How Many Pounds of Yellow Squash Per Plant?

Amount to Plant for Fresh Use

• The amount of yellow squash to plant depends on how much your family likes squash. The Virginia Cooperative extension recommends planning for 10 to 25 pounds of squash per family member, or two to four plants. Understanding what you can expect to get from a pound of squash can help you determine how much to plant. Two medium-sized squash weigh about a pound, and a pound of raw yellow squash gives you about 3 cups of sliced or grated fruit. When cooked, a pound of yellow squash yields about 1 1/2 cups.

Amount to Plant for Freezing

• Squash loses some of its flavor and texture when frozen, so most people don't eat as much squash once the growing season is over. Plant one or two extra plants per family member. Shredded squash that you will use for baking breads doesn't need blanching because the spices help hide the loss of flavor and texture. You can dry thinly sliced zucchini in a dehydrator. Sprinkle the slices with seasoned salt or dip them in barbecue sauce to make snack chips. Squash isn't suitable for canning because the heat and pressure needed to can it safely turns it to mush.

Planting Method

• Winter squash (Cucurbita moschata) often produces sprawling vines making it easier to grow in hills or on trellises. Yellow summer squash grows on upright plants that are usually planted in rows. Choose a location with loose, fertile soil that drains freely. Yellow squash needs full sun to produce fruit. The distance between plants varies from 24 to 36 inches, depending on the variety you are planting.

Increasing the Yield

• Good pollination results in better yields and better quality squash. Unless you have plenty of pollinating insects, primarily bees, you won't have good pollination. You can hand-pollinate the flowers by picking a male flower, removing the petals, and dabbing the anthers inside the female flowers. You can easily tell the difference because male flowers are attached directly to the flower stem, while females have a swollen area between the stem and the flower.

  Frequent harvesting also improves the yield. Every time you remove the fruit it stimulates the plant to produce more. The large leaves can hide the fruit from sight, and old fruit lurking under the leaves can prevent new fruit from forming.