Early Prolific Straightneck Summer Squash is a fast-maturing bush variety that delivers tender, flavorful yellow squash in just 45 days from sowing. This cultivar thrives across hardiness zones 3 through 11, making it accessible to gardeners in nearly every climate. Its compact growth habit and early production window mean you can harvest successive crops throughout the warm season, even in regions with shorter growing periods. The straightneck shape is both beautiful and practical, fitting easily into containers, raised beds, or garden rows.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
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Expect your first squash just 45 days after sowing, which is remarkably swift for a summer squash. The bush habit keeps plants compact and manageable, while the prolific bearing means one plant produces abundantly throughout the season. This variety handles the heat well and germinates reliably when soil temperatures reach 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, giving you a straightforward path from seed to harvest.
Summer squash is eaten fresh and cooked at the tender, immature stage. This straightneck variety works beautifully sliced and sautéed in olive oil, grilled until lightly charred, or diced into stir-fries and casseroles. It's mild and delicate when harvested young, absorbing flavors from accompanying ingredients while maintaining a slight firmness.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seed indoors only in very short growing seasons, sowing four to two weeks before you plan to transplant outdoors. Sow in biodegradable pots, as the roots are sensitive to disturbance and benefit from being planted directly into the ground without repotting. Keep soil temperature at 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit for reliable germination.
Transplant outdoor seedlings when soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit and plants have developed one true leaf. Bury the biodegradable pot entirely so roots can extend naturally into the garden soil.
Direct sow outdoors one to two weeks after your average last frost date, when soil temperature is 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the recommended approach and typically produces the healthiest plants.
Pick squash when they reach 6 to 8 inches long and the skin is still tender enough to pierce easily with a fingernail. Harvest regularly and at the immature stage; leaving mature squash on the plant signals the plant to stop producing new flowers. Cut or gently twist the squash from the vine, being careful not to damage the plant. Frequent harvesting, every two to three days during peak season, encourages continued prolific flowering and fruiting.
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