Recommendations for Summer Squash Varieties

March 24, 2017 Author: Ann Clary Organic Gardening: Vegetables / The Mighty Garden Archive

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In most areas of California, summer squash is grown during the warm season from early spring through midsummer or fall; However, with an appropriate selection of varieties, many mild winter areas can grow summer squash year-round.

Zucchini is the most popular type of summer squash; for zucchini variety recommendations, go to GardenZeus and enter your zip code; then go to Squash, Summer Squash, Zucchini.

Early Prolific Straightneck is a longtime-favorite heirloom yellow summer squash that sets a high standard for reliability, flavor, yield, and earliness, with harvest as early as 45 to 50 days after planting. Try Early Summer Straightneck for flavor, exceptional texture, and high production in an open-pollinated yellow crookneck squash.

Jaune et Verte is an early and prolific French heirloom scalloped or patty pan squash with a long harvest period if fruits are picked consistently when young. Few heirloom vegetables have a pedigree of hundreds of years; Summer Scallop Blend provides a mix of heirloom patty pan varieties including Early White Bush and Golden Scallop, which may predate European colonization of the Americas.

For a rare heat-tolerant and drought-tolerant squash, try Calabacita, an early, vining Tatuma-type summer squash.

If you’ve had difficulty with diseases or low yields, try Cube of Butter, a flavorful, productive, disease-resistant, yellow straightneck hybrid. Summer Sunstripe is a unique and attractive hybrid yellow with a long harvest period. Pic-n-Pic is a productive, flavorful hybrid yellow crookneck.

Patty pan or scalloped squash — Scalloped or patty pan squash

For novelty, try Golden Egg, an early, delicious, egg-shaped yellow hybrid.

For complete, customized instructions for growing summer squash, go to GardenZeus and enter your zip code; then go the Squash, Summer Squash.