How to Plant and Grow Patty Pan (Scallop) Squash

Cucurbita pepo

For those who love summer season gardening and normally stick with zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, why not add some curiosity to your patch with pleasant trying and scrumptious scallop squash?

Often known as patty pan squash, these fantastically formed cucurbits take this frequent identify from the scallop-edged pans that had been meant for making small desserts or pies.

They develop on compact bush crops somewhat than vines, taking on much less room within the backyard than a number of the different summer season squash varieties.

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Patty pan squash are a gaggle of types or cultivars of the species Cucurbita pepo.

This is similar species chargeable for many different edibles of the summer season backyard – together with pumpkins, crooknecks, straightnecks, acorn squash, vegetable marrows, zucchini, and plenty of decorative gourds!

On this article you’ll be taught all the pieces you could learn about rising patty pan squash, from seed to reap to plate.

Right here’s what we’ll cowl:

Often known as granny, custard, button, schwoughksie, or pattypan squash, in addition to cymlings, scallopini, or patissons, these veggies are native to the Americas, and made their method to Europe within the 1500s.

As of late these flying saucer formed veggies are uncommon to search out for buy, even at farmer’s markets, so if you wish to take pleasure in cooking with them, you’ll doubtless must develop your individual!

Boasting a number of the most lovely cultivars, patty pan squash have an quaint look, mixed with a well-recognized taste and succulent texture.

Though they could look uncommon, their rising necessities aren’t very totally different from crooknecks or zucchini.

Propagation

Think about sketching out your design in a backyard planner forward of time.

Right here’s how one can proceed:

Direct Sowing

To direct sow seed into the backyard:

1. Put together the rising space by eradicating any weeds, mixing a number of shovels of compost into the soil, and watering down the planting space the day previous to sowing.
2. Except you’re in an arid local weather, mound the soil up barely within the middle of the planting space.
3. Poke two to 3 holes, an inch deep, within the middle of the planting space, insert one seed per gap, then shut the soil over the seeds and pat it down.
4. Water within the seeds, and if circumstances are dry, irrigate day by day till germination. Germination ought to happen in 5 to 10 days.
5. Skinny to at least one to 2 seedlings per planting, eradicating the weakest ones.

Steadily lower watering as younger crops grow to be established.

The right way to Sow Indoors

When doable, choose to direct sow somewhat than rising begins to transplant.

Nonetheless, when you’ve got a brief rising season, it’s possible you’ll must begin seeds indoors two to 4 weeks earlier than the final frost date.

Earlier than you begin, collect up your provides: seeds, seed beginning rising medium and pots or trays. You might also want a warmth mat, like this one, obtainable by way of Amazon.

1. Fill pots practically full with moist rising medium, leaving a half inch to an inch hole on the high.
2. Poke a gap into the middle of every pot or tray cell, then insert one seed one half to at least one inch deep.
3. Squeeze the rising medium closed over the seed and pat to make sure good contact between the seed and the medium.
4. Place the pots or tray close to a window the place crops will probably be uncovered to 6 to eight hours of direct daylight after they germinate, or below a develop lamp, and preserve them at a temperature of 70 to 95°F.
5. Preserve the rising medium moist. Anticipate germination in 5 to 10 days.

After your final frost date, harden off the seedlings and transplant into the backyard.

Transplanting

Whether or not you’ve grown your individual seedlings indoors or bought nursery begins, right here’s how one can put them within the floor:

1. Put together the rising space by eradicating weeds or light vegetation from final 12 months’s backyard.
2. Water the planting space the day earlier than transplanting.
3. Dig a gap within the backyard soil that’s twice as large and deep because the nursery pot.
4. For seedlings in biodegradable pots, break off the rim of the pot and discard, then insert the pot into the outlet. For these in plastic pots, rigorously take away the plant from the pot with out disturbing the roots, and insert the foundation ball into the outlet.
5. Exchange soil across the root ball however take care to not cowl the crown of the plant.

Water in properly, and irrigate day by day for the subsequent week if circumstances are dry.

The right way to Develop

Rising patty pan squash is far the identical as rising different summer season squash.

Right here’s what you’ll must know:

Local weather and Temperature

Patty pan squash are heat season crops – which means they received’t tolerate frost or freezing temperatures.

Sow or transplant in any case threat of frost has handed, and harvest earlier than frost returns in fall – or use a floating row cowl to increase the rising season.

Gentle 

Like different cucurbits, these summer season squash crops want a full solar location within the backyard.

Situate the rising patch the place it is going to obtain a minimum of six to eight hours of direct daylight per day.

Soil

Patty pan squash grows fortunately in typical loamy backyard soil, thriving in a pH vary of 5.8 to six.8.

Water

As a normal rule, water patty pans sometimes, however deeply.

You’ll have heard that scallop squash crops want one to 2 inches of water every week – and that’s true, however provided that the temperatures are within the 70s.

How typically you’ll must water relies upon not simply on the temperature, but additionally on how sunny it’s.

In dry, sizzling climate, it’s possible you’ll must irrigate two or 3 times every week.

Fertilizing

For those who work compost into your soil earlier than sowing or transplanting, it’s possible you’ll not want so as to add further fertilizer later within the rising season.

Cultivars to Choose

Are you prepared to consider which kind of scallop squash to develop? Listed below are a number of solutions to get you began:

Benning’s Inexperienced Tint

‘Benning’s Inexperienced Tint’ is an heirloom cultivar first launched in Washington, DC, in 1914, that produces gentle inexperienced to creamy white fruits.

Needing simply 52 days to achieve maturity, ‘Benning’s Inexperienced Tint’ must be harvested at two to 3 inches large.

‘Benning’s Inexperienced Tint’

Buy packs of ‘Benning’s Inexperienced Tint’ in an assortment of sizes from Excessive Mowing Natural Seeds.

Gelber Englischer

A German heirloom, ‘Gelber Englischer’ produces fruits which can be cream coloured to lemon yellow, and are formed somewhat irregularly.

This selection is finest harvested at two to 4 inches large, and desires 55 to 60 days to achieve maturity.

‘Gelber Englischer’

You’ll discover packs of 20 ‘Gelber Englischer’ seeds obtainable at Botanical Pursuits.

Jaune et Vert

‘Jaune et Verte’ is a yellow and inexperienced patty pan cultivar with radiating stripes that’s finest harvested at two to 3 inches large.

This French heirloom is slower to mature than a number of the others, requiring 60 to 90 days to supply fruit.

‘Jaune et Vert’

Choose up ‘Jaune et Vert’ seeds in a collection of pack sizes from Eden Brothers.

Upkeep

When rising patty pan squash, preserve the realm across the bushes free from weeds, particularly when they’re younger and making an attempt to get established.

Nonetheless, after the crops are a bit larger, they’ll maintain their very own and received’t be bothered when you get behind on weeding chores.

Within the meantime, a technique to assist stop weeds from rising is to use mulch round crops.

And there are lots of totally different supplies you need to use for mulch, similar to leaves or straw.

Be taught extra about mulching right here.

Managing Pests and Illness

I’m certain you’re trying ahead to plucking that first patty pan squash off the bush.

However to make sure an ample harvest, you’ll additionally have to be looking out for pests and ailments.

Herbivores

Bugs aren’t the one forms of undesirable guests you may discover consuming your patty pan squash crops:

Deer

If there are deer in your space, your backyard will probably be in danger from them until you allow them to know they aren’t invited.

A deer fence can preserve these 4 legged browsers away out of your crop – however there are different preventative actions you’ll be able to take as properly, as detailed in our information.

Rabbits

Rabbits solely seldom select to nibble on these crops, however when you’ve beforehand had visits from these mammals to your backyard, you may wish to shield the crops.

Learn to preserve rabbits out of the backyard right here.

Bugs

Anticipate the identical forms of critters to frequent your patty pan squash crops because the pests that usually goal zucchini.

Listed below are a number of doubtlessly bothersome bugs to look out for:

Aphids

Typically, an aphid infestation may be managed just by spraying them off the plant with a powerful jet of water from a backyard hose. Repeat weekly till the aphids are gone.

Our information to coping with aphids has extra info.

Squash Bugs

Squash bugs are true bugs that chew into the leaves of cucurbit crops, damaging the tissue, and inflicting them to wilt, and ultimately die.

Handbook management is a barely time consuming however efficient technique of eradicating these pests.

And likewise preserve your eye out for nymphs which can be shiny grey or gentle inexperienced with spindly black legs.

Learn our information to controlling squash bugs to be taught extra.

Whiteflies

Does a cloud of white flies greet you while you enter your backyard patch? Sounds such as you might need a whitefly drawback.

Despite the identify, they aren’t precise flies, these sucking bugs are associated to scale and mealybugs.

Study how one can cope with whiteflies right here.

And as a part of an natural method to defending crops from pests, think about using companion crops.

Illness

Along with pests, you’ll additionally need to pay attention to a number of ailments that have an effect on patty pan squash:

Blossom-Finish Rot

This situation impacts patty pans in the identical means that it does zucchini.

Learn our information to blossom-end rot in zucchini to be taught extra.

Downy Mildew

When you have observed yellow or gentle inexperienced angular formed spots on leaves, accompanied by a downy fuzz, then you definitely’re most likely taking a look at downy mildew!

This fungal-like illness thrives in humid circumstances, and may be prevented by watering on the base of the plant as an alternative of overhead, similar to with sprinklers.

Powdery Mildew

Are you seeing a white powdery substance on the leaves of your patty pan plant?

Powdery mildew, a fungal illness that spreads in humid circumstances, is prone to blame. It’s quite common in the summertime backyard and may be handled organically.

Learn our information to powdery mildew right here.

Harvesting

Right here’s the enjoyable half! When the fruits are about two to 3 inches large, it’s time to reap.

When the dimensions is true, seize a clear knife or pair of backyard pruners and lower the stem from the bush.

Why must you decide fruits when they’re so small?

As they develop bigger, the seeds inside will grow to be powerful. You may nonetheless eat the fruits at this later stage, however you’ll want to take away the arduous seeds from the inside first.

Preserving

For those who develop extra patty pan squash than you’ll be able to eat directly, you may wish to contemplate preserving a few of your harvest.

Freezing is in fact one possibility. If you wish to freeze the uncooked vegetable, take the time to blanch it first for the perfect outcomes.

Lastly, don’t overlook the wonders of dehydration. Dried backyard greens can present components for winter soups or be reworked into enjoyable snacks.

Be taught extra about dehydrating backyard produce right here.

Cooking Concepts

Patty pan squash may be handled like crooknecks or zucchini, however take each alternative to focus on the bizarre form of those cucurbits – similar to stuffing them and baking within the oven.

Want some steering to get began? Substitute your patty pan squash on this recipe for vegan stuffed zucchini with millet, tomatoes, and olives, at our sister website Foodal.

Grilled zucchini and white bean pasta is simply the factor to have a good time the flavors of summer season whereas conserving cool – simply substitute with scallop squash and use this recipe from Foodal.

Or how about portobello patty pan squash tacos? Simply use your patty pans to switch the zucchini on this scrumptious recipe additionally from Foodal.

Welcome to the Backyard Patty!

While you’ve efficiently grown a crop of patty pan squash, you’ll have each cause to have a good time.

These lovely greens are simply as simple to develop as different summer season squash, and it received’t take lengthy earlier than you’ll want to tug out your harvest basket.

Do you’ve any questions on rising patty pans? Tell us within the feedback part beneath! And when you’ve got any favourite recipes you’d like to inform us about, do tell us – we are able to’t wait to listen to about them!

Need to be taught extra about rising squash? Now we have extra studying for you proper right here: