Squash is an easy warm weather crop to grow in your home garden and there are many varieties to choose from.
There is two main types of that can be grown, winter and summer.
The summer squash all have basically the same taste and texture, while winter squashes have a larger variety.
Summer squash, produces a crop from early summer until the first frost.
It includes both green and yellow varieties that include yellow crookneck, straightneck, scallop and zucchini.
These varieties have a maturity of between 45 and 60 days.
Both the blossoms and the squash are edible.
This variety of squash and it's flowers when they are young are eaten raw in salads and with dips or cooked in a variety of different ways that include baked in bread, cooked as french fries, in soups or stews, sauteed, stuffed or fried with a batter coating.
Winter squash is a warm season vegetable just as summer squash is and represent several species that include acorn, buttercup, butternut, hubbard and spaghetti squash.
The difference is that the fruit is harvested at a mature stage, this is when the seeds have matured fully and the fruits outer skin has hardened to a tough rind, which makes it easier for the fruit to be stored for consumption during the winter months.
These varieties are most commonly baked before eaten.
Both types of squash are sun loving plants that are sensitive to cold temperatures.
Winter squash can tolerate light shade and cool nights better than summer squash.
They are both heavy feeders, like a good healthy soil structure that retains moisture well and has good drainage.