Success WITH Squashes

All you need to know to grow hearty winter squash and pumpkins

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WINTER SQUASH AND PUMPKINS are among the easiest and most reliable vegetables to grow. Both are members of the cucurbit family (Cucurbitaceae), so they're related to cucumbers, gourds and melons. They're fun to include in the garden because of the myriad fruit sizes, shapes, styles and colors to choose from. This group runs the gamut from pint-sized 'Baby Bear' pumpkins you can hold in your hand to 'Blue Hubbard' squash weighing up to 30 pounds.

Read on for all the advice you need for planting, growing and harvesting a bumper crop of squash and pumpkins. The name winter squash is a bit misleading. This is a warm-season vegetable grown between the spring and fall frost dates. They’re called winter squash because they keep incredibly well; if you properly store them you can enjoy them up to six months from harvest.

There are many types of winter squash to choose from, including butternut, buttercup, acorn, spaghetti, kabocha, hubbard and delicata. Most have a sweetness that runs from mild to mind-blowing, and their flesh ranges from dry to creamy. Read seed catalog descriptions carefully to select the best sort for you.

Also pay attention to plant size, as certain varieties form long, trailing vines and others make compact, bushy growth. The bush types are best for small spaces, raised beds and containers, while vining varieties can be planted wherever there is room to accommodate the enthusiastic plants.

As with winter squash, there are several different types of pumpkins, but I usually divide them into two groups: the ones I grow for eating and the ones I grow for autumn and Halloween decor. This matters because while all pumpkins are edible, the ones grown for jack-o’-lanterns tend to be less sweet and more fibrous in texture.