Transplant about three weeks later after danger of frost. Older plants that have hardened and stopped growing will not transplant well and should be discarded. Cover 1 inch deep. When the plants are 2 to 3 inches high, thin to one vigorous plant or no more than two plants per hill. Care Any well-drained garden soil produces excellent yields of summer squash.
Squash plants are shallow- rooted and require ample soil moisture at all stages of growth.
For best yields, incorporate compost or well-rotted manure before planting. This is about 1 or 2 tablespoons of fertilizer per plant. Squash responds to mulching with soil-warming plastics in early spring or organic materials in summer. Squash bears male and female flowers on the same plant. The male flowers are formed first, then the female flowers.