Summer Crookneck Summer Squash

The seeds of summer squash and courgettes germinate best with some warmth. I sow mine in modules of seed compost in the first half of May and normally keep them in a propagator between 18-21 degrees.   This year, spring was unusually warm, so they germinated fine just in my potting shed.   You can sow them anytime from mid-April till the beginning of June depending on local conditions.  If there are mice around, cover them up before they germinate, as rodents love the seeds, and once they have germinated, keep them somewhere nice and light to stop them getting thin and leggy.    There’s a danger that if you sow them too early, they’ll get too big in their pots before it’s warm enough outside for them to be planted out, so don’t be tempted to sow them any earlier.  Once germinated, they can be potted on as soon as they’re big enough, then planted out, after hardening off, when they have three ‘true’ leaves.  They don’t like cold nights and really hate the wind, which can be common in late spring early summer.  If the weather’s not kind, early plants will just ‘sulk’, with later sowings catching up in no time.   We screw together old windows to create a micro-climate round our plants, protecting them from the wind, and they really thrive in them.  If it’s wet spring and you’re prone to slugs, they may initially need some additional protection, as slugs love baby squash plants.  They’re hungry feeders so give them plenty of organic matter when you plant them out, and regular watering and feeding throughout the season.