Summer Squash
The CUCURBITACEAE family has many forms and has been feeding the world since the beginning of recorded history. The remains of cucumbers and gourds have been found in archaeological excavations dating two centuries before Christ. Members of this family have origins in many different regions of the world. Only the cucurbita genus is thought to originate in North, Central and South America.
Squashes belong to the Cucurbitaceae family along with the melons, cucumbers, gourds and pumpkins. They are also divided into short and long maturities. The genera Citrullus and Cucumis include watermelons, cantaloupe and cucumbers. The genus Cucurbita includes winter and summer squash and some gourds, while the chayote is a Sechium and sponge gourd is a Luffa. In the Genus Cucurbita, C. pepo includes all the summer squash, all the true pumpkins and varieties that are both bush and long-vining.
Different varieties within an individual species will cross-pollinate but there is no crossing between varieties of different species. Remember that when a cross occurs you cannot see the change in that summer's fruit, but it will show up if you save the seed and plant it the next year.
SUMMER SQUASH is thin-skinned, immature or semi-mature when harvested; they mature in 47 - 60 days, depending on variety, which can be bush or vining types.
Zucchini is probably the most popular squash grown, although many people are trying the more exotic looking varieties like yellow scallop, green scaloppini and yellow crookneck.
Also check out ...
UC websites for the Vegetable Research and Information Center (http://vric.ucdavis.edu) and Integrated Pest Management (www.IPM.ucdavis.edu).