How do you grow Spaghetti Squash?

Last Updated on February 25, 2022 by William

Spaghetti Squash growing stages

Spaghetti squash belongs to the oblong variety of the winter squash. It is also called the noodle squash or vegetable spaghetti. There are four stages of growing the spaghetti squash. These stages begin from germinating the seed to harvesting the fruit as follows:

• Stage 1 – Germination
• Stage 2 – Transplanting
• Stage 3 – Vegetative stage
• Stage 4 – Harvesting

Stage 1 – Germination

It takes about 3 – 4 weeks for the spaghetti seeds to germinate. In this stage, plant the seeds in nursery pots and cover them. It is recommended to grow indoors a month before the frost date. That is between mid-March and late April in the northern areas.

State 2 – Transplanting

When the seedlings are about 2 – 3 leaves old, transfer them to a well-prepared garden where there is exposure to the sun. While transplanting, it is important to ensure that the soil is not cold since that can make the seedlings die. That explains the reason to transplant after the frost, or early to mid-May.

Stage 3 – Vegetative stage

This is the longest stage that can take up to 4 months. It is where the plant begins to spread as it gains more leaves, roots, and stems. The spaghetti squash plants will continue to grow to the flowering stage and then starts producing fruits.

Stage 4 – Harvesting

It takes 100 days for the spaghetti squash to mature fully. How do you know it is ripe? The first thing is to ensure it has surpassed the 100 days. Also, you can use the thumbnail by pressing it into the spaghetti squash rind. If it is tough to pierce, then the fruit is ready for harvesting.

Spaghetti Squash Growing Conditions

Soil type	Well-drained with organic matter.
Exposure	Full sun
Best seeds growing time	A month before the frost ends.
Germination temperature	65 degrees F.
pH	Slightly acidic (5.5 – 6.8)

What is the best way to grow Spaghetti Squash?

The best way to grow spaghetti squash is to start by germinating the seeds indoors in pots. Once frost is over after germination, transplant the seedlings in a rich-nutrient well-drained soil with full sun exposure. This is the best and most recommendable way to grow spaghetti squash.

Is Spaghetti Squash easy to grow?

Like most other pumpkin varieties, growing spaghetti squash is fairly easy. So long as you have the mastery of the process that is fairly simple, you just need to keep the seeds warm in pots indoors to germinate. Then when they are ready for transplanting, just after the frost, and the garden is ready, just ensure that the soil is warm.

Growing Spaghetti Squash in containers

The seeds are started in containers where they are kept indoors until they germinate. When transplanting, you can choose to grow them in the garden or larger containers.

Due to the availability of different varieties of spaghetti squash, some do well in containers while others may not. However, it depends on the size of the containers, and the conditions. The petite types are known to do well in containers than other varieties. It is also important to ensure the containers have adequate drainage holes.

Growing the spaghetti squash in containers is also a stage when waiting for the frost to end. This is where the seedlings are ready for transplanting but the frost is not yet over. In this period, you can transfer the seedlings from the small containers to a bigger container as you want for the frost to end so as to transplant them.

Growing Spaghetti Squash vertically

Growing spaghetti squash vertically or on the trellis is an option if you don’t have enough garden space. This vertical method saves a lot of space and you can have more land left on the ground for other plants to grow.

In this method, you need to prepare the garden well, then set up the trellis to ensure it is firmly in the soil. Once the trellis is set, plant the spaghetti squash seedlings or seeds along both sides of the trellis and keep watering them.

When it is grown enough to train, weave the shoots onto the trellis, and when it begins to support itself with its tendrils, the plant will climb and grow vertically by itself. Just a little of training the plant to grow vertically.

Growing Spaghetti Squash problems

Most of the problems of spaghetti squash come from poor soil. The best soil for growing should be rich in nutrients and well-drained. Some of the problems that you may encounter include squash rot, pests such as spider mites, cucumber beetles, melon aphids, and squash bugs.

The other squash problems include pollination problems, mildew, and diseases such as a mosaic virus.

The best way to combat these problems is to ensure the soil is right in nutrients and pH. Also, spray the plant to fight pests and diseases that can attack the plant.

Spaghetti Squash days to maturity

Spaghetti squash takes 100 days to mature fully. This is the right time to harvest when the squash is ripe. You can check by pressing the thumbnail into the fruit. The rinds should be hard for the nail to go through and that is when it is fully matured and ripe for harvesting.

How many Spaghetti Squash do you get from one plant?

Each spaghetti squash plant can yield between 4 – 5 fruits. Each fruit can weigh between 2 to 4 kgs. The number may depend on the soil conditions and the overall growing conditions.

Can I plant seeds from Spaghetti Squash?

You can plant the seeds from spaghetti squash by cleaning them first. To check the viability, you will need to remove the seeds from the ripe squash, put them in a container, then add warm water and mix them. Leave them for a week and check the viable seeds.

The viable seeds will settle at the bottom. With this method, you need to keep swirling the seeds and water in the container daily.

The advantage of planting seeds from spaghetti squash is that you will avoid the cost of buying hybrid seeds. The disadvantage comes when you plant before checking the viability, and where the seeds were from immature spaghetti squash.

Resources:

Growing Spaghetti Squash From Seed to Harvest

5 Spaghetti Squash Growing Stages (The Life Cycle)

How To Grow And Store Spaghetti Squash – Gardening Know

Spaghetti squash – sowing, growing and harvest