Growing Basics For Squash, Melons, and Cucumbers!

Squash, Melons, and Cucumbers all have one thing in common which is that they are all members of the Cucurbit family. This family spans a lot of out favorite summer crops like watermelons, melons, zucchini, pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers, and much more like gourds! Across the board they have a lot of similarities so in this video I cover the basics for getting started with this delicious family of summer classics!
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[@donnaokane502]

Question! When we say for melons have 1 fruit per vine, is a vine one seed that you put in the ground, or do the side shoots count as their own “vine”

[@PatienceLove]

Great question

[@jacquesinthegarden]

For the overall plant I would say 2 for larger fruit like larger watermelons or pumpkins/squashes. For smaller fruit like Charentais melons you can likely get away with 2-6. It depends a lot of recommendations on the seed packet, for example bush baby watermelons aren't big but the plant is also compact meaning it can really only support 2 melons ideally. Some melons are quite vigorous and if you have the space to let them grow you can easily get away with 4-6 as they are basically the size of a grapefruit!

[@hands2hearts-seeds2feedamu83]

​@@jacquesinthegarden So this idea also goes for winter squashes ? This is my second time ever growing squash & getting fruit from them. About how many fruits per vine ? So far I have only been able to get one fruit per vine, am I doing something wrong.?

[@ceecee-thetransplantedgardener]

Squash Vine Borer (SVB) - I'm sorry but have to offer counter information. SVB's can and will lay eggs ANY where on the plant. And it will most likely be on the leaf and stem. Then larvae hatches and then enters the plant through the hollow stem close to where it hatched (which is much easier to penetrate) and then travels down THROUGH the inside of the stem to the main root to munch. This is why it goes undetected until it has killed the plant. The foil wrap will only help where it's applied - in my opinion, is not at all effective. SVB's have attracted to the pheromones produced by the plant - and zucchinis in particular produce a lot, as do most of the primary squash (acorn, spaghetti, et al) to include pumpkins. Tromboncino (center cut) squash do not produce the same type and thus, do not attract the moth very much - and are deemed naturally resistant. Cucumbers can attract them - but the stem vines are not hollow all the way to the main root so even if eggs are laid and they hatch, the larvae are stopped short. I say this after YEARS off battling that moth and it's spawn. And why I grow alternatives to standard zucchini - such as center cut. The method of burying vines/stems to perpetuate alternate roots is a good idea. But, the plant has to be big enough to do that - and in my area, that is a huge challenge that most home gardeners don't get to. Best defense is to cover the plant and hand pollinate. Added: inject BT into the hollow stems once presence is detected. SO sorry for the ramble.

[@corinne7126]

totally agree with you

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Very interesting! Without personal experience it can be challenging to offer advice on some topics! I meant to mention that gourds were a good alternative to SVB as you mentioned they aren't attracted to them in the same way!

[@st2778]

SVB have kept me from summer and even winter squash gardening. A mighty pest here in Charleston SC

[@ceecee-thetransplantedgardener]

@jacquesinthegarden I do not mean to infer I'm an expert or know it all. Far from it. Just a lil home gardener trying to grow some of my own food. But this pest ... spent a lot of time researching/experimenting because I've lost a lot of plants to it. It's a real stinker. 🤪

[@loribethartist6353]

I succession plant zucchini and squash so that when my first plants are dying from insect pressure or are just giving out I have new plants to supply squash all summer ☀️

[@gail7998]

A BIG thank you! I am getting predominantly male flowers on my squash; I'll put some male flowers in the frig. Also, I now know why cukes can become distorted!!!!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Glad to have helped!

[@BlackLambieSociety]

I had the same problem last year! Thanks for commenting this for all of us! Hahaha 😂

[@blackpetalgardening]

That's the issue I'm having with my zucchini and possibly one of my watermelons. I'll have to see if I can help the process along.

[@MelissaWilliams74802]

The poppy seeds was the coolest. Thank you for showing us.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Happy I kept it in!

[@jonathanz3058]

Great video! I never knew if you stopped watering a few weeks prior to the fruit being done, it can taste sweeter!

[@joanies6778]

Good to know. I had never heard that before.

[@courtneycullen6289]

The epic 4-cells are perfect for Cucurbits. Perfect. Just crazy easy. I followed your advice for umbrella pruning for my cucurbits! Most of them are growing along my fence or up 6 foot stakes, just a few winter squash sprawling along the ground. They had 3-4 days of acting stalled out after the pruning, and then kicked into a third gear and now I have a ton of baby cukes and squash growing. And definitely more pollinators. I think they appreciate the easier access to the flowers. Any hint of age or disease is gone. THANK YOU! I'll be thinking of you when I pickle next weekend! Now on to my melons!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Love hearing this, thanks for leaving a message!

[@NatureLover-ss4ef]

Hi Jacques, when you have a moment, could you do a video on how you prepare your soil for your in ground garden? I am in Los Angeles, the soil in my backyard is hard rock clay. I amended with organic matters and cow manure but it is still so hard. Nothing wants to grow out of it. Thus far, I am growing in containers but, I want to grow my vegetables inground if possible. Thank you.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

This is a video I've actually really wanted to do! Will try to work it in this season

[@gingerdean1521]

I had this problem and went to my nursery and bought a HUGE bag of coarse perlite and wet it and added it in. Perlite is volcanic glass that is puffed up and turns white. I am in 5a/southwestern NYS

[@KK-FL]

That last tip about burying the squash vines is so great! Borers are a huge problem here. Sound like it’s just a good general practice either way though. Thank you!!

[@dustyflats3832]

We have to do that and surgery every year or they would not survive.

[@KK-FL]

@@dustyflats3832 pulling out the caterpillars will be so gross but my chickens will love it

[@dustyflats3832]

@@KK-FL I know ours do.😄

[@joanies6778]

In the future, I plan to direct sow my squash and cucumbers. Most of my squash and cucumber seedlings were stunted after transplanting. I put in new seeds and they grew much faster, catching up with the transplants. My biggest issue has been squash vine borers. I put up a trap that caught a dozen males the first night and I caught 2 dozen with my jar, a few here and there. I can't even count how many eggs I removed. I have only seen and trapped 2 squash bugs... I assume before they mated, because I haven't found their eggs, yet. I did have to inject a few plants with Spinosad for a couple borers that got through. Plus, I do put compost over the stem in multiple places to create new roots. It's a full time job protecting my plants!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Wow that does sound like a lot of work, you are basically at war with them! Glad you are making it through regardless, happy solutions are working

[@dustyflats3832]

You aren’t kidding it’s a war especially this year in our extreme drought. I posted how we handle SVB and what I will try next year and I’ve tried all methods. We have had none surprisingly on a climbing zucchini and it could be because we timed planting right and missed the two lifecycles or it’s hidden away from other squash.

[@binglet8127]

What did you use for trapping the borers?

[@leighannf.4730]

Super helpful for my garden right now, thanks! I was prepared to hand-pollinate every stinking female squash flower (Sweet Meat pumpkin) that I could, but you've steered me straight! LOL

[@SoxInTheGarden]

Omgosh, the poppy seeds were a kool thing to see! 🥰🌱❤️

[@gingerdean1521]

Make sure you grow poppy seed poppies. They are different than oriental or California poppies. The variety is spelled something like Sominferous

[@janking2762]

I really appreciate your informative rather than promotional suggestions. Your content is succinct and to the point. No rambling or drama! I’m looking forward to much more.

[@bethb8276]

I love watching your videos, always learning something new, or getting ideas for my own gardens. I love that foil trick, preventive is always better than having to fix a problem after it starts. Thanks!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Agreed! If I had a major svb problem I would definitely adopt this method

[@dustyflats3832]

@@jacquesinthegarden😂😂you’ll still need an Exacto knife to do surgery. They don’t give up that easily.

[@jenniferkvarnes542]

“Jacques-y!” Freya says hi! Thank you so much for this video, I’m struggling with squash vine borer, and this tip is perfectly timed!

[@samyu2971]

Always a wealth of information, Jacques! Thank you! Your garden is beautiful!

[@lloydritchey]

I've got 3 Sibley Squash growing in a raised bed and onto a cattle panel arch with 3-5 squash on each vine. They're all performing *massively* with an excess of 12 hours of sun each day.

[@reddbeard2312]

Another pest that's actually been far more destructive than SVB to our squash and cucumbers the past few years are Squash Bugs. They seem to appear out of nowhere and if you miss them, a few days later the vines are covered in nymphs and the entire plant begins to wilt and die.

[@GardenDiscovery]

Jacques, I feel like your my kindred spirit in the garden world. And thank you so very much for picking my Central Coast California garden for the viewers garden pictures episode with Eric. I was so jazzed about that! Keep up the great work. I chop and drop too.

[@tretre1692]

Woah!!! That’s crazy cool about the poppy!! I assume that’s what theyre so easy to spread? I love all the tips! Thanks for being awesome!!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Exactly, I have been bumping into them and sprinkling seed all over for a few weeks now!

[@joycesmith1270]

Thank you for the information,

[@victoriafielding2478]

Hey Jaques, 👋 Just wanted give some positive feedback after seeing a couple of comments. I live in UK but I enjoy your videos, and I find a lot of your info useful, especially as here in the south, our summers are heating up, especially in urban areas and a lot of our traditional gardening knowledge no longer applies, whilst you have more experience in warmer climes, but admittedly some of your advice isnt specific to my area, like, I dont think we get SVB here (🙏) (still get powdery mildew though😢). I can easily enjoy the sharing of garden enthusiasm, whilst also hoovering up the new knowledge I can use.

[@elizabethmilward8301]

I like to start mine in four inch pots. They grow so fast, and most of my other seedlings have been moved outside by then, so I have space.

[@artistlovepeace]

Thank you so much JitG! Your educational videos are astonishing. I'm growing more because of you and Epic Gardening. Fantastic videos.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Great to hear!

[@brightantwerp]

Thank you Jacques! Great tips, as always.

[@daranall4949]

Omg! Love the poppy seed harvest add to your video! Thank you. Every bit of info is worth the watch of your videos .

[@Arcticdi]

Very Timely! Thanks so much

[@gwendolynwebster7722]

I always learn so much from you! Thank you for all the tips and advice 🙂

[@88Naara]

thanks so much!! i’ve had so much trouble with getting zucchinis or pumpkins. 😭😭. i appreciate it. 🙌🏽🙌🏽

[@scottiegrav]

Hey, I've been growing in Oklahoma for about 3 years and I've never had a good squash harvest , that being said this year is the year!! I'm sure of it I went with the bare stock a foot up and vertical growing , it has made spotting the vine bore much easier. Also I love your idea with the foil I've never thought of that but will be adding I piece to each stock

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Nice! I forgot to mention vertical summer squash!

[@dustyflats3832]

@@jacquesinthegardengrowing a vertical zucchini climber this year and so far no SVB, but it could be that it was timed right and missed the dreaded things.

[@X-er_818]

Awesome video... the "Foil around the stem" 🤯

[@johnhoward3119]

Would use a Jacques in my garden. Garden lore: Things grow fast in the hot summer &/or die fast.

[@XCellenTruckerBellz]

Wow your garden is great 15:00 😍

[@patricianelson7911]

Thank you for all your great info. You are so easy to listen to.

[@st2778]

Really great information! Thanks

[@judyingram-kh1vm]

Great informative video, thank you for sharing. Your garden is so beautiful.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Thank you so much!

[@JohnnyZBeatZ]

Thanks please do more watermelon videos and keep up the good work love the gardening videos and thanks again your videos really Help with my garden 👍

[@ijahdagang6121]

Beautiful garden...thank you for sharing wish you success and be healthy always

[@Lumi1992]

wooooooooooot!! I started gardening here too late for melons but I will do this next spring!

[@hollyashton7009]

This was fantastic, thank you. I’m finally understanding some things.

[@SahyaSuzuki]

Nice video Jacques! I love the background music! It's very relaxing. I'm growing dill plants to eat. I'm wondering if you'll do a video where you show your way to grow dill plants in near future. Best of luck with all of your plants you're growing

[@martinlundberg7070]

Got really great squash last year, gonna try for melons next year. Great video as always!

[@glomontero6011]

Thank s, I will follow ur advice. Being a very new gardener I need all the help I can get. I really like ur teaching method.

[@rockyusa2012]

Great tips.

[@sabbandvinny]

This is my favorite episode so far!!!! Super helpful and glad to hear about something other than tomatoes lol I don’t like or grow tomatoes so those aren’t as fun for me to watch. Well done and keep it up 🎉

[@1isaM111er]

Very educational

[@joesqudy]

I love your video Jacques, one thing you did not cover is fertilizing. How much how often and why? Thank you so much for the video. ❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️😇

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I used to fertilize more but this winter I did a soil test and found I had plenty of nutrients! Occasionally I will use an organic liquid fertilizer during heavy fruit setting periods. So if the cucumbers have been cranking out tons of cucumbers for a month it might help to give them a little pick up after heavy harvest periods. For squashes extra water and nutrients can lead to larger fruit but I'm not sure if they would taste better so I prefer not overdoing it.

[@joesqudy]

@@jacquesinthegarden Thanks sweetie, God bless you. Love your garden I wish I was back in California. I was in Chino growing a beautiful garden, and then the army transferred my husband and I back to Houston. That’s about all I miss from California besides the ocean. I do love it here in Houston. Have a great day. Thank you.

[@northsidedork_3043]

Cute pupper! Let's see more of the dog in the vids

[@chadwick8107]

thank you sir for all the help 🙏. If you double plant holes do you have to cut one out to thin them or can I transplant one to another spot in the garden? Your amazing 👏

[@debrascott8775]

Last year I transplanted the 2nd seedling. Worked great

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I have carefully transplanted doubles from direct sown seeds just fine! Just make sure the soil you go into is well watered and that you further water it once transplanted!

[@41degreesN12degreesE]

Never been this early before. Glad I decided to eat a cookie & turn on youtube instead of going outside 😄

[@jacquesinthegarden]

The cookie was worth it!

[@erntaku]

Can't wait for the manual pollination series "Doing the Business" with Jacques. 🤭

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Hahah, could be a hit!

[@erntaku]

@@jacquesinthegarden yeah, sometimes I have good ideas. Hahaha

[@Neenerella333]

First time growing the little emerald zucchini. Direct sowed and they germinated well in my raised beds. It's been very hot, though they're on irrigation. The fruits are kinda oddly shaped: the usual hot dog shaped ones are less than 5"(which I expected from a compact variety), but some are shallot shaped. They had biotone, and Super Vites in their water once a week.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I so believe these tend to swell up on one end over being consistent across the whole length. The large one I missed harvesting had that looks as well and I think it's simply variety dependent. At 5" it's quite delicious though! Do you have a good mulch layer on the soil as well?

[@Neenerella333]

@jacquesinthegarden Yes. I planted the seeds under my lazy compost piles. Plus Omni mix. You're right. The little ones are tasty. Cut into little coins and thrown into pasta.

[@mrhappystore8611]

Squash doin it!

[@hellosunshine9915]

I always thought that melons and squash had to be planted a distance away from each other . You have yours together. Have I been worrying about something that’s not needed ? I loved your video, it’s very helpful! Thanks !

[@jacquesinthegarden]

The worry is usually related to the seeds produced , if you want to save seed and replant. They could cross pollinate and if you save the seed and replant it then it could be something not edible and mildly toxic even. The fruit you harvest that season and eat shouldn't suffer any issues though!

[@terrimarks3694]

Thank you! I learned some things. Can you grow crook neck and zucchini on a trellis?

[@brendanhoffmann8402]

My favourite vegetable is gold squash (Patty pan squash). I bought some at the weekend, they're pretty expensive to buy.

[@rebeccaplumlee9601]

Had 160 (+/-) acres in seed corn, planted squash (melons & zuke) in rows between & plants kinda used corn as trellis. Not as big a harvest as my hills, but i counted them a bonus harvest

[@kermitdafrog444]

Coyld you do a video about the ez flow fertigation tank? Im pretty sure i saw you have one hooked up to your hoselink. Im really confused about how to set one up

[@dirtcheapgarden22]

Jacques, this might seem off the wall, but a temporary mylar or mirrored structure directing sunlight toward plants that need that extra boost of sunlight might help. We've done it successfully.

[@daisyblooms4813]

Wondering if corn pollen stays viable in the fridge, too? Last year a lot of the silks and pollen didn't coordinate their growing. If it happens this year I guess I've got nothing to lose! Thanks Jacques!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I am pretty sure it does! Just make sure to collect it early morning after a new tassel has opened so that it doesn't dry out before storage

[@jwukulele]

​@@jacquesinthegarden there are many decades of published research studies on preservation of pollen, incl cryo. In fact, there are entire journals dedicated to cryopreservation. Here’s just one pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33988640/… PubMed is our frienemy, so much data (good & less good) out there.

[@mayaslifeonearth]

Can you please do a video on how to grow bush cucumbers and what support or pruning they need? I got Carosello Leccesse from San Diego Seed Company & thought it would be compact but it’s quite larger and viney so I pruned it a bit but no idea if I just helped or harmed my yield!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

They do often get bigger than expected, my suggestion is to prune side shoots at the start, first foot, and coil it around your trellis rather than pulling it straight up. This will keep it more compact and gives you more surface area to spread it on.

[@mayaslifeonearth]

I planted it under a tomahook trellis system 🤦🏻‍♀️ but I think I’m kind of sort of maybe making it work and spreading the shoots I didn’t prune out where I don’t have other plants. Thank you for your response! :) I’ve learned most of my gardening skills from you, Kevin, and Brijette!

[@tammydaveson6161]

Hi Jacques in the garden I started watching your videos about a couple of months or so ago and I have enjoyed watching all of the episodes that I have seen so far. Have you seen Kevin from the Epic Urban Garden recently? As I have seen a video which he posted earlier today and I have watched it about 6 times regarding the baby hens in his brooder that he got about 18.5 months ago roughly when he got his original hens at around the same age approximately. I first found out about your gardening channel through Kevin from Epic garden as I have been following his channel for about a year or two now give or take a few weeks and I have enjoyed his KZbin videos on his channel as well okay. My name is Tammy Marie Daveson and I enjoy gardening,bonsai,cockatiel keeping as I have got 4 called Cheeky bird,Gema the gem, Fawkes and Hedwig oldest to youngest and I was raised in Australia Queensland and my parents enjoyed gardening,keeping budgies,Guinea pigs,peach faces,cats,dogs,fish and hermit crabs and to respect those around me which I do to the best of my ability.

[@JLee-pc2vc]

I've never dealt with SVB in Virginia, but regular squash bugs are the bane of my existence! I lose so many plants to them every year. Do you have any tips for protecting plants from them?

[@FujitheChef]

Can you make a video covering certain plants or maybe ways to train plants for a vertical setup? I have limited space and I want to maximize space next year

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Good idea!

[@AMKB01]

I tried direct sowing my summer squash this year. Almost all of them have been eaten by slugs. After 3 plantings, we don't have enough season left to try again. I do have a few plants, but when starting indoors, I usually have many more.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

This frustration is one of the major reasons I like to transplant

[@AMKB01]

@@jacquesinthegarden I was planning to experiment with both this year, but simply ran out of cat-free space! 😄

[@greenleafgardens]

SVB and the horrid Squash Bug have really given me challenges growing squash in my garden. I’ve found more success against SVB with C. Moschata varieties, but the squash bugs still come every year. You have to be so vigilant in handpicking and trapping adults and sticky taping the eggs to keep to population down that you feel like you are leading an all out war against the little buggers!

[@adamkeifenheim1727]

For hand polinating, I find a foam paintbrush works better.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I can see that being really good at picking up the pollen!

[@andrewhammill6148]

Never had luck with the foil method on squash plants as a SVB deterrent. I use athletic tape. I find it works much better and stays the course of the plant where the foil can come off during plant growth, watering, etc.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Very cool to hear this option as well!

[@andrewhammill6148]

@@jacquesinthegarden Welcome. You guys give it a try on a plant and let everyone know your thoughts.

[@dustyflats3832]

The dreaded Squash Vine Borer!🤬. In WI, Z5a we have tried everything! Our usual way is to do surgery by cutting a vertical slit and removing grub, then pack that wounded base stem with soil, THEN as soon as possible bury a leaf node along the stems to ensure the vines survive. We have 2 attacks a season here (Read about the life cycle). You can try and plant in between attacks, but that wasp looking moth will still find them. We have too many plants and some of the preventions like, wrapping tin foil/vet tape, injecting BT (didn’t work) and covering is futile as the SVB emerges from the ground and will be under that cover And I’m not hand pollinating. Rotating crops is also futile as they fly everywhere and read they can travel long distances. Next year we will continue to do surgery and burying vines and I’m always watching those leaves in the morning because if they are drooping and have plenty of water you know you’ve got a grub and grab the Exacto knife.😵‍💫. I will also be trying 2 different things-Captain Jack’s Dust and Surround Kaolin Clay at the base. Hopefully that keeps them away. I know they can and have drilled into the vine further down, but it’s not as prevalent. And yes, solid stemmed varieties like Violina Rugosa squash were not bothered, but we do still like our other hollow stemmed varieties.

[@patrickcoyne3102]

So you all have been very helpful, last year I had the borers but luckily it was all containers so I am able to limit issues. I only did zucchini last year but added cukes, watermelon and cantaloupe this year almost all them on a trellis tunnel. I did not see any mention of it but do you use anything to prevent them from falling down?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I try to stick to smaller fruit that can handle hanging, otherwise pantyhose cut into a sling works really well

[@michellemichellemichelle]

The hat is everything! Where can I buy that 😅

[@julietousignant4122]

Great video! What about cucumber beetles! How to manage it?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I am very lucky to not have them as a major pest so I didn't think to include them. If I recall manual picking is unfortunately usually the best option.

[@Gardeningchristine]

I noticed vine borer damage on my carnival squash yesterday and when I went out this morning and the entire plant was flat on the ground dead. It must’ve hit a major artery.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Oof such an awful sounding pest, so much time lost 😢

[@dustyflats3832]

@@jacquesinthegardenthey are hideously evil.

[@joellel3527]

Hi there! What were you mulching the plants around your trellis with? I saw it was in a bag. Thanks!

[@daisyblooms4813]

Garden straw (not hay).

[@jacquesinthegarden]

It is garden straw which is a pre processed straw that makes it easier to spread

[@joellel3527]

@@jacquesinthegarden I haven’t ever seen that before. I have cows and a few horses so I use lots of manure and old hay. And I get lots of weeds!

[@gingerdean1521]

@@joellel3527 Lots of seed in hay and manure. I buy chopped straw that is used for bedding for like hamsters. I used to get a big bale by ASpen at the Tractor Supply store but they cant get it anymore I was going to check at a pet store next

[@sosgardening]

I had the same problem with my 3 sisters method this year! My first batch of Watermelon was eaten by Rabbits or Pill Bugs and the second batch got shaded out. My Cantaloupe is doing much better however! For me, I have fences surrounding my small garden so I just put netting up for the vines to climb and this year they're covering my whole fence. As for the Zucchini I really need to figure out the best place for it as they are monsters!

[@meltemfahliogullari]

What kind of timing do you follow when planting them? I am also in a warm zone. Mediterranean. Do you think its possible to plant them mid summer going into fall?

[@lisalowy2443]

Do you need to put straw down for squashes?

[@TinMan445]

Any mulch

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Any mulch is a good idea to help the roots stay cool and well watered. It also reduces splashing up from soil which reduces disease overall!

[@MrsMouse873]

Brilliant video with lots of awesome information! I live in the UK and am growing in a patio garden using Bath tubs and containers. My cucumbers look a bit like your 3 sisters squash plant, but mine have full sun all day, can it be too hot for cucumbers to grow? (We've been getting highs for 30°C+ my gardens been getting to 40°+ because of the paving)

[@jacquesinthegarden]

High heat can absolutely be an issue as well but usually it effects the flowers more than the overall growth, if it is stressed though that would slow it down.

[@gingerdean1521]

Why dont you mulch the paving?

[@MrsMouse873]

Thank you! Hot weather is a new phenomenon for us haha we usually get tops of 25°C

[@MrsMouse873]

And mulching the pavement is a brilliant idea thank you, didnt even think of that!!!

[@C3Voyage]

Cucumbers can also be misshapen due to partial pollination or a parthenocarpic variety getting pollinated.

[@PatienceLove]

I had this issue with the muncher variety, and they’re supposedly parthenocarpic.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

That is great to know, I didn't think about the pollination! The misshapen pollination issue is something I mostly notice in my melons where it is an obvious cause.

[@izzyg8316]

Can you plant patty pan squash with cucumbers? Or do these species conflict with one another?

[@dreed1058]

I live in Texas (not for much longer!), and the Temps have been over 100 for days. I have several watermelons growing - a) when do you know when to stop watering, and b) CAN you stop watering when it's over 100? LOVE YOUR VIDEOS so informative. Also what state are you in? 😊❤

[@fannylang6525]

Thank you. Any idea why my squash plant isn’t growing female flowers? The “gentleman’s club” is using up my valuable growing space. 😑 Love your poppy side point! Can’t wait to grow those!

[@formerhermit12]

When you use your net trellis for squash, are you orienting the bed so that the net run EW so that your foliage has good south facing exposure, or is it not as important?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I prefer doing N-S so that it doesn't shade the adjacent beds and they seem to get plenty of sun since the go vertical.

[@andreahorsch286]

Ditto. I have a bunch of N S trellises in garden. They still create some shade, but not enough to make dead spots

[@formerhermit12]

@@jacquesinthegarden Thank you Jacques! Always appreciate your abundance of knowledge and interaction with your community

[@sharkgirl424]

Do you happen to know for taste if squash flowers are best harvested like pre-bloom, best bloom, post-bloom? Or does it even matter? Thanks Jacques!

[@HighlyKhoalified]

hey jacques, when you say 2-3 winter squash fruit per vine, do you mean 2-3 per plant entirely, or per production stem on each plant?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

2-3 per plant, unless otherwise stated as being able to handle more! The smaller the fruit the more you can generally support.

[@krishnananda.s1394]

Can you make a guide on peppers.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I have one from last year but happy to do a refresh and add more info!

[@lsherylc2524]

Tell me more about that melon?! Never heard of it

[@kacheek9101]

Very helpful; I lost all my zucchini plants to boarers this year (it was my first year trying squash)

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Oof that would make me pretty mad for sure

[@Nocare89]

After like 2 months my cucumber bushes are 2-3in tall and just now producing flowers. I think those are doomed 😆 Aphids completely ate the seed-leaves by the time the first true leaves were 1/4in. I even have one they ate it clear back to the stem and it grew still. I probably also shocked them by pulling out the other sprouts. Plants are amazing at trying through all that. I'll do trays next year :)

[@briznith1486]

Off topic….do you start your poppies in trays or direct seed? I feel stupid because I can’t get poppies to grow either way and I’m in Cali as well. I want to grow the large variety as well.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I do a bit of both, I always do some in trays for strategic planting but the California poppies I generally scatter.

[@briznith1486]

@@jacquesinthegarden what month do you start them? My mom scatters the California poppies in October but I haven’t been successful no matter what I’ve tried. It’s embarrassing because they grow neglected by the roadside here!

[@anujashok5107]

When are you starting bee keeping?

[@SimplyStormy]

My biggest pest was the squash bug. Wow. They are freaking tenacious and I was terrified of them. I was using tongs to grab them off the plant and drown them.

[@wardsdotnet]

So if you grow across the ground then you can root in many places and avoid SVB damage, but if you go vertically then you can avoid powdery mildew damaged. But you can't really avoid both right?

[@nerf_herder90]

7:50 when you say limit the vines to two or three fruits, what exactly do you mean by "vine?" Are you referring to the whole plant as one vine or are you referring to each of the vines that are coming off of the plant? Thank you!

[@kristacook1211]

Cucumber pruning question that I haven't seen asked. My cucumbers have several vines and are about 2 ft tall. I didn't know about pruning to a single vine. Will it shock the plant too much if I prune to a single vine now?

[@makinggardenmagic]

I had some of my squash get shaded out too, so sad!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Sometimes they take so long to get going it can be hard to time, definitely frustrating!

[@debrascott8775]

I put a zuccini and yellow squash in grow bags that had new fresh soil mix. I got 1 fruit off each, the rest had blossom end rot, so confusing since they had good nutritious soil. Going to try again but it was sure a bummer

[@doubles1545]

A possibility- blossom end rot can also occur due to lack of water, and grow bags dry out quickly.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Yeah as doubles said blossom end rot is usually a stress issue due to water. So maybe if you had only 1 squash in the bag you would have less issues. Alternatively watering daily and adding mulch would also make a big difference!

[@L-Destroyer]

Thanks! I def am having the issue of one plant only producing female flowers and visa-versa. Will cross pollinate them. What about when the flowers are deformed? It's happening with my honeyboat squash. Now if I could figure out what's wrong with my bush beans plants...

[@jeil5676]

You mentioned you can pollinate with any male squash. It has to be the same species. Pepo with pepo. Moschata with moschata.

[@user-cb9zg4oz6c]

Thanks for the video. My problem last year and this year is that I only get male flowers on my zucchini and winter squash. So frustrating! I have read that when the temperature are high, female flowers don't appear. Any advice?

[@bonnieharris5916]

When you say stop watering watermelon winter squash etc I live in a very hot climate how long should I stop watering before harvest or is it reduce watering just not clear for me thanks