Crookneck Squash, Summer Squash 'Summer Yellow Crookneck'

On Sep 9, 2016, hymenocallis from Auburn, AL (Zone 8a) wrote:

For the person who asked if it was a wasp that lay the eggs that borers came from it is actually a butterfly that is the culprit. You can look it up and see what they look like but that is the one that vexes us all.

On May 19, 2014, dee5407 from Waterford, CA wrote:

This is the first year I have grown this kind of squash.. The fruits are setting they get almost ready to harvest, then they seem to shrivel up. I amended my soil with 15% chicken manure before transplanting and have added a long term release fertilizer and water regularly with drip irrigation. Should I just wait and see.. Or has anyone got a tip or two they would like to share?

On Jun 5, 2012, gousa from Newkirk, OK wrote:

I am looking for an OP Crookneck Squash that is not as warty as most, lighter color and a smaller vine. (On the internet), it looks as though most of the varieties have been lumped together such as yellow, golden, early, etc. There is a difference in how long the squash stays smooth before getting hard and also the flavor. The more compact vine is great, too.
I have been told that since this plant has been around for so long that it probably has been renamed by seed growers and has also adapted to various conditions which has changed its characteristics. It may have to be genetically tested to find the variety that I am looking for. Can you help me?

On Sep 20, 2011, GSF from Deatsville, AL wrote:

This season I've had very good luck with the yellow crookneck. I'm in Central Alabama. Of course I've had to use the waterhose quite a bit for any success.

I had a spring planting and a late summer planting. The spring planting harvest smoked the late summer one. With the spring one I had to wrestle with the drought, cold, & heat. Although I did have a great harvest. We put up over a hundred and something quart jars.

Now the summer harvest is a different story. I too had insect problems along with the heat and drought. In addition I have more cases of the mosiac virus as well. I believe the heat does a lot of damage to this plant irregardless of how much you water it. I had more siamese twin squash, more quick plant deaths.

Of course in the la... read morete summer the insects have done had quite a few generations of reproducing. My biggest threat came from stink bugs, there were others but the stink bugs were everywhere. When I'd spray one area I'd find them elsewhere in a couple of days. Permethrin was the main ingrediant at 10%. I believe the wait time was 3 days after you sprayed.

This squash is very good tasting. When you're pressure canning you can afford to let the fruit get fairly big. Once it goes through the pressure canner it becomes soft anyway.

On Sep 12, 2011, eskarp from Albuquerque, NM wrote:

I LOVE crooknecks but...in the Rio Grande Valley, where I live, squash have been cultivated for hundreds of years. I think the squash bugs have probably been around almost as long. The only way to get any pepo crop here is to start the plants indoors, put them out when well-established under insect cover and DO NOT uncover them until they start to bloom. Once they are uncovered, you have to go through all the plants at least once a day to kill bugs and pick off eggs on the undersides of the leaves. These area may be the only place in the U.S. where you have to fight to get a crop and nobody sneaks around at night leaving giant zucchini on their neighbors' porches! Forget insecticides. One year I isolated a patch of squash in my front yard and applied carbaryl at the recommended intervals b... read moreut did not pick over the plants nightly as I did my "organic" patch. I got not a single squash before the plants collapsed from the wilt that the bugs spread.

On Jun 15, 2011, mostlypatio from Pittsburgh, PA wrote:

I grew this summer squash in a small plot. The plant was huge, about 3ft tall and over 6 feet wide. Three plants took over my garden. I had good harvest of some very flavorful fruits in early July and then I decided to take them down. The powder mildew on those huge leaves was the subject of complaints from neighboring gardeners.

On Jun 18, 2007, Spriggin from Selma, OR wrote:

I have grown this squash for years and years. Best tasting when lightly steamed. Prolific and lovely. A garden without crookneck just wouldn't be a garden.

On Jul 30, 2006, pajaritomt from Los Alamos, NM (Zone 5a) wrote:

Another favorite squash from my southern childhood. Yellow crooknecks are mild and tender and great just simmered in water with sliced onions. Parsley, etc. can be added, but not required. Easy to grow.

On Feb 5, 2006, Gabrielle from (Zone 5a) wrote:

This is my Mom's favorite squash - she is from the South, and it is what she grew up with. I grow it every year and am always amazed with how big the plant gets! The only problem is squash bugs . . . YUCK!!! Inspecting daily and handpicking eggs really helps keep them under control.

On Jul 3, 2004, lizbar from Montgomery, AL (Zone 8b) wrote:

I planted the seeds 2-3 years ago and they are just coming up. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was taking over my small garden. It has grown about 2 feet in height and about 3 feet in width with runners--if not more in the past week. It would literally grow during the day to where it was noticeable. I wanted to pull it since it was crowding my cucumbers, garlic, tomatoes, and marigolds, but I was curious as to what it was.

On Aug 25, 2003, berrygirl from Braselton, GA (Zone 8a) wrote:

I totally agree with Melody on the flavor. I grew a straight-knecked variety for the first time this yr. i believe the cultivar was called saffron. it was the most bland thing ive ever tasted. i tried "doctoring" it up with lots of butter and blk. pepper when i cooked them but they didnt taste like squash. i will go back to the tried and true crooks next yr. live and learn!!!