Yes! Plant them now. I'm experimenting by planting zukes in a large planter, planted on Aug. 1. If we get an early freeze, then I can drag the plant closer to the house and cover with a sheet. Next year I hope to plant one in each bucket.

Have you planted this late before, tomatoz, or is this new for you, too? In all reality, I'm going to try, but I'm curious if someone has done it with success before.. especially in this region where first frost can occur within 3-4 weeks from now. I grow 98% of my garden in containers and the squash normally thrive with little issue, but they aren't loving it this year for some reason..

This is my first time planting squash this late, but the pkg. says 50 days to maturity, so I thought I'd try. I have 4 seeds with their first large leaves.

i grow lettuce, spinach, radishes, etc. this late all the time.

Much of my squash this year - in the ground - has had a fair harvest. Very unusual for me. So that's why I'm trying a planter for summer squash.

I've started about as late July 15 which was following a bed of peas or garlic and they produced abundantly. In fact for the last few years that was my preferred starting time so that I wouldn't get too many summer squash.

You should probably get enough harvest to make it worthwhile assuming frost doesn't come until about the first week of October (which is typical for me in Aurora).

I think that's what I'll do. I was planning to put my fall garden in tomorrow all along, so I'll throw some squash seeds in a barrel I had planned to clean out anyway (tomatoes and herbs planted there now did not do well). Even if frost threatens, it's unlikely we'll get a hard freeze until October or November and I have plenty of options for protecting against frost. I guess my only other issue would be the availability of pollinators, but I can always do that myself if push comes to shove. With this season's heat, the soil is very warm, so I hope for swift germination and record-breaking growth and production. I'll report back with findings. :)

Well Nick, I knew you were sane enough to not have that total-newbie thought, "does winter squash grow through the winter?"

??

I couldn't possibly do it ... expect summer squash to mature from an August 7 planting. It would be about 1 month late for this risk-averse gardener. I have used that first-week-of-July date for several years. The plantings don't go in the open, however. Summer squash fit in okay between early cabbage and broccoli plants. Those are cleared away by now. (I began fitting-in cucumbers between onions in recent years).

That all has worked ... although one season the Crooked-neck squash barely had time to produce anything. And, last year the late zuks were in terrible shape from mildew by frost.

I have used up my quota of hyphens in this post and I'm not about to use air quotes around, try! You should try if you have room for them and, I know that Denver has a longer growing season than here.

Steve

Haha, thanks Steve. Yeah, I went ahead and planted a summer squash called "Desi" from Baker Creek. It's a baseball-sized squash that should mature in around 50 days. The soil I planted the seed in is just over 80 degrees after being thoroughly soaked through multiple times. It should prompt quick germination; at least that's the hope. The earliest frost I've had in the past 5 years was September 13, but it was very light (35 degrees) and covering the plants easily prevented damage. I don't think I've had temperatures below that before about October 15 otherwise and hard freezes have held mostly until the second week in November, so I should have time at least get a few squash.

Time will tell and I shall report.

The only caution statement I will give you is that later in the summer, waning daylight hours increase the days to maturity. I think 2 weeks or so is typically added to late summer plantings.

Of course I just got done washing the green envy off of me looking at your pictures in the kitchen thread, so I don;t know why I'm trying to give you advice, lol.

Great point, Zach! I never thought of that, but you're absolutely right. I love to garden and I've had excellent luck the past few seasons, but I sure as hell am no expert by any stretch of the imagination.

End of day 3 now and still no germination from 5 seeds planted.

Also, don't forget that wile days may be solidly in the 70's into October, nighttime lows can be pretty prohibitive, even if not at "frost" temperatures.

No expert you say? Well you sure had me fooled there pard ;).