WINTER SQUASH

Growing winter squash requires some patience, but this garden vegetable is well worth the wait—and most varieties have a long shelf life after harvest. From butternut squash to acorn squash, learn how to plant, grow, harvest, and cure winter squash in your home garden! Winter squash are harvested in late summer or autumn, just before or after their fruits reach full maturity. Squash have a relatively long shelf life. Some varieties will keep through winter, hence the name winter squash. Varieties include acorn, butternut, delicata, Hubbard, pumpkin, and spaghetti. 

Plant squash in a location with full sun and lots of space for sprawling vines. Most full-size winter squash varieties need 50 to 100 square feet to spread. Soil must be well fed and moist (not soggy) and well draining. Mix aged manure and/or compost (about 50% native soil to organic matter) deep into the soil a couple weeks before planting.