How to Grow Pattypan Squash

Days to germination: 7 to10 days
Days to harvest: 45 to 70 days
Light requirements: Full sun
Water requirements: Regular watering, more frequent in dry weather
Soil: Rich loose soil
Container: Definitely

Introduction

Though zucchini may be the best known summer squash, the odd-looking pattypan is getting to be more popular with home gardeners. It’s small, round and kind of flat (some people call them flying saucer squash, or scallop squash).

Not only are the fruits smaller, the plants are more compact as well (more bushy, less vining). This is making the pattypan very appealing to the small-space gardener. You can eat the tender squash either raw or cooked in a number of ways.

The flesh is much lighter than winter squashes like butternut, but are still extremely healthy and packed with vitamin A. You can also get a sizable helping of vitamin C, fiber, potassium and manganese with a pattypan squash.

Starting from Seed

Pattypan needs warm soil and no risk of frost. So you can’t plant seeds in the garden until your frost date has passed. Since the maturity time for pattypans is relatively short, its not really necessary to start your seeds inside. But there is also no particular reason not to.

If you want to start seedlings, get them going about 3 weeks before your frost date. Use loose potting soil, and put the seeds in about an inch deep. Give them lots of sun and keep them well watered until it’s time to plant them.

Transplanting

Seeds or transplants will go out in the garden at the same time, about a week after your last frost date. Dig your soil well beforehand, and add a generous load of fertilizer (such as compost or aged manure). Choose a location in your garden that will get sun throughout the day as well.

Since pattypans grow in a bush rather than as crawling vines, you have to space them out differently than you would with zucchini. They don’t work very well in hills, so plant them out in rows instead with about 2 to 3 feet between them. Like with indoor seedlings, seeds should be no more than an inch under the soil.

Pattypan bushes are fairly sturdy and shouldn’t require much support, especially if you pick the squashes before they get too heavy.

Growing Instructions

Once your plants start to produce blossoms and fruit, make sure to water frequently if the weather is dry. Pattypans grow quickly and need a lot of water to develop properly. Don’t let them dry out.

It’s a very good idea to mulch your plants with a heavy layer of straw or other organic material. It helps keep the moisture in and it also keeps the weeds out. Pattypan squash has a fairly shallow root system so getting rid of weeds can be damaging to the plant otherwise.

Your plants won’t produce any squash unless they are pollinated, so don’t overdo it with insecticides when you see the blossoms coming out. You need to leave your plants alone long enough to let the proper insects do their job. This may be a little harder after the first “batch” of flowers have come out, but it is still something to keep in mind when tending your plants.

Containers

Because of its bushy shape, pattypans are great for container gardening. A 5-gallon pot is fine for each plant, and you won’t have it spilling over once it starts to grow. As pots will dry out faster than soil right in the garden, you definitely need to water your squash frequently so the fruits can grow without getting bitter.

Pests and Diseases

All the same insect pests that plague other forms of squash are just as likely to bother your pattypans. As usual, the worst of them are the striped cucumber beetles and the squash vine borers. You can pick the cucumber beetles off the leaves (and blossoms) by hand, and spray the plants with a natural insect repellent to keep them away.

But the borers are harder to take care of because they are right inside the stalk of the plant, right at the base. If your plants are suddenly wilting heavily (but not due to dryness), there is a good chance you have vine borers. Spraying your plants can sometimes keep them from getting established but once they are in your plant, there isn’t all that much you can do. A slight cut in the vine (lengthwise, not across) can sometimes let you pull out the grubs and not kill the plant.

If the leaves look like they have a dusty covering them, it means you have mildew. A few sprays of fungicide should clear it up, and you should try to water your plants right at the soil instead of over the leaves to keep it from coming back. Damp conditions make it worse.

Harvest and Storage

Pattypans are usually picked whenever you want to use one because they are edible and very tasty even when quite small. Around 3 to 4 inches across is best. If they get much larger, they will lose their flavor and get seedy inside. Your plants will need frequent attention as a squash can go from flower to vegetable in less than a week.

The plants are very fruitful, and you will get several dozen squash from each one. You should keep that in mind when you plan out your garden. A few plants will go a long way, unless you enjoy eating squash at every meal.

It’s highly recommended that you wear gloves at harvest time, since the plants are quite prickly. Since you will be harvesting many times through the summer, you want to leave your plants unharmed while you pick squash. Either snip the squash off with shears or gently twist them off. Don’t yank.

Winter squash (like acorn or butternut) store very well due to their thick rinds, but pattypan is a summer squash and much less durable. Store your squash in the refrigerator for about 4 to 5 days, possibly up to a week. They can be frozen but will be extremely soft when thawed, but still usable for soups or purees.

16 Responses to “How to Grow Pattypan Squash”

mary nowak Says:
August 6th, 2012 at 10:25 am
I have tried to grow patty pan for the last 2 years. I get beautiful flowers but no squash. Help, also my are vines not a bush.
mary nowak Says:
August 8th, 2012 at 4:41 am
I have tried to grow patty pan for the last 2 years. I get beautiful flowers but o squash.
chery Says:
May 10th, 2013 at 9:09 am
I am no pro…but, have you tried looking on youtube on how to pollenate your own plants? It sounds as though you might not have bees or other insects to do the pollenating for you.. I particularly like watching mhpgardener on youtube. There are others as well…try that, I just planted mine and am looking forward to doing trying to pollenate my own. A small paint brush will do the trick!
Lisa Ann Douglass Says:
July 15th, 2013 at 10:15 am
A planted the squash seeds in 2 5 gallon pots. A know have one squash only! Just about full grown, but I noticed a lot of blooms But when they fall off it looks to me like the bud of a patty pan is attached to the bloom. I may be mistaken, but when the Bloom falls off shouldn’t there be sign of squash in it’s place? What’s happening seems weird that there is only one squash.
Margaret Says:
August 2nd, 2013 at 10:35 am
I have 6 sunburst pattypan squash I planted in the spring. I harvested 1 good-sized squash early n. Since then, although quite a lot coming along, they are not developing but falling off when about an inch and a half across. What is wrong? They get overhead watering every day for about ten minutes. I live near Los Gatos in the Bay Area.
donna ladin Says:
August 4th, 2013 at 9:49 am
When planting your patty pans, plant a couple marigolds with them Those will attract the bees the patty pans need for pollination
Pete Says:
August 13th, 2013 at 9:27 am
Hi Margaret,

I’m not an expert but any squashes that have fallen off for me before were because of lack of water. I think lack of calcium is another reason. I would try water directly to the roots, I could be wrong but I think squashes are best watered as close to the roots as possible.
Dominique Says:
August 22nd, 2013 at 2:25 pm
I have 12 patti pan plants, lots of male flowers, not a single female flower, therefore no patti pans. Any suggestions to help plants produce female flowers? Soil north facing and quite acidic.

I previously had to pollinate pumpkins and zucchinis because of insufficient bees. Read “Reader’s Digest Gardening in the North West” book (live in Vancouver, Canada): Removed a male flower’s petals and applied the pollen directly to the female flowers’ stamen. If you have both male and female flowers, this might work. Found that Q tips did not work.

Good luck!
Jane Mcleary Says:
March 21st, 2014 at 3:28 am
Flowers but no fruit can anyone help me
Bill Says:
June 8th, 2015 at 3:49 pm
I live in Hawaii , can I use last years dirt on paddy pan squash that had tomato’s in it , I have 50 seeds how many in a pot , any other info

Bill
cgaeta Says:
July 30th, 2015 at 5:20 pm
hi im no expert by any shape or form but i have @ least a dozen of them on my one vine…..I planted them near reg zucchinis and yellow zukes,marigolds
but a farm guy told me a long time ago that if you want more plant,more nitrogen(in my case i use cut grass) so like escarole and lettuce get heavy clippings,and anything w/ a fruit or veggie…only @ planting…otherwise u get plant and no fruit.because the plant is working hard to make more leaves.
Amanda Says:
August 12th, 2015 at 12:18 pm
Keep in mind that most squash have both male and female flowers (some people don’t realize this). I found this to be the case with our patty pan squash. The flowers look a bit the same, except the males have a lot of large pollen, the females have a large ovum under the flower but no pollen.

We have had to pollinate our plants manually using q-tips or a paintbrush, since we keep our squash in the greenhouse. However, I recommend to do this for any plants; I think the pollen granules are often too large for most some bee species to carry, although bumblebees seem to manage.

Plus, we don’t always have a female and male flowers at the same time on the same plant, and have had better luck when planting at least two plants to get both male and female flowers at the same time.

Hope that helps out growers!
Amanda Says:
August 12th, 2015 at 12:23 pm
Also, those plants that look like they have “little squash” underneath – this just might be the ovum on the female flowers. If fertilized, they will turn into squash, otherwise they’ll just fall off.

We noticed that if you pick your squash regularly, it enduces the plant to make more flowers and you keep getting squash. If you leave the squash on longer to grow bigger, the plant sends water and nutrients to the existing squash rather than making too many more babies.
Owen Says:
January 18th, 2016 at 2:41 am
We planted 3 patty pan squash in aged chook manure the first week of spring (August) and have had so many that we’ve been able to supply ourselves and three of our neighbours.
Now I’m just seeing how big I can get one. It’s the size of a small dinner plate so far.
Rose Says:
April 22nd, 2016 at 7:37 pm
I have one white scallop bush variety… it is producing lots of female /with fruit but no males… I also have a several patty pan yellow, black beauty, yellow straight and crookneck zucchini.

Can I use the male flowers from other zucchini varieties to pollinate my white scallop?

thank you
Rose
Dallas Says:
January 18th, 2018 at 7:33 pm
I have got the button Squash however none are ripening & endup 7-8inches in size.