Growing Winter Squash in USDA Zone 6B

Winter squashes and pumpkins are one of my favorite foods to grow in the garden. There is nothing better to celebrate the start of autumn than going out to your patch to pick some squash and pumpkins!

Squashes germinate quickly and produce robust plants. Growing pumpkins is also a great activity to do with kids who might get impatient waiting for slower plants like carrots or peppers to come up.

These plants tend to produce large and sprawling vines, so gardeners should prepare to devote a big area to growing them. However, there are some compact varieties that do well in small spaces, so gardeners without a lot of room can still enjoy homegrown squash. 

One of the fun things about growing winter squash is that there are so many different types and varieties. And since they keep well you can try them all!

Varieties 

Squashes

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is an oblong squash that produces fruits of about 4 pounds each. Inside, they are distinctive for their deep gold “spaghetti” strings of flesh inside. It makes for a great, nutritious substitute for pasta if enjoy Italian food or are gluten-free.

Spaghetti squash takes about 88 days to reach maturity. They are an open-pollinated hybrid, which means you can use them for seed saving. 

Buttercup

Buttercup squash plants produce fruits with deep green skin and vibrant yellow-orange flesh that is denser than many other winter squash varieties. They are best known in New England, but they grow in a variety of regions, including in Zone 6B.

Some people say it tastes more like a sweet potato than winter squash. I love eating this type steamed and mashed with a little bit of butter, salt, and pepper.

Buttercup squashes weigh up to 5 pounds each and take 95 days to reach maturity. This is an open-pollinated hybrid, so you can use them for seed saving. 

Honeybaby 

If you are gardening in a small space, you will love the Honeybaby squash. This mini winter squash is a hybrid of the more popular butternut squash - honeybabies share the beige-colored flesh and oblong shape of butternuts.

The plant produces about 8-9 fruits that are about 6 inches long. They will grow vertically if you are short on space.

More compact and great for patios, the honeybaby takes 90 days to reach maturity and produce half-pound fruits. They are an F1 hybrid, so their seeds will not reliably produce the same type of squash as the parent plant. 

I’ve published two books to help you with your gardening adventures. My Complete Guide is very comprehensive and gives all the details. My log book has lots of pages to record information. Both are available on Amazon and the logbook is also in my website store in PDF.

Pie Pumpkins

New England Pie Pumpkins

I love eating pumpkin pie, and there is no better pumpkin for pie making than the New England pie pumpkin. These pumpkins reach about 4 lbs each and they have that classic bright orange color and shape that comes to mind when you think about pumpkins.

This variety takes 102 days to reach maturity. It is an open-pollinated hybrid, so it can be used for seed saving. 

Ornamental Pumpkins

Rouge Vif D'Etampes Pumpkin

Rouge Vif D'Etampes is a beautiful pumpkin that was developed in France several centuries ago. Its name translates to  “Vivid red from Etampes,” a small city south of Paris known for growing this variety.

Although Rouge Vif D’Etampes is commonly used as an ornamental pumpkin, it also can be used for cooking and is used in many French soups. This variety takes about 95 days to reach maturity and produces pumpkins up to 20 pounds. It is an heirloom variety, so it can be used for seed saving. 

Polar Bear

I absolutely love Polar Bear pumpkins for Halloween decorations. Their ghostly white skin makes them great for jack-o’ lanterns and other kinds of decorative displays.

You can also roast the seeds with a bit of oil and salt for an autumn snack. Polar Bear plants take about 100 days to reach maturity, and typically weigh 30 to 50 pounds, although some can weigh up to 100 pounds!

This is an F1 hybrid, so seeds from these pumpkins will not reliably produce the same fruits as the parent plants. 

Planting  

Pumpkin and winter squash plants are both very tender to frost, despite the name. For 6B wait until the soil temperature is 65 degrees before planting. I typically seed inside around the first of May and outside with protection in mid-May.

Use protection like row covers until all danger of frost has passed. I also often plant winter squash in landscaping fabric. This helps to keep it warm, retain moisture, and cut down on weeds.

Squash is a heavy feeder. In fall add lots of manure and till it in where you will be planting squash in the spring. Another good method is to plant vetch in the spring and dig it under in the spring.

There are several methods for planting winter squashes. If you are using landscaping fabric You can plant in a 2-1 pattern with the holes two feet apart. Squashes also do well in mounds or raised beds.

Traditionally many people made hills and planted two - three seeds per hill. The hills need to be 2-4 feet apart depending on your variety.

Caring 

Pumpkins and squash plants should receive one inch of water per week, whether from rainfall or watering. This is especially important when they are forming fruits which may be your dryest season. Mulch anyone!

Try to soak the soil and avoid getting the leaves wet when watering to prevent disease. Once the pumpkin and squash plants establish themselves, they will sprawl enough to suppress weed growth. But, while the plants are small, manual weeding will help the plants grow and stay healthy. 

Problems 

Pumpkins and squash plants have a lot of pests such as squash vine borers, squash bugs, and cucumber beetles.

One of the best ways to minimize damage from pest insects is to rotate crops every year. Do not plant squash or pumpkin plants in the same place you have planted them in the past three years.

It is also important to keep a clean garden. These pests will winter over under garden debris. Clean up your garden and turn over the soil. Wild birds or your chickens will help eat up those overwintering adults and eggs.

Neem Oil is a great organic pesticide and fungicide that works well for squash plants.

Manually looking for pest bugs and picking them off when you see them can also be a good control for smaller patches. 

Check out our article Protecting Your Gourds From Mildews, Squash Bugs, And Japanese Beetles to learn some more control strategies.

Diseases

Two of the more common diseases afflicting these plants are powdery mildew and bacterial leaf spot. Oklahoma State University Extension recommends that gardeners look up the diseases common in their region and select varieties with resistance against those diseases.

Choosing sites with well-drained soil also helps to prevent disease buildup. Having soil with good fertility is also important. Take a soil test to see how your soil ranks.

Companion Planting

Pumpkins and squashes are part of one of the oldest known companion plant groupings known as Three Sisters. Indigenous Americans plant pumpkins and squash with corn and beans.

The corn provides support, the beans fix nitrogen into the soil, and the pumpkins or squashes suppress weed growth with their vines.

The squash also works to protect the corn from deer and raccoons who don’t like their bristled leaves.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension also lists melons and radishes as good companion plants for pumpkins and squashes. You can grow the radishes while the pumpkin plants are small and harvest them before they take over. 

Three Sisters’ traditional gardening took place throughout regions of the US. In Wisconsin, it was practiced by the Ho-Chunk and Objibwa people. In Kentucky and Tennessee, it was practiced by the Cherokee.

Check out my YouTube channel for lots of how to garden videos

Harvesting and Storing 

Check your seed packet’s instructions for the right size and color for when your variety is ready to harvest, but in general, the skin will be hard and the vine may be starting to crack.

Harvest them using clippers or a knife before the first frost. If you have enough frost-free days in the forecast, let them cure for a couple of weeks outside before bringing them in. 

If you store them in a cool, dry place, around 55 degrees F, they should stay good for three to four months after harvest. 

Seed Saving

Squash and pumpkin plants cross-pollinate with nearby varieties very easily, which can make seed saving a challenge.

Cross-pollinated seeds will grow plants that produce fruits different from the parent plant, which may not be as good quality. The cross-pollination range is up to a half-mile away so even if you only grow one variety, there is still a chance your plants will cross-pollinate if your neighbors are growing other types!

To prevent cross-pollination cover female squash and pumpkin flowers. You can recognize them by the blossoms with a bulge at the base of the flower. Put them in mesh or paper bags before they open.

Then hand-pollinate them with pollen from male varieties of the same type, and rebag them until the blossom closes and the fruit sets. At that point, you can remove the bags, but make sure to mark the squash with string or ribbon to know which one to keep for seeds.

By the time most squashes and pumpkins are ready to harvest for eating, their seeds are fully mature - so no need to let them become too ripe to eat in the name of seed saving.

Cooking

Winter squash is a great food and there are so many ways to make it. Any variety is fabulous roasted.

• Cut off stem

• Cut in half

• Seeds scooped out

• Sprinkle with olive oil

• Add whatever herbs & spices you desire. For acorn squash, I like to add sage, thyme, and salt

• Place flesh side down on a roasting pan

• Cook at 375 degrees.

• Squash is done when the skin is easily pricked with a fork and the sides feel soft.

Roasting: Cut the squash into wedges or cubes, toss with olive oil, salt, and your favorite herbs, then roast in the oven until tender and caramelized.

Soup: Blend cooked squash with broth, onions, garlic, and spices to create a creamy and comforting winter squash soup.

Mashing: Boil or roast the squash and mash it with butter, salt, and pepper for a simple and tasty side dish.

Grilling: Cut the squash into thick slices or wedges, brush with oil, and grill until char marks appear, giving it a smoky flavor.

Stir-frying: Cube the squash and stir-fry with other vegetables and your choice of protein for a quick and healthy meal.

Baking: Stuff the squash with a mixture of grains, vegetables, and herbs, then bake until the squash is tender.

Frying: Coat slices of squash in batter and fry them until golden brown for a crispy and delicious treat.

Curry: Incorporate squash into your favorite curry recipe for a flavorful and hearty dish.

Sautéing: Sauté cubed squash with garlic, onions, and spices for a quick and easy side dish.

Salads: Add roasted or steamed squash to your salads for a burst of color, flavor, and nutrition.

Check out this great video about cooking a pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin - not canned!

Check out my video on growing winter squash

Author, Ame Vanorio, is the director of Fox Run EEC who has been gardening and farming since childhood (a long time!) One of her earliest memories is standing on a stool helping her father make strawberry rhubarb jam.