BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Gardening Growing Squash

Every other year or so we try growing some squash. Usually they start out with great flowers and then they all get squishy before they get to any size that looks edible. I'm not sure what we're doing wrong.

So we're trying again - we just put the seeds into pots today. I'll post photos once they start to grow!

Anyone else planting squash? We are growing the plain green ones.

Squash sometimes get eaten by a worm of some sort. Is that what is happening?

Angie - I'm not sure what is happening to them. This time around I'll take photos of them which might help diagnose the problem, assuming they don't grow properly.

I did learn today that squash have male and female flowers so that at least explains why half the flowers seemed to be "broken". Only the female ones are supposed to make fruit

yes, male and female but I don't think that would make the fruit squishy. If it is not pollinated, it wouldn't bear fruit period. But I am not an expert. I'll have to ask the master gardener.

Oh right I agree these are two separate problems. One problem is that half the flowers don't do anything The other problem is when I do get a squash to grow, they seem to go squishy quickly which may be a bug problem.

I've decided to grow zuccini(sp?) this year. Haven't grown it in years but the last time I did, I had good luck with it. I only planted two or three plants but got tons of zuccini. The only problem I had was that some of squash got huge before I could pick it. With zuccini, that isn't a good thing.

You have the opposite problem that I do Lynne! Do you have a ton of sun where you plant it? Mine is sort of shady, maybe that is part of the problem.

Yes, where I plant them has lots of sun. - Not my house. We are wooded. I'll be planting them at my daughter's house in my granddaughter's garden.

I think zucchini should be picked when they are about 6 inches long. I have a great zucchini pie recipe.

The shade could be the problem. Squash grow best with the most amount of sunlight possible. I was just out today squishing squash bugs that were mating and getting ready to set up shop on my vines. Haven't seen any eggs on them yet, so I think I got the first clan in time. I tried starting zucchini inside this year and none of them came up so I need to get some in the ground. Will probably do that tomorrow. My green beans didn't come up either, so I need to buy some new seeds for them pretty quick too.