- Variety Info
- Sowing Info
- Growing Info
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Variety Info
Days to Maturity: 50 days
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Type: Bush Squash, Summer Squash (Learn more)
Native: North America
Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual
Exposure: Full sun
Plant Dimensions: Bushy and compact, 36" wide
Variety Info: Best picked at 6"–7" long, light greenish-white with speckles
Attributes: Frost Sensitive, Good for Containers
Sowing Info
When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is 70°–85°F.
When to Start Inside: Not recommended except in very short growing seasons, 2 to 4 weeks before transplanting. Roots are sensitive to disturbance; sow in biodegradable pots that can be planted directly into the ground. Transplant when soil temperature is at least 60°F.
Days to Emerge: 5–10 days
Seed Depth: ½"–1"
Seed Spacing: 2–3 seeds per mound
Row Spacing: 3'–4'
Thinning: When 3 leaves, thin to 1 plant per mound
Your hardiness zone is
Growing Info
Harvesting: Harvest frequently to increase yield; squash seem to get monstrous overnight. While edible at almost any size, seeds are less developed in young fruit, therefore more tender. Using a knife or clippers, cut squash off including some of the stem. By including stem, the fruit is sealed and less likely to mold or dry out. Harvesting Blossoms: Look for male, non-fruit producing flowers that have long stems and harvest just before use (female flowers have a swollen mini-squash at the base of the flower and are on shorter stems).
- JenMT, United StatesVerified ReviewerRated 5 out of 5 stars2/10/26Wonderful
Level 2 Montana Master Gardener here, I'm laughing at the lady in AZ saying her seasons are short. I live in Montana where I consider gardening a sport. This is a wonderful variety of seed and very easy to germinate and prolific! Be sure to plant some to celebrate National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day on August 8!
Epic, if you see this it'd be great to add a field for the reviewers zone, it really helps me when I'm reading reviews to try new varieties.
Which best describes you as a gardener? ExpertWho do you grow for? FamiliesHow do you prefer to grow? In Ground - ChristinaVerified ReviewerRated 4 out of 5 stars1/21/26Great plant but can be irritating
This was a very prolific plant and grew really easily and well. My only issue was the spikes on the plant that irritated and made my skin itch when harvesting. If you grow this, I recommend gloves and long sleeves to avoid touching the spikes.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateBIBotanical Interests1/23/26Hey Christina,
Thank you so much for the 4-star review and for sharing your experience with the Dirani Summer Squash Seeds! We're thrilled to hear that the plants were prolific and grew easily for you - that's exactly what we love to hear about a successful harvest!
You make such an excellent point about the spiky stems and leaves. Summer squash plants, including the Dirani variety, do have those natural little spines that can definitely cause some irritation when you're harvesting. Your advice about wearing gloves and long sleeves is spot-on and really helpful for other gardeners who might not be expecting that characteristic.
It's one of those things that experienced gardeners often know to watch out for, but it's not always obvious to newer growers. We really appreciate you mentioning it because it helps set proper expectations and keeps everyone comfortable while they're enjoying their harvest!
Thanks again for the great feedback and for helping fellow gardeners be prepared for a successful growing experience.
Keep on growing 🌻️
- KollynRated 5 out of 5 stars10/27/255 Stars
Superior proctuct! Easy to germinate
- Karen R.Rated 5 out of 5 stars6/26/235 Stars
My favorite summer squash is this cousa type, which is often sold as "Mexican grey squash" in grocery stores. I'm in Orange County, CA, and I've also grown this same squash in the Phoenix area, where I used to live. I have three of these plants growing -- they were slow to germinate due to a wet and overcast spring. But, they are producing like gangbusters!! Yes, this squash has tender skin, but for those of us growing it for cooking and flavor, that's ideal. I've even used a mandoline and made a raw summer squash salad with herbs, red onion, and a vinaigrette. Perfect! The skin stays tender and edible even when the squash gets big. In my pic, that large one is over 4.5 lbs and the skin was still tender. This squash is also less susceptible to powdery mildew, which has about killed the yellow straight-neck squash growing next to it. I'll definitely be growing this again.
- StephanieVerified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars5/9/225 Stars
I grew one of these squash in addition to Cube of Butter last year in the community garden. It did wonderfully! The leaves were really attractive with their silver mottling, and the squash were easy to spot and pick before they got massive. Note I said massive and not big. They seem to double in size practically overnight. The skin does mark up easily after harvesting but because it's so thin it's tender and delicious cooked. The flavor and texture was excellent, and the thin skins meant it grated well for baked goods in addition to grilling and baked dishes where it was sliced in rounds. The only complaint if any was that between this and my other squash I could hardly keep up with the production. I finally let a couple of the squash grow to maturity and halt production as my freezer (and my palate) couldn't take any more squash on the menu. I didn't have any trouble with disease or insects other than fighting a little bit of powdery mildew very late in the season that spread from my pumpkins. But it resisted a very long time and I hadn't been proactively treating it. I saved seeds from the squash I let grow to full size and am looking forward to planting (one!) again this year and passing them along to fellow community garden folks as well.