Planting Squash in Container Gardens

Squash is a vegetable easily grown in kitchen gardens to provide fresh food but is easily grown in container gardens, too. Squash is part of a family of many vegetables including cucumbers, melons and pumpkins.

Squash are primarily divided between summer and winter varieties. Summer squash is grown and harvested while outdoor temperatures are still warm and the squash is not fully grown. Summer squash plants form an upright bush in the garden.

Winter squash seeds require warm weather to germinate and set fruit. Winter squash plants are vines with long trailing habits or form upright semi-bush habits. The plants need a longer growing season and cool nighttime temperature to develop the sweet taste associated with fall cooking.

Compact Summer Squash Plants

Summer squash plants can be harvested early in the growing season leaving the pots available for a second planting of a cool season crop later. Gardeners looking for a summer squash to grow will want to consider:

• Sunny Delight is patty pan type with scalloped edges. It is harvested after 45 days with squash 2 ½” – 3″ long.
• Butterstick is a straight neck, golden yellow and harvested after 52 days.
• Midnight is a summer squash with dark green skin. The compact plant grows to 24″ tall

Winter Squash Vegetables for Autumn Cooking

When choosing winter squash plants look for varieties that grow on shorter vines with earlier harvests. Here are some winter squash varieties worth growing:

• Sunshine grows four-pound fruit on 6′ – 8′ vines. Harvest takes 95 days.
• Butterbush has deep reddish orange flesh. The plant can grow to 4′ tall but harvests begin in 75 days.
• Cream of the Crop produces three-pound squash on a bush plant.

Take advantage of vertical space and provide a trellis or cage to train up the vines, another reason to choose plants with small fruit. Vines can be allowed to trail along the patio or balcony floor, as well.

Containers for Planting Squash

Containers for squash plants should be large, at least 12″ in diameter and as tall. Whiskey barrels, plastic tubs or old bushel baskets lined with heavy-duty plastic punched with holes are all logical container ideas. If the container has none, drainage holes at the base are necessary and, around the sides if possible, should be added.

Squash plants grow in an organically rich potting soil with timed-release fertilizer pellets added. A container garden growing garden vegetables thrives best in full sun and should be checked daily for watering.

Squash plants can easily be added to a container vegetable garden. Kitchen gardens, called potagers, grow vegetable and flowering plants together. Squash plants add yellow flowers to the garden while benefiting from ornamental flowers that attract bees.