Growing Crooked Neck Squash

Crooked neck squash is a type of summer squash that would be a great addition to your garden. It’s so easy growing crooked neck squash and you can enjoy some nice flavorful squash dishes from it. They can be used for both raw and cooking applications.

This squash is a warm-season vegetable that grows so easily and fast. It is also a very prolific summer squash plant.

In this article, we are going to be looking at growing crooked neck squash. We will as well look into commencing crooked squash from seeds or seedlings, the right time to plant this squash, and many more. So let’s begin.

Crookneck Squash

Crooked neck squash is also known as yellow squash because of its yellow-skinned nature. It is botanically a member of Cucurbita pepo. From the name ‘crooked’ we can see the shape of the neck is bent or curved. The shape can somehow be compared to a bottle shape. The flesh of this summer squash may be smooth or bumpy.

Crookneck squash is mostly found in North America. Up until the arrival of zucchini squash, the crookneck squash was majorly the dominant summer squash grown.

This squash can be harvested when it’s still immature as a baby yellow crooked squash. It can as well be harvested when it’s fully matured in its full size. It can also be left on the vine to mature fully to a hardened gourd stage. Crooked neck squash is one of the very few summer squash that can be dried to a gourd-like stage.

This tasty squash is packed with great nutrients such as carotenoid, lutein, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, fiber, folate, and bioavailable copper.

Crookneck Yellow Squash Plant

Crooked neck squash plants love to be grown in a warm environment. Hence, growing crooked neck squash plants should be in the warm season. Unlike other winter squashes and pumpkins, they don’t grow on long vines, so they are easier to be grown in a container and small spaces.

Let’s dive in further and see how to grow this flavorful summer squash.

Growing Crooked Neck Yellow Squash Plants

Growing crooked neck squash is pretty easy and it’s a great choice for beginner gardeners. Starting this squash from their seeds is pretty straightforward and they will grow optimally especially when seeded directly into the soil garden.

This squash can b grown in most types of soil and the soil should be very fertile. For optimal results, we recommend you work or mix about 2 to 4 inches of compost or other garden soil amendments as required.

Seeds of Change 1068 Certified Organic Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash

Growing Crooked Neck Squash From Seeds

As we mentioned, crooked neck squash requires rich soil to thrive well because they are heavy feeders.

After working the soil with appropriate compost or soil amendments, proceed to seed planting. Plan to sow your seeds around 2 weeks after the last frost or when the soil outside is 65 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

Plant your seed by pressing it into the soil to about 1 inch deep. Then cover the seed with some soil or compost and water adequately.

Give the crooked squash seed spacing of about 2 to 3 feet apart. The majority of summer squash doesn’t usually grow in a vine manner. They tend to grow several feet wide. Therefore, it’s crucial you don’t crowd this squash so they don’t get invaded by squash bugs and powdery mildew if they end up getting any infestation.

You should begin to see germination within 3 to 10 days of seed sowing. The first fruit production should be within 60 days of planting. The crooked neck squash plant can keep producing fruit until frost or diseases end their growth.

Growing Crooked Neck Squash From Seedlings

You can as well start your seeds indoors and transplant the germinated young seedlings outdoors. You can also purchase the seedlings from your local garden stores.

It is essential you harden off your seedlings two weeks before transplanting. Do this by leaving them outside or exposing them to outdoor conditions so they can adjust to outdoor conditions.

Once it’s time for transplanting your seedlings outdoors, prepare the soil just like you would do for seeds by working in some compost before planting. Carefully remove the plant’s root ball from its container. Make a hole in the same depth of the container and plant your seedlings.

Plant spacing should be at least 2 feet apart. Ensure you water the seedlings appropriately.

Growing Recommendations For Growing Crooked Neck Squash

Here are some growing requirements for crooked neck squash:

• Sunlight: As a warmth-loving plant, crooked neck squash requires a sunny spot. Ensure the soil temperature outdoors is at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit before planting.

• Soil and Soil pH: The soil for this squash must be well-draining. The soil should also be worked in by compost or other soil amendments. Crooked neck squash thrives well in a pH range of 6.0 to 6.8.

• Watering: This squash plant should be watered optimally. Water deep at least once a week. The soil needs to be moist so aim to water to a depth of 4 inches. It’s better to feed your plant one long drink of water than watering several times at different periods. You can tell your plants require watering by looking at their appearance. During the day when the weather is hot, the leaves tend to wilt. However, when night comes, the leaves tend to spring back. But if you notice the leaves don’t spring back pr they’re still wilted the next morning, it’s important you water your squash immediately.

• Mulch: When you’re done planting, ensue you mulch around your seedlings to prevent weeds and maintain warm and moist soil.

• Fertilize: Crooked neck squash are heavy feeders so it’s important you fertilize your soil. You can side-dress your plants with a 5-10-10 fertilizer. The nitrogen level of the fertilizer should be kept low so your squash plant can produce more squash rather than more leaves.

FAQ’s

Final Say

Growing crooked neck squash is really easy and you can always enjoy the result of your squash plant once they’re ready for harvest.

Your crooked neck squash should be ready for picking from 45 to 65 days after planting depending on the variety grown. If you want better tasting squash, harvest them when they reach about 6 inches in length.