Winter Squash Plant Guide: How to Grow Winter Squash

Winter squash refers to any warm-season annual squashes that gardeners harvest between late summer and mid-fall. Squash refers to five domesticated species of vining plants within the greater Cucurbita genus of gourds native to the Andes and Mesoamerica.

While you may find squash next to vegetables at the grocery store, botanists classify squash as a fruit because it is a product of a plant’s flowers and contains seeds. Squash fruits vary in size, shape, and color, but they all have dense, fibrous flesh and edible skins.

Winter squashes have hard rinds that allow you to store them for several months after harvesting, while summer squash varieties (like zucchini) have thinner rinds and spoil comparatively quickly. This type of squash also has a seed cavity that you need to hollow out before preparing them for winter squash recipes.

There are many varieties of winter squash you can plant in your home garden:

1. 1. Acorn squash: Acorn squash has a deep seed cavity that’s perfect for stuffing with whole grains or a few pats of butter and a teaspoon of brown sugar. This winter squash has a mild, nutty flavor and dark green, edible skin.
2. 2. Banana squash: Pinkish gold banana squash can get quite long—up to three feet. Its earthy, slightly sweet flavor makes it a good alternative for recipes that call for butternut squash or kabocha. It has close-textured, smooth flesh that’s great for roasting.
3. 3. Buttercup squash: Buttercup squash is like a thin-skinned pumpkin with firm, sweet flesh and roastable seeds. It’s recognizable by its blue-green skin and pale white stripes.
4. 4. Butternut squash: Pear-shaped butternut squash has orange-yellow flesh and notoriously tough-to-peel rinds. This sweet winter squash variety is the primary ingredient in butternut squash soup.
5. 5. Carnival squash: A flavorful hybrid of acorn and sweet dumpling squash, carnival squash is a stubby, round, cream-colored variety that's bespeckled with green and orange flecks. The soft orange flesh has a sweet, nutty flavor.
6. 6. Delicata squash: Small, oblong delicatas, also known as sweet potato squash, are immediately recognizable for their yellow skin with green stripes. The seeds are easy to remove, and the skin is edible, adding a nice crackling chew when you roast them.
7. 7. Hubbard squash: Hubbards are large with a hard, bumpy exterior that ranges from pale seafoam green to dark bluish-gray. The flavor of Hubbard squash is comparable to pumpkin. They make fantastic bases for hearty soups and work equally well in baked goods like pies or muffins.
8. 8. Kabocha squash: Kabocha squash is a Japanese squash variety sometimes referred to as “Japanese pumpkin” in the United States. It has deep green skin and sweet, dark orange flesh similar to a pumpkin or sweet potato.
9. 9. Red kuri: Red kuri squash belongs to the Hubbard squash group and looks a bit like a swollen acorn missing its cap or a rusty-red chestnut. Just like a chestnut, its flavors deepen with a good roast.
10. 10. Spaghetti squash: This delicate, pale yellow squash has stringy, loose flesh and a mild flavor. Spaghetti squash is a popular pasta alternative, and you can serve it with pasta sauce for a relatively low-carb dinner.
11. 11. Sweet dumpling squash: Sweet dumpling squash have a sweet flavor and are pint-sized and streaked with bright orange or green stripes. Thanks to their size, they work especially well for single-serving preparations.
12. 12. Sweet pumpkin: Sweet pumpkins, also known as sugar pumpkins, are smaller and sweeter than the jack-o’-lantern carving variety. They’re perfect for making pumpkin pie because they have deep orange flesh and a characteristically sweet flavor.
13. 13. Turban squash: Turban squash features a puffed top, deep orange flesh, and a mild, nutty flavor similar to pumpkin.

You can plant winter squash by direct-sowing seeds into your garden soil in the middle or end of spring when the threat of the last frost has reliably passed. Find out the last frost date in your area, and aim to start seeds in warm weather. Follow this guide to grow winter squash:

1. 1. Choose seeds. Find seeds for most winter squash varieties at your local garden center or farmers’ market.
2. 2. Prepare the soil. Your winter squash seeds will thrive in well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Prepare your soil to be slightly acidic in pH, just below seven.
3. 3. Select a location. Choose a location where the plant will receive plenty of direct sunlight because winter squash thrives in full sun. Keep in mind that most winter squash will grow long, crawling vines that require lots of space. Train the creeping vines of your squash up a trellis to keep them contained and off the ground if space is limited.
4. 4. Plant the seeds. Sow the seeds in the soil roughly three feet apart to allow the squash room to grow. You can spread mulch around the seeds to help them retain moisture and keep them warm.
5. 5. Water after planting. Water the soil so that it is damp but not waterlogged. Keep the first two inches of soil moist, and your seeds should begin to germinate within one week.

Monitor your squash closely to ensure the plants receive the right amount of water and to keep any pests or diseases from ruining your harvest. Follow these tips to care for your winter squash properly.

• Fertilize to promote growth: Feed your plants with an all-purpose fertilizer when they begin to flower to help promote fruit growth during the growing season. Side-dress the fertilizer by applying it in a shallow groove along the side of the plant so that it doesn’t make contact with the plant itself.
• Monitor for diseases: Squash can be susceptible to common mildews, funguses, and bacterias like powdery mildew, mosaic virus, and blossom end rot. You can treat these ailments with fungicide. Maintain damp, but not waterlogged, soil to prevent rot.
• Watch for pests: Common winter squash pests include squash vine borers or cucumber beetles, which you can remove by spraying your plants with a hose or handpicking the pests off individually. Row covers will also ward off pests, but remove them when the plant flowers to allow pollinating insects to fertilize it.
• Thin as necessary: Thin your winter squash sprouts when they are around two inches tall, which allows them to spread their roots. Leave one plant for every twenty-four inches if you have planted them in rows. Just take care not to disturb the roots of the plants you leave in the ground.
• Water frequently: Your burgeoning winter squash plants will need at least two inches of water each week. Check the soil with your finger to make sure the first inch of soil is damp. Water your plants more frequently if you notice the leaves of your winter squash beginning to wilt.
• Harvest at maturity: Only harvest fully mature squash. Your squash is ready to harvest when the vines die back, and the squash’s rind is firm, which you can test by trying to pierce it with your fingernail. The squash is ready to take off the vine if you can’t pierce the flesh. Leave at least one inch of stem on the squash when removing it from the vine, using a sharp knife or pruning shears. Cure your squash after harvesting to prepare it for long-term storage by allowing it to sit in a warm, dry place for around seven days.

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