1
Start them early in warmth
Sow squash seeds indoors in mid-spring in small pots of compost, and grow them on somewhere warm and bright until the frosts are safely gone. They hate cold – a tender shoot set out too early will sulk or fail entirely.
Growing5 min read
Growing squash and pumpkins in the UK
Big, rewarding and great keepers – here's how to grow a crop of squash and pumpkins that stores into winter.
Created by jflgardens.co.uk
Squash and pumpkins are among the most rewarding and photogenic crops in the veg patch. They take up space and a whole season, but the payoff is a gleaming harvest that stores beautifully through the colder months.
2
Give them room and rich soil
Squash are vigorous sprawlers that need plenty of space – a couple of plants will cover a square metre or more. Plant them into rich, well-mulched, free-draining soil in full sun. Potted plants and a generous mulch of compost keep them feeding and holding moisture.
3
Water and let the bees work
Once established, squash want steady water at the base (they're thirsty), especially as the fruit sets and swells. They rely on bees to pollinate the separate male and female flowers – so a bee-friendly garden gives you a better squash harvest.
4
Harvest and cure for storing
Gather squash once the skins are hard and the stalks begin to dry. Cut with a bit of stalk attached, gently cure them somewhere warm and dry for a week or two to toughen the skin, then store cool, dry and dark – many varieties keep for months.
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