My squash plant is looking very healthy and looks almost done. It is my first time growing squash and I notice that flowers look like they are about to bloom on the tops of the squash. Should I pull them now? They are still hard and did not know if i should wait till then get soft.
You can pick squash at any stage you would like to. The italians even pull them when young with the blooms still on them and fry blossom and all…I pick mine when they are about 4 inches long for I like them small and tender…Normal is around 5 to 7 inches however.I have about 18 plants and only A household of two people, so I can pick them when young..I’m going for tenderness versus quantity..and with 18 plants, you get quantity as well.I have zuchinni,pattypan, and crooknecked yellow squash growing. I also suggest searching " cooking squash blossoms" on the net and you will have tons of info..some people even fry just the blossom itself..Do not pull them untill after the blossom opens..and let them get up to 7 inches long, or if you have plenty like I do..Pick them as small as you want to. I do STRONGLY suggest searching for blossom recipes like I recomended above.
I usually pick mine when they are between 6 and 8 inches long. I, too, have little babies with flowers on their heads.
My Yellow Squash and Zucchinis exploded into productive life about a week ago, and I’m so ready for some fresh, organic squash.
Ain’t it fun?
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You can pick squash at any stage you would like to. The italians even pull them when young with the blooms still on them and fry blossom and all…I pick mine when they are about 4 inches long for I like them small and tender…Normal is around 5 to 7 inches however.I have about 18 plants and only A household of two people, so I can pick them when young..I’m going for tenderness versus quantity..and with 18 plants, you get quantity as well.I have zuchinni,pattypan, and crooknecked yellow squash growing. I also suggest searching " cooking squash blossoms" on the net and you will have tons of info..some people even fry just the blossom itself..Do not pull them untill after the blossom opens..and let them get up to 7 inches long, or if you have plenty like I do..Pick them as small as you want to. I do STRONGLY suggest searching for blossom recipes like I recomended above.
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My source is if you click on my profile picture here, then click on the links in it and is a photo album of my garden(190 of them)…I grow veggies 12 months out of the year,have raised beds, and indoor grow light set ups as well…
Squash have two kinds of flowers–male and female. The males are simply on a stem, the females have an ovary below the flowers–that’s the little squash you see. Once the males pollinate the females the little squashes begin to grow as the seeds develop. Once pollination takes place the female flower will die. Let the little squash grow at least until it’s about 5 to 6 inches long for best flavor. Don’t let them sit on the plant until they are huge, because the bigger the squash the more mature the seeds are and the plant thinks it’s done needing to produce and will begin to totally die off.
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Lfielong gardener.
I’m not sure I understand your question. It sounds like you want to take off the blossoms before they bloom. If that is true, don’t. You need to have the blossoms fertilize in order to produce the squash.
There are two kinds of blooms, male and female, and both are needed to get the squash to grow. You can recognize the females because they have something that looks like a tiny squash behind the bloom while males only have the stalk.
If you are only seeing males right at first, that is okay and normal. Many types of squash produce a flush of males at first and then produce females and males later. You can take some of the blossoms and cook them, true, but be sure to leave enough males to fertilize the females.
If you have only a few plants and not very many pollinators, you can prevent drop off by fertilizing the females with a small brush with the males present. Many time females look like their growing fruit, then it shrivels and drops off because it didn’t really get fertilized at all.
Harvest them any time you like. I like to go for the young and tender ones myself, though I do let some grow to good size for other things that need a firmer flesh for cooking, like au gratins and the like. Depending on breed, it may be 5 inches or it may be longer. Look at your seed packet or google your breed if you’re not sure.
Good luck!
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Long time backyard organic gardener of heirloom veggies and herbs