Do you want to prune your squash in Maryland, but don’t know when the best time to do so is?
Pruning squash is not as easy as it seems.
Here’s why:
- Squash Plants can only be pruned during three specific time periods or else the plant may not produce a harvest or even die.
So if you prune them too early they will die and if you prune them too late you’ll limit your harvest. And if you prune them too much you won’t get any harvest!
Today, I’m going to teach you the ideal time to prune squash in Maryland:
- To Learn More About Squash, Check Out This GUIDE!
When to Prune Squash in Maryland
There are three specific times you should prune your squash plants:
- Early Season
- When it is time to transplant your squash plants into another pot or even your garden, simply prune 1 inch off the top of the plant down to its leaves. Repeat this for two to three of the largest stems.
2. Mid-Season
- In the first 3 weeks that your squash plants grow flowers you will want to prune them off. By pruning flowers off your squash plants you encourage your plant to put its nutrients into its root system first. This will then allow your plant to have even more flowers and harvest.
3. Late Season
- Finally, you want to prune your squash plant throughout late summer to help promote a healthy plant and more harvest. In the late season, prune any dead leaves or stems any diseased harvest, and any suckers.
Why Prune Squash Plants in Maryland?
Pruning is essential for your squash plants to grow healthy, have lots of flowers, and produce a consistently heavy harvest.
You want to prune your squash in the early season because it:
- Improves root production
- Improves branch strength
- Increase air circulation
You want to prune your squash in the mid-season because it:
- protects against pests
- protects against diseases
- prevents your plant from getting too heavy, breaking, and dying
You want to prune your squash in the late season because it:
- speeds up the ripening process
- increase harvest color and size
When NOT to Prune Squash in Maryland
There are certain times you should not prune your squash plant.
- Don’t prune seedlings that are less than 1 month old.
- Don’t prune squash plants in the heat of the day or when it is extremely hot or cold
- Don’t prune squash plants once they have ripened fruit on them.
If you want to learn WHEN to Prune ANY Plant in Maryland, head over HERE and just type in the plant you want to prune.
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