Warm weather vine crops are ready for harvest now. Summer squash and zucchini can either have varieties with long, rambling vines or bush types that fit easily in any garden. Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo), including zucchini, crookneck, straightneck, patty pan and other types are common in Nebraska gardens.
You can eat them cooked, raw, shredded, grated, roasted, grilled or fried. Their blossoms are delicious batter fried so they are versatile. Squash plants have separate male and female flowers.
A slender stem attaches male flowers to the plant. Female flowers grow close to the main vine. Between the flower and vine is a small round ovary, the unfertilized fruit.
An insect must move the pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers. Bees are common squash pollinators. Pick summer squash when they reach the size you prefer, (I personally like them around 6 inches) but before they are over-large, with large seeds, hard skins and fibrous or watery flesh.
Tiny “baby” fruits are tenderer. If your squash planting is large, you may choose to pick some at the baby stage, but most gardeners desire the medium sized fruit. If you leave very large squash fruits on the vine, plant yield will decline, so remove fruits that have grown too large even if you will not use them.
Harvest often, but be careful not to disturb the plants, as they often send out new roots from joints in the vine. Disturbing the vine can break these roots. Do not pick fruit when the vines are wet, because of the danger of spreading diseases.
You can freeze, pickle and can summer squash using a pressure canner if you have an excess crop to store. Many things can affect summer squash and zucchini crowns, leaves, flowers and fruit. Changes in physical appearance and plant health can be caused by the environment, plant diseases, insects and wildlife.
In order to address what you’re seeing, it is important to make a correct diagnosis. If you need help making a diagnosis, ask a master gardener to share pictures and get input. Some insects that enjoying feeding on summer squash are the striped or spotted cucumber beetles, squash vine borer or bugs.
Here are a couple of recipes to enjoy the fruits of your labor: 4 medium zucchini. 1⁄2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste.
2 teaspoons olive oil. 1 pound ground Italian sausage. 1⁄2 cup finely diced vidalia onion.
1 teaspoon minced garlic. 2 cups marinara sauce. 3⁄4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a large sheet pan with cooking spray.
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise, trim off stems and use a spoon to carefully scoop the flesh and seeds out. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper over shells. Arrange them on sheet pan.
Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat, cook sausage 4-5 minutes, breaking meat apart with spatula. Add onion and cook for an additional 4 minutes, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season sausage mixture with salt and pepper.
Add marinara sauce to pan and cook 5 minutes. Spoon meat mixture evenly into the zucchini shells, then top with cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve. 11⁄2 cups granulated sugar. 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract. 21⁄4 cups all purpose flour. 1⁄2 cup unsweetened cocoa.
11⁄2 teaspoons baking soda. 11⁄2 teaspoons salt. 3 cups shredded zucchini, do not squeeze out water.
13⁄4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. In large mixing bowl, whisk sugar, oil and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and stir together with spatula (batter will be dry).
Fold in zucchini until fully combined and batter loosens up a bit. Stir in chocolate chips and spread batter into greased 9-by-13 inch pan. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.
After cool spread with frosting: 2 2⁄3 cups powdered sugar, 1⁄4 cup cocoa, 1⁄3 cup melted butter and 1⁄3 cup warm milk. Let stand for 15 minutes, cut into bars and serve. For additional information on gardening or to personally answer landscape questions contact a master gardener resource through Nebraska Extension, West Central Research and Extension Center at 308-532-2683.
Keep gardening and learning! Julie Jacobson For the holidays: Get inspiring home and gift ideas – sign up now!.
