Squashes in Cambridge
Cucurbita spp.
Squash come in summer and winter types, offering versatile fruits from tender courgette-like harvests to hard-skinned varieties that store through winter. They're vigorous plants that love sun and rich soil, producing colourful, flavourful crops perfect for roasting, soups, or stuffing. With trailing or compact options, there's a squash for every garden size.
- Height
- 60cm
- Sunlight
- Full Shade
- Water
- Low Water
Growing Guide
Step-by-step instructions for growing Squash
Planting Calendar
Growing Guide for
Change the guide to see different planting timelines and tips.
Ideal for patios or smaller plots using bush varieties like patty pan or compact butternuts, often grown in large pots or bags.
Start Seeds Indoors
10 Mar – 31 MarSow seeds on their side in pots of peat-free compost about deep, keeping warm at around for good germination.
Transplant to Final Container
5 May – 26 MayMove seedlings to large containers at least wide filled with rich compost once frost risk has passed in Cambridge.
Ongoing Care
15 May – 12 SeptWater consistently to prevent drying out, especially during dry spells, and feed regularly with high-potash fertiliser as fruits develop.
Harvest Fruits
25 Sept – 15 OctPick summer types young and regularly, or let winter types mature fully before cutting with a stem attached.
Companion Plants
Tap a plant to see why it works (or doesn't) with Squash.
Good companions
Plants to avoid
Why companion planting matters
Companion planting can deter pests, improve pollination, and make better use of space. Some plants confuse pests or attract beneficial insects; others improve soil or offer shade to neighbours that need it.
Related Plants
Explore similar plants you might like
Basil
Basil is a fragrant, tender herb whose leaves are a staple of summer cooking. Native to tropical regions, basil is treated as an annual in temperate climates like the UK because it cannot tolerate frost. It thrives in warm, sunny conditions and can be grown in garden beds or pots for a steady supply of fresh, flavourful leaves throughout the summer.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a hardy winter brassica (cabbage family) that form sturdy, leafy stems often around 60–90cm tall. They produce edible mini-cabbage buds along the stem from autumn through winter. Thanks to their cold tolerance, sprouts remain productive into late winter, and frost actually improves their sweetness.
Calabrese
Calabrese (broccoli) produces a large central head of tightly-packed green buds, followed by smaller side-shoots after the main head is cut. It’s a cool-season brassica crop. Grow it in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil and keep plants watered during dry spells. Harvest the heads while firm, then leave the stem in the ground to allow side-shoots to develop.
Also in nearby towns
See how Squash timing shifts in other towns with different frost dates.