Summer Squashes
Cucumber
I grow two types of cucumbers, the ‘Marketmore’ slicer cucumber and a pickling cucumber, this season named ‘Cool Cucumber’. I offer two plantings separated a month if you would like to extend your season.
Spacing & Yield
Cucumbers can be grown as a ground crop, but I really do not recommend it. What I have had tremendous success with is growing them on a trellis very similar to the one I use for tomatoes. Rather than cages and strings for the plants, I use a cattle panel, which is essentially a fence with 6” squares. The cucumbers grow up the trellis with a little help and stay off the ground, where they would be likely to get diseased.
On 30” or 4’ beds, Cucumbers are planted 1’apart along the trellis; expect yields of 2-4 cucumbers per plant per week for about 4 weeks.
Pests
Cucumbers are susceptible to Cucumber Beetles, which carry cucumber mosaic virus. Pyganic treatments and floating row covers are recommended for Cucumber Beetle infestations.
I grow two types of cucumbers, the ‘Marketmore’ slicer cucumber and a pickling cucumber, this season named ‘Cool Cucumber’. I offer two plantings separated a month if you would like to extend your season.
Spacing & Yield
Cucumbers can be grown as a ground crop, but I really do not recommend it. What I have had tremendous success with is growing them on a trellis very similar to the one I use for tomatoes. Rather than cages and strings for the plants, I use a cattle panel, which is essentially a fence with 6” squares. The cucumbers grow up the trellis with a little help and stay off the ground, where they would be likely to get diseased.
On 30” or 4’ beds, Cucumbers are planted 1’apart along the trellis; expect yields of 2-4 cucumbers per plant per week for about 4 weeks.
Pests
Cucumbers are susceptible to Cucumber Beetles, which carry cucumber mosaic virus. Pyganic treatments and floating row covers are recommended for Cucumber Beetle infestations.
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Marketmore 76 Cucumber
$0.75 / Plant 58 Days Planting (Harvest): 5/16 (7/13), 5/30 (7/27), 6/27 (8/24) “Long, slender, dark green cucumbers. The slender, refined "Marketmore look" has long been the standard for slicing cucumbers in the North. 8-9" fruits stay uniformly dark green even under weather stress. Begins bearing late, but picks for a relatively long time.” |
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Cool Cucumber Pickling Cucumber
$0.75 / Plant 58 Days to First Harvest Planting (Harvest): 5/30 (7/24), 6/27 (8/21) “Medium green fruits bear early, and set heavily on short, space-saving vines. Fertilize well and pick frequently at a small size to maintain good color and fruit shape. “ |
General Squash
Summer squash pulls together the summer menu. I am a strong believer in multiple plantings of squash so that you can remove old large plants and save space in your garden.
Spacing & Yield
On 30” and 4’ beds, 1 row of Summer Squash can be planted, 2’ apart; expect yields of about 2# per harvest per week for about 4 weeks. Patty Pans produce less poundage, as they are smaller. Expect about 3-6 squashes per week.
Season Extension
Row covers will be required for this planting.
Summer squash pulls together the summer menu. I am a strong believer in multiple plantings of squash so that you can remove old large plants and save space in your garden.
Spacing & Yield
On 30” and 4’ beds, 1 row of Summer Squash can be planted, 2’ apart; expect yields of about 2# per harvest per week for about 4 weeks. Patty Pans produce less poundage, as they are smaller. Expect about 3-6 squashes per week.
Season Extension
Row covers will be required for this planting.
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Costata Romanesco Zucchini
$0.75 / Plant 52 Days to First Harvest Planting (Harvest): 5/16 (7/7), 5/30 (7/21), 6/27 (8/18) “Traditional Italian heirloom with the best flavor. This distinctive zucchini is medium gray-green, with pale green flecks and prominent ribs. Big, large-leafed semi-bush plants with only about half the yield of hybrids, but much better flavor; clearly better textured, nutty, and delicious, raw or cooked.” |
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Golden Glory Zucchini
$0.75 / Plant 50 Days to First Harvest Planting (Harvest): 5/16 (7/5), 5/30 (7/19), 6/27 (8/16) “Spineless yellow zucchini with excellent yields. Open habit and few spines make it easy to harvest blemish-free fruit. Excellent disease resistance keeps the plant productive over a long season. Bright yellow fruits with solid green stems.” |
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Dunja Green Zucchini
$0.75 / Plant 47 Days to First Harvest Planting (Harvest): 5/30 (7/16), 6/27 (8/13) “Organic, early, powdery mildew resistant. Dunja is a high yielder of dark-green, straight zucchinis. Open plants and short spines make for an easy harvest.” |
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Zephyr Yellow Squash
$0.75/ Plant 54 Days to First Harvest Planting (Harvest): 5/16 (7/9), 5/30 (7/23), 6/27 (8/20) “Unique appearance for easy recognition. Distinctive, slender fruits are yellow with faint white stripes and light-green blossom ends. Harvest young at 4-6" for unusually delicious, nutty flavor and firm texture. Vigorous, high-yielding plants. |
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Y-star Patty Pan Squash
$1.00 / Plant 52 Days to First Harvest Planting (Harvest): 5/16 (7/7), 5/30 (7/21), 6/27 (8/18) “Yellow organic patty pan. Prolific yielder of shiny, yellow, scalloped squash fruits, with light green on the blossom end.” |