Cucurbits, or Cucurbitaceae, take in all of the gourd family, including pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, melons and zucchinis. All are easy and rewarding to grow at home.
Abundant summer gardens are just around the corner and there’s a good chance yours will include a variety of cucurbits. They’re perfect for the home patch thanks to their prolific harvests and versatility in the kitchen.
Also known as winter and summer squash, cucurbits are warm-weather annuals that may be eaten fresh (like zucchini and melons), or stored for the cooler months (like pumpkins and squash). Now’s the time to get ready for a bumper crop from these easy-to-grow plants in small and large gardens alike.
CLIMATE AND SOIL
Cucurbits prefer a warm, sheltered spot in the garden with full sun (at least six hours a day), regular watering, good airflow and enough space to accomodate their vigorous growth. They are frost sensitive, so in cool and temperate climates they should be grown over the warmer months. In humid subtropical or tropical environments, the cooler months are the best growing period to avoid fungal issues cucurbits are sometimes prone to.
They are heavy feeders so love lots of
