Don't believe everything you read on the internet

Squashes are a part of the Cucurbita family. Within the Cucurbita family there are like five different species of squashes. If you grow two varieties of the same species within a quarter-mile of each other, they will likely be cross-bred resulting in seeds that can not be used for any further generations.

If you pay attention and only grow one variety of each species, then you can grow five different varieties of squashes without concern for them cross-breeding.

My 2 greatest squash problems:
1. The lack of honey bees, and
2. Squash vine borers

my mom's zucchini squash plants feed 3 families and my hen flock.... I'd mail ya some squash if I could.

I run a 60 foot row of squash , I think they aren't eating enough

production goes up an down with the heat also as well as early season you want more plants or you will be watching 2-3 fruit grown waiting to be able to pick them.

we are probably eating it 5 nights a week when in season and giving some away.

for us none of it is going in cakes or baked goods.

I have had some massive plants as big as the bed of a truck that did produce a lot but if your eating it at a nice about 8-10 inch long fruit then you pick often and want more plants if you only ever ate them when over 16 inches I guess you would need fewer pants but would eat a lot more developed seeds.

NRA_guy said:

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I've been growing yellow summer squash (in hills) for decades, but I just thought I would see what the experts say about it.

Two different gardening expert web sites said, "one or two yellow squash plants produce enough squash to last a small family all summer".

That's just insane.

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Well maybe they were talking about squash in ak. Zukes will get 30 pounds in a few weeks seems like. Summer squash does well also. Usually 3 or 4 plants of each can feed the neighborhood.
And the moose like them

Olhomestead said:

Well maybe they were talking about squash in ak. Zukes will get 30 pounds in a few weeks seems like. Summer squash does well also. Usually 3 or 4 plants of each can feed the neighborhood.
And the moose like them

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I can grow you a truck load of 30 inch zuks but no one wants to eat them , can't even give them away

people eat the 6-12 inch fruit with firm flesh and tiny seeds

you also need pollinators , if you have 1 plant and it doesn't have enough flowers male and female at the same time your getting nothing

so a few extra is a good idea

We have been working on a project focusing mostly on winter squashes.

They seem to preserve much better.

I planted 6 hills of acorn squash on Sunday. My family may be orange from eating squash if they produce enough

I planted 7 hills of summer yellow straight neck squash this morning. I did 8 seeds per hill, but will have to thin them. (It hurts me to pull up viable little seedlings.)

We will do a couple zucchini. Bought a pumpkin for fun. The big ones at the fair can top 1200 pounds. Always peas for the kids. We used to grow an ever bearing pea I thought, but can't find one now. Does anyone know of one ?

NRA_guy said:

View attachment 121066

I've been growing yellow summer squash (in hills) for decades, but I just thought I would see what the experts say about it.

Two different gardening expert web sites said, "one or two yellow squash plants produce enough squash to last a small family all summer".

That's just insane.

Click to expand...

The authors (probably the same person who got copied) could have written this more clearly. Summer squash are meant to be eaten as an immature vegetable, in a sauté or baked or grilled or otherwise sliced and cooked in thin slices when the skin is tender and easily sliced. (seed and all....). And you cannot leave one on the plant to grow any larger. The plant will stop producing new, tiny ones and concentrate all its energy on the large one. If you keep the fruits picked, they will produce all summer--and if your family is small enough.....

Same thing happens with cucumbers and green beans. If you want new ones, you have to pick off all the old ones--otherwise the plant thinks it's done and shuts down all new pollination and production.

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