint well the center of the female flower with the pollen. Once you are done, you will be officially a pollinator. ²

You can start enjoying your pumpkin crop before the fruits appear. Chefs like pumpkin blossoms for their color and mild pumpkin flavor, and they use them in many ways. Cut the flowers and leave a short stem so that the flower remains whole. Look for the male flowers and not the females that are the ones that produce the fruits. You can sauté, stuff, or fry the squash blossoms or chop them and use them in soups, salads, and pasta.

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Harvest and eat summer squash at any stage, even when they are tiny and still attached to the flower. Harvest them regularly and don’t let them get too tall, as they taste best when young and tender. Fresh summer squash can keep one to two weeks in the refrigerator. Harvest winter squash during fall when their colors intensify and their skins harden. Store them in a cool, dark place to last for several months over the winter.

With zucchini and other pumpkins on your gardening list, you can plan to have plenty of pumpkins for your table and that of your neighbors.