Thinking of giving squash a go? They’re easy and quick growing – you can be harvesting in as little as 6-7 weeks! They’re in the same family as pumpkins and melons, so you know they will taste good. Try them baked, roasted, steamed or sliced and thrown into stir-fries.


How to grow squash in a garden

  1. Choose a sunny spot with well drained soil and enrich the soil with Yates Thrive Natural Blood & Bone with Seaweed
  2. Form small mounds of soil and space 70cm apart. Sow 3-4 seeds into each mound and water well.
  3. As seedlings grow, thin to the two strongest plants in each mound. Feed weekly with Yates Thrive Natural Fish Seaweed+ Plant Food Concentrate.
  4. Water regularly, particularly in hot or windy weather. Mulch with organic mulch like pea or lucerne straw to help retain soil moisture. 
  5. Harvest regularly to encourage more flowers and fruit.

     


How to grow squash in a pot

  1. Choose a pot at least 400mm wide and deep. Position in full sun and fill with quality potting mix, such as Yates Premium Potting Mix
  2. Sow direct by clumping 3-4 seeds into each planting hole. Water in well. 
  3. As seedlings grow, thin to the two strongest plants. Feed weekly with Yates Thrive Natural Fish Seaweed+ Plant Food Concentrate.
  4. Harvest regularly to encourage more flowers and fruit.

Yates varieties

Zucchini 'Squash Mix'

A colourful selection of sweet, quick cropping fruit in a variety of quirky shapes and sizes.

Growing tips

  • Hand pollination can be used to help improve fruit set. To hand pollinate, pick male flowers (sitting above a fairly thin erect stem), remove petals and gently brush over the centre of the female flowers (flowers sitting above a tiny swollen base). Do this early in the morning as the short-lived flowers can close by mid-morning. 

  • Try watering the soil more than the leaves. Water sitting on the foliage all day can promote fungal issues, like powdery mildew. 



More Plants

Beans

Beans are so rewarding to grow. And if you give them the right conditions, they will happily grow in the garden or in large pots.

Taro

Taro is a versatile vegetable and is a staple of many Pacific countries. The corms are white with a purple tint, starchy and easy to digest, making it a great substitute for potato.

Kūmara

Here's how to grow kūmara in your garden, or in pots if you live in the cooler parts of the country.

Onion

They may make you cry, but onions are worth the tears! They can impart such a sweet or savoury flavour to your dishes, depending on how they’re used.

Recommended products

Yates Premium Potting Mix

A premium potting mix, ideal for all potted plants and shrubs, including ornamentals, fruit trees, vegies and herbs.