Too hot? Squash the idea

Advice by John P. Begeman

Thinking about growing some vegetables in your back yard for the first time? I recommend summer squash.

Of all the warm-season vegetables, they're probably the easiest to grow, and they produce the most edible fruit. They're also very heat tolerant, as long as you supply them with adequate water.

Summer squash grow on bushy plants. Unlike winter squash - which vine and are eaten when the fruit is mature - summer squash are harvested immature, while the outer rind is still soft.

The three main types of summer squash are: the yellow straight neck or crooked neck; the white scallop or patty pan; and the oblong green, gray or gold zucchini. They are available at local garden centers in small pots ready to plant.

Summer squash grow best in a soil that's been amended with lots of organic matter. To prepare an area for planting, loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 18 inches by turning it with a spade. Remove stones and rocks and mix in generous amounts of peat, compost, bagged manure or organic potting soil. At a minimum, mix a 4-inch layer of organic matter into the top 12 inches of soil. In addition, mix in 1 to 2 pounds of ammonium phosphate or other vegetable garden fertilizer, and 2 to 5 pounds of soil sulfur for every 100 square feet of garden bed.

If your soil is gravelly and rocky, it will be easier to construct a raised bed that can be filled with bagged topsoil, potting soil, compost or a mixture of these. You can build a raised-bed frame by stacking concrete block or decorative interlocking retaining block 12 to 18 inches high. Old railroad ties, slump block and stone will also work as framing materials.

Prior to planting, wet the soil thoroughly using a gentle shower from a watering wand or similar hose attachment. At the time of planting, loosen the outer edge of the root ball to encourage roots to grow out into the surrounding soil. Space summer squash 2 to 3 feet apart. A caution: One plant will produce many fruit, so don't over-plant - unless you intend to give lots of squash to friends and neighbors.

Daily watering is a must during May and June. You can create a simple automatic watering system by hooking a line up to a nearby outdoor hose bib. With a battery-operated irrigation controller, available at hardware and home-supply stores, you can have the water turn on daily for the time you designate.

The controller and a pressure reducer connect to the hose bib. From the reducer, you can insert 1/2-inch poly tubing and run it to the garden. Finally, to deliver water to your plants, I recommend 1/4-inch in-line drip-emitter tubing. The drip emitters are built into the tubing every 6 inches. Run the tubing down and around your plants.

An alternative to drip tubing is a standard soaker hose. You can connect it directly to the battery-operated controller without the addition of a pressure reducer. A soaker hose will last several seasons before becoming clogged with mineral deposits.

Squash, along with melons and cucumbers, have a flowering habit unique among vegetables. They develop separate male and female flowers on the same plant. For fruit to develop, pollen must be transferred from male to female flowers. The pollen is sticky and is normally transferred by bees; however, this often does not occur. So, hand-pollinating is the easiest and best way to ensure fruit development.

When flowers develop, determine which are the male and the female flowers by looking at the flower base. Female flowers have a miniature fruit (ovary) at the base. The male squash flower can be identified by its long, slender stem. The female flower sets on a very short stem.

Using a small artist's paintbrush, remove the yellow pollen from the male flower and brush it on the stigma in the center of the female flower. When hand-pollinating, it's important to use only freshly opened flowers. Flowers open in the early morning and are receptive for only one day.

Don't be discouraged if your plant or plants lack female flowers. All the early flowers will be males. Female flowers develop somewhat later, so be patient and ready to hand-pollinate when female flowers do appear.