Zucchini (summer squash)
Cucurbita pepo
One plant per household is plenty, whatever the seed packet implies.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 3 ft tall, 4 ft wide
Harvest: July to September
From: Americas
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Hardy in zones 2 to 11.
The story
Summer squash is one of the oldest crops of the Americas, grown in Mexico 10,000 years ago and part of the three sisters with corn and beans; Italians bred the zucchini in Milan in the 1800s from seed that had crossed the Atlantic three centuries before.
Planting
Full sun and rich soil; sow seed directly after frost in hills 3 feet apart. Two plants feed a family.
Growing
Water deeply at the base, keep leaves dry, and feed with compost. Hand-pollinate early flowers if bees are scarce.
Harvest and use
Pick at 6 to 8 inches, daily in high summer; the flowers are edible stuffed or fried. Giant fruit is for bread and the compost.
What to watch for
Squash vine borer, squash bugs, powdery mildew late in summer.
See if Zucchini (summer squash) fits your yard
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More annual vegetables, herbs and grains
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home