How to Grow Italian Squash

Italian squash, or zucchini, is native to North America. The squash bush produces both the elongated fruit and a bright yellow edible flower all summer. The Italian squash, which comes in several varieties of green and yellow, has a tender skin and a slightly sweet taste, making it as enjoyable raw as it is grilled or baked. The crepe-like yellow flower is a delicacy you can use fresh in salads; you can also stuff it with the ingredients of your choice and cook it.

Italian squash seeds
Organic fertilizer/manure

Instructions

- 1
  Plant Italian squash seeds in soil made of organic fertilizer and manure.
- 2
  Test the soil temperature. The soil must be warm enough — ideally between 60 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit — to allow the seeds to germinate.
- 3
  Mark a spot for the Italian squash bushes somewhere in the garden that receives constant sunlight and heat.
- 4
  Sow three or four seeds in one place, and leave about 18 to 24 inches between each set of seeds. Two Italian squash bushes will produce plenty of vegetables for a family of four.
- 5
  Transplant any zucchini bushes that are growing into each other. Planting bushes too close together is a common mistake that will result in plants that cannot get enough water and will eventually die.
- 6
  Harvest the young Italian squash from the center of the bush throughout summer, or else new squash will not grow in. The squash are ready to eat when they reach a length of 4 to 7 inches. The older fruits around the edges of the bush have a tougher skin and not as pleasant a taste; leave the old squash on the bush, or feed them to chickens.

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