Days to Maturity: 42 to 56
All-America Selections (AAS) Winner 1938
An heirloom summer squash, Early Prolific Straightneck Squash is grown as a fruit vegetable. The plant sets small yellow flowers followed by an abundant crop of tender lemon-yellow fruits with a tapered neck and firm, fine-grained, creamy yellow flesh. The lightly warted, club-shaped fruits will reach a mature size of 10 to 14 inches long and 2½ to 3½ inches wide but are best eaten at 4 to 7 inches. Summer squash is good fried or baked and can also be used in pastas and soups. It is low in calories, brimming with fiber, and packed with nutrients. It is an excellent source of B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium.
An herbaceous annual, Early Prolific Straightneck Squash is a member of the cucurbit family (Cucurbitaceae). The plant is heavy yielding and frequent harvests will produce the most fruits. Monecious, the plant does not need a second plant for pollination, but it may be helpful to plant bee-attracting plants, like marigolds and zinnias, nearby to ensure pollination. Open pollinated, it produces seed that grows true to variety, ideal for seed saving.
Summer squash is easy to grow from seed, growing best in locations with full sun and fertile, organically rich, medium moist, well-draining loams having a pH of 6.0 to 6.8.
A warm-season vegetable, sensitive to cold temperatures and frost, squash seeds can be direct sown into warm spring soil after all danger of frost has passed but can also be started indoors about 3 to 4 weeks before transplanting. Flowers begin to set fruit with day temperatures between 68° to 72°F and night temperatures between 60° and 65°F. Mulching helps to moderate soil temperature and to maintain soil moisture. Protect plants with row covers if temperatures are expected to dip below 50°F.
If you plan to start your seeds indoors, be sure to check out our Bio Dome Seed Starter Kit. With the Bio Dome, you can control the temperature, light, and soil mix to ensure your seeds become strong for transplant.
