Germination of Table Gold Winter Squash

Planting Time

• Winter squash varieties are classed as very tender vegetables. They cannot tolerate freezing weather. Seeds should not be planted until at least two weeks after the last frost date. If you live in a USDA zone that will not allow the 100 days of warm temperatures that acorn squash need from germination to harvest, consider germinating seeds indoors to get a head start. Time the planting so transplants are ready to go into the ground after the danger of frost has passed for your area.

Temperature

• Winter squash seeds need warm temperatures to germinate. The minimum temperature for sprouting table gold is 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the optimum temperature is 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and the maximum temperature for germination is 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Horticulturists at Cornell University recommend waiting until soil temperatures are around 70 degrees Fahrenheit before sowing seeds.

Moisture

• After sowing, soil should be kept evenly moist for germination to occur. Winter squash is fast-growing right from the start, and growing seeds and seedlings need abundant and regular watering. However, if you are storing seeds from season to season, they should be kept free from moisture and at cool temperatures. Seeds can be stored for 6 years under favorable conditions.

Germination

• Once the seed is in the ground, it begins to take up moisture. This activates enzymes and hormones in the plant embryo, resulting in seedling growth. The hypocotyl, which becomes the root, emerges first from the pointed end of the squash seed. It turns downward and grows into the soil, sending out root branches that harvest water and food. As it arches down, it pulls the rest of the plant embryo containing the seed leaves out of the seed coat. The seed leaves, or cotyledons, push through the soil, emerging from sunlight, expanding and photosynthesize. Seedlings should emerge within 6 to 10 days after sowing in 70-degree Fahrenheit soil and with proper moisture.