The oyster mushroom gets its name from its cap which, some say, resembles an oyster. The stem of the oyster mushrooms is perhaps more distinct; it unfurls something like one of those old-time paper lady's fans. The oyster mushroom has...

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Zucchini Growing Problems: Troubleshooting

Zucchini in North America and Australia; courgette in France, England, Ireland, and New Zealand; zucchini in Italy: it's the summer squash with the shape of a cucumber. Yellow, green, or light green, it is one of the easiest vegetables to grow--all it needs is warm weather.

There are at least 50 popular varieties of zucchini. If you have bees to take care of the pollination, you are likely to have a bumper crop.

That is not to say zucchini is problem free: there are a few. For zucchini growing tips see How to Grow Summer Squash or Zucchini Growing Success Tips at the bottom of this post.

Here are common zucchini growing problems with cures and controls:

Seed fails to germinate. Some squash seeds are "hard"--that is naturally resistant to uptake of water which results in sprouting. To overcome "hard" seed, increase germination, and slightly decrease germination time, soak seed in tepid water for 24 hours before sowing. Dry the seed on a paper towel before planting.

Plants are eaten or cut off near soil level. Cutworms are gray grubs ½- to ¾-inch long that can be found curled under the soil. They chew stems, roots, and leaves. Place a 3-inch paper collar around the stem of the plant. Keep the garden free of weeds; sprinkle wood ash around base of plants.

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Summer Squash Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow

Need top-choice, sure-bet, best-pick, easy-to-grow summer squash varieties?

Here are 15 top-performers for the home garden divided into the 3 most popular summer squash types: (1) scallop or patty pan, (2) yellow straight or crook neck, and (3) zucchini.

Keep reading to the bottom of this post and I will give you my tips for sure-fired summer squash growing success.

Also read How to Grow Summer Squash: click here.

Best Bets: Scallop-types (also called patty pan):

• Peter Pan Hybrid. 50 days. AAS winner. Meaty flesh, excellent flavor and quality. Uniform size, well scalloped, 2½ to 3 inches across; light green skin, pale green flesh; very productive, bush-type vine. Hybrid.

• Sunburst. 52 days. AAS winner. Delicate, buttery flavor. Deep scallop shape with medium fluting; soft, bright-yellow skin with a dark green "sunburst" pattern; tender creamy white flesh. Pick as a baby squash with blossom still attached. Compact grower spreads to 2½ feet. Hybrid.

• Scallopini. 52 days. AAS-winner. Meaty, sweet and nut-like flavor. Deep scalloped fruit with medium fluting 2½ to 3 inches across; dark green skin, pale green flesh. Compact vine, very productive over a long season; easy to grow. Hybrid.

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Squash Growing Problems: Troubleshooting

Squash growing success will come with a few simple growing strategies:

• Plant several squash plants. This will ensure at least one is successful and survives pests and diseases. Stagger planting times or plant seed and transplants at the same time for continuous harvest.

• Give squash the space recommended. Check spacing requirements for each variety you grow. If the garden is tight, contain the plant by pinching out the growing tips after a vine has set a few fruits. Don't grow squash too close together; this will help deter pests and diseases.

• Pick squash at the right time. Pick summer squashes when they are young and tender. Let winter squashes and pumpkins mature until their rinds are dull and hard. Pick and toss any fruit that is discolored or rotting before other plants or fruits are affected.

Time to plant. Sow squash or set out transplants about 2 weeks after the last expected frost in spring. Sow or plant successive crops 4 weeks later.

How to plant. Sow seed or set transplants in raised mounds at least 1 foot across. Place a generous amount of aged compost into each planting hill before planting.

Outwit pests. Cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and squash vine borers must be controlled to successfully grow squash. Place floating row covers over young squash plants until they start to bloom. This will exclude attacking insects until plants are strong enough to withstand pest damage.

Train plants up stakes or trellises. Training summer squash up stakes or trellises will increase air circulation and keep plants off the ground and clean and away from pests and diseases.

Keep ahead of squash problems, pests and diseases. Here is a troubleshooting list of possible squash problems with brief control suggestions. For a full description of pests and diseases and prevention and controls click over to the Pest Problem Solver of the Disease Problem Solver. For squash growing details click to How to Grow Summer Squash and How to Grow Winter Squash.

Here are squash problems described and suggested controls and prevention:

Leaves curl under and become deformed and yellowish. Aphids are tiny, oval, and yellowish to greenish pear-shaped insects that colonize on the undersides of leaves. They leave behind sticky excrement called honeydew which can turn into a black sooty mold. Use insecticidal soap.

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How to Grow Summer Squash

Summer squashes are frost-tender, warm-season annuals. The most popular are crookneck, straightneck, scallop, and zucchini. Sow squash seeds in the garden--or set out seedlings started indoors--only after the soil has warmed to at least 60°F, usually no sooner than 3 weeks after the last frost in spring. Summer squashes grow best in air temperatures ranging from 60° to 75°F; established fruit will ripen in temperatures as high as 100°F but flowers will drop in high temperatures.

How to prepare and cook summer squash: click here.

Browse all of our summer squash articles: click here.

Description. Squashes are a large group within the cucumber family, Cucurbita, and include gourds, pumpkins, and summer and winter squashes. Summer squashes are eaten when they are immature, usually when their skins are soft and thin; winter squashes are eaten mature after their skins have thickened and hardened. Summer squash commonly grows as a bush or smaller weak-stemmed vining plant. Squashes have large, broad leaves; 4 to 6 stems or short vines grow from a central root. Fruits vary in shape from round to cylindrical to scalloped much as their names imply: crookneck, straightneck, scallop, and zucchini. Separate male and female flowers appear on the same plant.

Yield. Grow 1 or 2 summer squash plants per household member.

Site. Plant squash in full sun. Grow squash in loose, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Prepare planting beds in advance working in plenty of aged compost. Add aged manure to planting beds the autumn before growing squash. Squash prefers a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.8. Summer squashes will sprawl slightly; if space is tight train them over small A-frame trellises.

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Butternut Squash-Cranberry Bake

Combine the smooth, nutty flavor of the butternut squash with the firm, crunchy, tart flavor of the cranberry: ah-hah! the butternut-cranberry squash bake! or is that the butternut squash-cranberry bake!? Well, it is definitely a late autumn-Thanksgiving Day treat that will sit well next to baked turkey or duck or chicken.

The deep-orange flesh of the butternut squash will enjoy the accent of the red cranberry. You might think you're getting into some sort of butterscotch-cranberry treat here.

Get started by selected a butternut squash that is light peach to orange colored and firm. (The deeper the color the sweeter, slightly less nutty flavored the squash.) Butternut squashes are somewhere between vase shaped and turban shaped. The butternut is 9 to 12 inches long and 4 to 5 inches at the widest. The seed cavity is going to be at the slightly bulbous blossom end.

Can you name all of the winter squashes? Find them all by clicking here.

Before the baking begins, you'll want to rinse the squash under running water before cutting. Next halve the squash between the neck and the bulb and then halve it again lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Then peel away the skin with a potato peeler or knife. Now you can cut the flesh into 1-inch slices or cubes. You can steam the cubes until tender, about 7 minutes before embarking on the recipe that follows on the next page.

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Patty Pan or Scallop Squash

Patty pan or scallop squash is a small, saucer-shaped warm-season squash that usually grows to no more than 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Patty pan squashes look something like a toy top. They can be white to creamy colored or various shades of green or yellow. Patty pans are less moist than other summer squashes such as zucchini. They actually grow more firm as they ripen similar to winter squashes, so they are best harvested and eaten when they are young and tender. (More on other types of summer squash click here.)

Cook. Place a whole, washed patty pan in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for about 4 to 5 minutes or until just tender pierced with a fork. Patty pans can also be quartered and brushed with olive oil and roasted for about 10 minutes. Patty pan slices can be sautéed until just tender. They can also be stuffed with chopped onion, meat, cheese, and spices and baked.

Grow. Patty pan squashes are for summer growing and require 45 to 55 frost-free days to reach harvest. Most patty pans have an open vining habit but rarely stand more than 3 feet tall. Squash require full sun and regular deep watering. (More on growing squash click here.)

Go to the next page for a list of the most common patty pan or scalloped squashes:

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Costata Romanesca Squash

Costata Romanesca is an heirloom Italian squash often considered the best tasting and best textured summer squash. It is sometimes called cocozelle or ribbed Roman zucchini. It is also called courgette, marrow squash, and vegetable marrow.

Costata Romanesca is an elongated squash with a dark green skin marked by greenish-yellow stripes that run its length. The squash measures 10 to 15 inches (25-38 cm) long and nearly 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter at full grow. Slightly raised ribs run the length of Costata Romanesca and it can sometimes be lightly flecked.

Costata Romanesca is juicy and sweet-nutty flavored. It can be picked tiny and eaten whole; otherwise, it is best to harvest this summer squash at 7 to 10 inches long. Even at 15 inches long Costata Romanesca remains tender and flavorful. The male blossoms of this squash can be stuffed or breaded, cooked, and eaten.

Grow. Costata Romanesca is a summer squash that requires 62 frost-free days to mature. It is a vining plant that demands plenty of room. Costata Romanesca's botanical name is Cucurbita pepo. Costata Romanesca is an open-pollinated plant which means you can save its seeds at the end of the season and grow the same plant again next year. This squash can be susceptible to powdery mildew. (More on growing squash click here.)

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Zephyr Squash

'Zephyr' is a straightneck summer squash. 'Zephyr' has a yellow stem end and is pale green at the blossom end. Faint white stripes run the length of this squash. (Learn more about summer squash click here.)

Zephyr is a hybrid of a yellow crookneck with a squash that is a cross between the Delicata and yellow Acorn squashes. It has a slightly bowed neck about 5 to 8 inches (13-20 cm) long. You can harvest 'Zephyr' at about 4 to 6 inches. 'Zephyr' is a firm, sweet-nutty flavored squash perfect for quick cooking

Grow. 'Zephyr' is a warm-season hybrid, has an open form or habit, and is ready for harvest about 54 frost-free days after sowing. (Learn more about growing squash click here.)

Choose. Select 'Zephyr' squashes that are still tender. Summer squashes that reach maturity will be drier with thicker skins. Choose firm, undamaged squashes with glossy skins free of cracks and blemishes. Select smaller to medium-sized specimens. Overly large squashes tend to be fibrous and bitter, and very small squashes can lack flavor.

Prepare. Before eating or cooking, wash and cut off both ends of the squash. Unless the skin is bitter, you do not have to peel tender squash.

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Squash Growing

Native Americans called it isquoutersquash. The British call it marrow. Squash is the American English term.

Zucchini, summer squash, winter squash, and pumpkins grow best once the air temperature averages 65ºF (18ºC). That means squash can be sown in late spring just about everywhere, and if you live in a long growing season region where the weather turned warm six weeks ago, you may be on to your second planting of squash, perhaps a second variety.

Most summer squash require 50 to 65 frost free days to mature. That means you can safely plant squash in the last week or two of spring. Winter squashes take a bit longer: 60 to 100 frost free days to mature. You can still sow winter squash seeds in late spring and get to harvest before the first frost in most regions.

Tender summer squash can be eaten raw or cooked. If you got an early start on your squash this year, you may already be adding sliced raw young squash to salads. Winter squashes are drier and more fibrous than summer squashes. Winter squashes are harvested when fully ripe and require cooking. Get them growing before the official start of summer arrives.

The requirements for planting and growing summer and winter squashes are the same except for the time required to harvest.

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Tender Summer Squash

This sauté of fresh zucchini and herbs is a great way to kick off the summer zucchini and tender squash season:

Heat a few dabs of butter in a large skillet, add finely chopped yellow onion and brown lightly over high heat. Mix your choice of chopped fresh marjoram, snipped fresh dill, or cumin seed with unpeeled thin sliced zucchini and stir-fry with the onions for 1 minute. Cover and reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add a touch of salt just before serving.

Summer or tender squash can be sautéed, steamed, boiled, baked, puréed, or eaten raw.

The tender summer squashes--zucchini, Costata Romanesca, round and globe, scallop or pattypan, yellow crookneck and yellow straightneck, and Zephyr--mature during the summer and can be claimed as baby or mini-squashes in late spring.

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Squash Or Zucchini: What's In A Name?

You have before you a soft-skinned squash. You have what is called a "summer squash."

You have before you a hard-shelled squash. You have what is called a "winter squash."

The summer squash might be more aptly named a "tender squash." It has moist flesh and a tender skin. Tender, summer squash is harvested steadily from June through August--most of the summer. Summer squash is best eaten fresh, either raw. steamed or sauteed. It will not keep more than a day or two in the refrigerator. You will eat the summer squash this summer.

The winter squash is harvested during September and October--in the fall, and sometimes even into late November and December--early winter. The hard skin and firm flesh of the winter squash make it ideal for curing and storing through the winter--thus winter squash. The winter squash is not tasty eating raw but is best used for baking and pies.

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