How to Grow Acorn Squash Fruit

Use a rototiller or garden fork to loosen the soil 12 to 18 inches deep. Remove rocks and large vegetation clumps.

Create rows for planting with a garden hoe. Allow 3 feet of space between the rows.

Broadcast 5-10-10 fertilizer over the loose soil, at a rate of 10 pints for each 100-foot row. Mix the fertilizer thoroughly with the soil.

Heap soil into hills that are 12 inches tall and 20 inches in diameter. Leave 6 feet of space between each hill.

Plant four acorn squash seeds in each hill at a depth of 2 inches. Allow a space of 3 inches between the seeds and water until the soil feels moderately moist.

Provide supplemental water as needed to keep the soil evenly moist.

Snip off the weakest seedling in each hill when they are 3 to 4 inches tall. Spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the plants after thinning.

Apply 13-0-44 fertilizer, at a rate of 1 pint for each 100 square feet of garden space, three weeks after sowing the acorn squash seeds. Make the application by sprinkling the fertilizer between the rows, at least 6 inches away from the plants. Repeat the application three weeks later.

Harvest acorn squash fruits when the rinds are very firm and display a uniform color. Use a sharp knife to sever the fruit from the vine and leave approximately 2 inches of stem in place to prevent rapid spoiling.