Winter squash (Cucurbita maxima)

What it needs & gives back

↓ Needs

Sunlightfull sun

Watermedium to high

↑ Gives back

Biomasshigh

Fruithigh

Corn Maize

Part of the 'Three Sisters' planting, corn provides a stalk for squash to climb.

Common bean

Part of the 'Three Sisters' planting, beans provide nitrogen for squash.

Emergence

Seeds germinate when soil temperatures are consistently warm.

Flowering

Flowering begins approximately 45 days after emergence and continues for an extended period.

Fruiting

Fruit set occurs shortly after flowering, with fruits developing over several weeks.

Harvest

Harvest typically occurs before the first hard frost, when fruits are mature and skins are hard.

Senescence

Plants begin to senesce and die back with the onset of autumn frosts.

Timing is relative to your local season (temperate Northern Hemisphere).

Drainagewell-drained

Nitrogen fixingNo

MycorrhizalYes

Soil textureloam, sandy loam

Organic matterMedium

Compaction toleranceLow

Methodsseed

Difficulty1 / 5

Establishes in~0 yr

Attractsbees

Can host pestssquash bugs, cucumber beetles, squash vine borers

Can host diseasespowdery mildew, downy mildew, bacterial wilt