Poor pollination, or only male flowers so far. Encourage bees, or hand-pollinate with a brush.

Fruit rotting at the tip

Blossom-end rot or incomplete pollination. Water evenly; hand-pollinate.

White powder on leaves

Powdery mildew. Improve airflow, water at the base, remove affected leaves.

Squash vine borer or bacterial wilt. Inspect stems; cover young plants; rotate crops.

Gardening

Wildly productive, almost too productive. A couple of plants will feed a neighborhood.

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Sun

Full sun

Hardiness zones

Zones 3–11

Spacing

24–36 in apart, they get big. Often grown on small mounds.

Soil

Rich, well-draining soil with lots of compost; pH 6.0–7.5.

Watering

Deep watering 1–2 in/week at the base. Consistent moisture prevents misshapen fruit.

Plant / sow (typical)

May – Jun

Harvest (typical)

Jul – Sep

Starting

Direct sow after frost when soil is warm. Harvest fruit young (6–8 in) and often to keep the plant producing.

Companions

Good with Nasturtium, Corn, Bean, Marigold. Keep apart from Potato.

Flowers but no fruit. Poor pollination, or only male flowers so far. Encourage bees, or hand-pollinate with a brush.
Fruit rotting at the tip. Blossom-end rot or incomplete pollination. Water evenly; hand-pollinate.
White powder on leaves. Powdery mildew. Improve airflow, water at the base, remove affected leaves.
Plant wilts and collapses. Squash vine borer or bacterial wilt. Inspect stems; cover young plants; rotate crops.