Best Squash & Cucumbers to Grow in Vermont
Vermont sits in USDA Hardiness Zone 4. These 51 squash varieties are suited to Vermont's 135-day growing season with last frost around May 10 and first frost around September 25.
Varieties
51
for Vermont
USDA Zone
4
135-day season
Beginner
23
easy to grow
Heirloom
31
heritage varieties
Vermont in USDA Zone 4
Vermont is primarily in Zone 4. Varieties that thrive in this zone will typically grow well across the state, though local microclimates vary.
When to Plant Squash & Cucumbers in Vermont
Growing Squash & Cucumbers in Vermont
Zone 4 gardeners face a unique challenge with squash – while the 135-day growing season from mid-May to late September is sufficient for most varieties, the late spring frost date means you can't direct sow until the soil truly warms up, often not until Memorial Day weekend. This compressed timeline makes variety selection critical, especially for winter squash that need the full season to mature properly. The good news? Zone 4's cool nights and moderate summer temperatures actually benefit squash by reducing pest pressure and preventing the heat stress that plagues southern gardens. Your plants will produce steadily through the season without the mid-summer slowdown common in hotter zones.
The key to success in Zone 4 is choosing varieties that make the most of your shorter season while matching your specific needs. Fast-maturing summer squash like Yellow Crookneck and Black Beauty Zucchini will start producing in July and continue until frost, while carefully selected winter varieties like Waltham Butternut and Table King Bush Acorn can still reach full maturity before that first killing frost in late September. Bush varieties often outperform vining types in Zone 4 since they mature faster and are easier to protect with row covers when needed.
Variety Comparison
Variety Details
Acorn Squash (Table Queen)
A compact winter squash perfect for small gardens and new gardeners, producing reliable harvests of ribbed, acorn-shaped fruits. Its mild, slightly sweet flesh and convenient single-serving size make it ideal for stuffing and roasting. This dependable variety has been a American garden staple since the early 1900s.
Benning's Green Tint Pattypan
A charming heirloom summer squash dating back to the 1800s, featuring distinctive scalloped edges and pale green skin that turns creamy white as it matures. This productive bush variety produces tender, buttery-flavored fruits that are perfect for stuffing when small or slicing when larger. The unique flying saucer shape and delicate flavor make it a conversation starter in any garden.
Black Beauty Zucchini
The gold standard of summer squash varieties, beloved by gardeners for over 80 years for its reliable production and classic zucchini flavor. This vigorous heirloom produces an abundance of glossy, dark green fruits that are perfect for everything from zucchini bread to grilled vegetables. Known for its exceptional productivity and tender texture when harvested young.
Blue Hubbard Squash
A massive heirloom winter squash that can weigh 20-40 pounds and store for months in cool conditions. Blue Hubbard produces sweet, fine-textured orange flesh perfect for pies, soups, and roasting, wrapped in a distinctive blue-gray bumpy shell. This impressive variety is a favorite among gardeners who want to grow something truly spectacular while providing months of nutritious winter meals.
Burgess Buttercup Squash
A premium winter squash variety prized by gardeners for its exceptional sweet, nutty flavor and vibrant orange flesh that rivals the best sweet potatoes. This reliable heirloom produces dark green, turban-shaped fruits with distinctive gray "caps" that store beautifully through winter months. The dense, dry flesh and outstanding flavor make it the gold standard for pies, soups, and gourmet cooking.
Buttercup Maxima
A premium winter squash with dark green skin and distinctive light green stripes, prized for its incredibly sweet, smooth orange flesh that rivals sweet potatoes in flavor. This compact storage squash has excellent keeping qualities and a creamy, dense texture that makes it perfect for soups, pies, and roasting. The turban-shaped fruits are not only delicious but also decorative.
Buttercup Squash
Known as Rouge vif d'Etampes in France. "Rouge vif" means "vivid red." This is an attractive variety for fall display. Shaped flat, looking like a red cheese wheel, the fruits average 10-15 lb. The moderately sweet, orange flesh is excellent for pies. Also known as Cinderella.
Buttercup Squash (Burgess Strain)
A beloved winter squash variety that produces dark green, turban-shaped fruits with a distinctive button on the blossom end and sweet orange flesh that's incredibly versatile in the kitchen. This reliable producer stores exceptionally well through winter and offers one of the best flavor profiles of any winter squash - sweet, nutty, and creamy when cooked. Perfect for gardeners wanting a premium winter squash that excels in both storage and culinary applications.
Butternut Squash
Larger fruits with small seed cavities and thick, straight, cylindrical necks. Flesh has smooth texture and sweet flavor, particularly after 2 months of storage. This 1970 All-America Selections Winner from Massachusetts is still deservedly the most widely grown, full-size OP butternut. Fruits avg. 9" long. AAS Winner. Avg. weight: 4-5 lb.
Butterscotch Winter Squash
A stunning winter squash that combines the best qualities of butternut and buttercup varieties, featuring smooth, tan-colored skin and incredibly sweet, orange flesh that tastes like candy. This vigorous vine produces large, bell-shaped fruits that store exceptionally well through winter. The rich, creamy texture and complex sweetness make it a gourmet favorite for roasting and soups.
Carnival Acorn Squash
A stunning hybrid that looks like a painter's masterpiece with cream-colored base decorated with green and orange stripes and splashes. Beyond its incredible beauty, it offers sweet, nutty flesh that's perfect for stuffing and the compact size is ideal for small families. This variety turns heads at farmers markets and dinner tables alike.
Cocozelle Italian Heirloom Zucchini
An Italian heirloom dating back to the 1890s, this distinctive zucchini stands out with its beautiful striped pattern and superior flavor that puts modern varieties to shame. The dark green fruits with light green stripes have incredibly tender skin when young and dense, flavorful flesh that holds up beautifully in cooking. This variety embodies the authentic taste of traditional Italian cooking.
Connecticut Field Pumpkin
The classic American jack-o'-lantern pumpkin that has been grown since the 1700s, beloved for its perfect carving size and traditional orange color. This reliable heirloom produces large, ribbed pumpkins that are not only ideal for Halloween decorations but also excellent for pies and baking. Connecticut Field is the quintessential pumpkin variety that connects modern gardeners to centuries of American agricultural tradition.
Costata Romanesco Zucchini
This distinctive zucchini is medium gray-green, with pale green flecks and prominent ribs. Big, large-leafed, semi-vining plants with only about half the yield of hybrids, but much better flavor; clearly better textured, nutty, and delicious, raw or cooked. Also a good producer of heavy male blossoms for cooking. Edible Flowers: Blossoms bear a mild, squash-like flavor and are great stuffed and fried, or sliced for used in soups, omelets, salads, and pasta dishes.
Cushaw Green Striped
An ancient heirloom winter squash with a distinctive curved neck and beautiful green and white striped skin that has been grown by Native Americans for centuries. This vigorous vine produces massive fruits that can weigh up to 20 pounds, with sweet, fine-textured orange flesh that's perfect for pies and baking. The curved shape and striking appearance make it as ornamental as it is delicious.
Delicata Squash
The 'sweet potato squash' that's taking home kitchens by storm with its edible skin and incredibly sweet flesh. This cream-colored beauty with distinctive green stripes offers the convenience of summer squash with the rich flavor of winter squash. Its compact vines and reliable production make it perfect for smaller gardens.
Fordhook Acorn Squash
A superior acorn squash variety developed by Burpee in the 1890s, prized for its consistent acorn shape and exceptional sweet, nutty flavor. Fordhook produces thick-walled fruits with bright orange flesh that becomes incredibly tender and flavorful when roasted. This heirloom variety offers better eating quality than many modern acorn squashes and stores exceptionally well through winter.
Gem Squash
A unique South African heirloom that produces small, round squashes perfect for individual servings and container growing. These charming little squashes start cream-colored and develop beautiful golden-yellow skin at maturity, with sweet, tender flesh that's delicious when simply steamed or roasted whole. Gem squash is prized for its compact size, attractive appearance, and excellent storage capabilities.
Golden Acorn Squash
A beautiful golden-yellow variant of the classic acorn squash that's perfect for individual servings and stunning fall displays. Golden Acorn offers the same sweet, nutty flavor as traditional acorn squash but with a gorgeous bright yellow color that adds visual appeal to any meal. The compact size makes it ideal for stuffing and the productive vines yield numerous fruits perfect for autumn harvests.
Green Zucchini (Black Beauty type)
A compact, round zucchini variety that's perfect for stuffing and produces adorable baseball-sized fruits. Eight Ball zucchini offers all the tender flavor of traditional zucchini in a space-saving bush plant that's ideal for small gardens. The uniform, dark green spheres are incredibly versatile and harvest easily without the oversized surprises of regular zucchini.
Honeynut Squash
This miniature butternut squash packs concentrated sweetness into personal-sized portions that are perfect for individual servings. Developed at Cornell University, these adorable 4-inch fruits have incredibly sweet, creamy flesh that's even more flavorful than traditional butternut squash. The compact vines are perfect for smaller gardens while still producing abundant harvests of these gourmet gems.
Hubbard Blue Squash
A massive heirloom winter squash that can reach 40+ pounds, prized for its incredible storage life and sweet, fine-textured orange flesh. This impressive variety with its distinctive blue-gray bumpy skin has been a homestead favorite since the 1890s, providing months of nutritious meals from a single harvest. The ultimate storage squash that gets sweeter with time and can last 6-8 months when properly cured.
Kabocha Winter Squash
Often called Japanese pumpkin, this incredibly sweet winter squash has a texture like sweet potato and chestnut combined. The dense, bright orange flesh is naturally creamy and requires no butter or seasoning to be absolutely delicious. A favorite among chefs and health-conscious gardeners.
Lakota Winter Squash
A stunning heirloom winter squash with distinctive orange and green teardrop-shaped fruits that were traditionally grown by the Lakota Sioux tribe. The beautiful pear-shaped squash features sweet, fine-textured orange flesh that rivals butternut in flavor and cooking quality. These eye-catching squash store exceptionally well and make gorgeous autumn decorations before being transformed into delicious meals.
Marina di Chioggia Pumpkin
Avg. 6-12 lb. bumpy squashes make a wild, yet subdued ornamental statement for fall. Amy Goldman in her new book, The Compleat Squash, describes this Italian seaside specialty as deliziosa, especially for gnocchi and ravioli, and a culinary revelation.
Pattypan Squash (Sunburst)
A cheerful hybrid summer squash that looks like little flying saucers in bright yellow with distinctive scalloped edges that make every harvest feel festive. This compact, productive variety is perfect for small gardens and containers, producing tender, buttery-flavored fruits that are as beautiful as they are delicious. The unique UFO shape and vibrant color make it a favorite for farmers markets and gourmet cooking.
Red Kuri Squash
A beautiful Japanese winter squash with brilliant orange-red skin and incredibly sweet, creamy flesh that tastes like roasted chestnuts. This teardrop-shaped beauty is perfect for those who want to try something exotic yet easy to grow, producing 3-7 pound fruits that store exceptionally well. The thin, edible skin and dense, fiber-free flesh make it a chef's favorite for soups, roasting, and gourmet preparations.
Romanesco Zucchini
A colorful mix in shades of green, orange, yellow, and white with a unique daisy pattern on the stem end of the fruit. Developed by Larry Eckler of Niles, MI. Performs best with 24" in-row spacing. Avg. weight: 5-8 oz.
Spaghetti Squash
This excellent open-pollinated strain's flesh has the best noodle-like consistency in our trials. Slightly sweet, nutty flavor. Oblong in shape with ivory skin that changes to pale yellow at maturity. An excellent pasta alternative - bake or boil, fork out the flesh, and top the "spaghetti" with your favorite sauce. Short vines. Avg. weight: 3-5 lb.
Straightneck Yellow Summer Squash
A classic summer squash variety that produces straight, bright yellow fruits with tender skin and creamy white flesh perfect for countless summer dishes. This prolific bush-type plant delivers abundant harvests throughout the growing season, making it a staple in home gardens for generations. The mild flavor and versatile size make it perfect for everything from simple sautéing to elaborate summer casseroles.
Sugar Pie Pumpkin
The gold standard for homemade pumpkin pie and fall baking. These compact, sweet pumpkins produce thick, smooth flesh that's naturally creamy without being watery. Perfect size for small families and much more flavorful than store-bought canned pumpkin.
Sweet Dumpling Winter Squash
An adorable miniature winter squash that looks like a tiny pumpkin with cream-colored skin decorated with dark green stripes and ribs. Each compact vine produces 6-10 individual-serving sized fruits with sweet, tender flesh that's perfect for stuffing or roasting whole. The attractive appearance and convenient single-serving size make it ideal for fall decorations that transition beautifully to the dinner table.
Table King Bush Acorn Squash
A space-saving bush variety that delivers all the classic acorn squash flavor without the sprawling vines. This compact plant produces perfectly proportioned, single-serving acorn squashes with deep ridges and sweet, orange flesh that becomes incredibly tender when roasted. Its bush habit makes it perfect for smaller gardens while still providing excellent yields.
Tromboncino Squash
An Italian heirloom that's part sculpture, part vegetable with its incredible curved neck resembling a trombone. This vigorous climbing vine can be eaten young like zucchini or left to mature into a sweet winter squash. Its unique growth habit and dual-purpose nature make it a fascinating conversation starter in any garden.
Turban Squash
Known as Rouge vif d'Etampes in France. "Rouge vif" means "vivid red." This is an attractive variety for fall display. Shaped flat, looking like a red cheese wheel, the fruits average 10-15 lb. The moderately sweet, orange flesh is excellent for pies. Also known as Cinderella.
Vegetable Marrow (Long Green Trailing)
A traditional British heirloom that produces enormous, prize-winning fruits that can reach 2-3 feet long and provide abundant harvests for large families or competitive gardening. This vigorous trailing variety is perfect for gardeners who want to grow something truly impressive, with its ability to produce marrows weighing 10+ pounds from compact plants. The mild, versatile flesh is excellent stuffed, in soups, or as a potato substitute in traditional British cooking.
Waltham Butternut Squash
Larger fruits with small seed cavities and thick, straight, cylindrical necks. Flesh has smooth texture and sweet flavor, particularly after 2 months of storage. This 1970 All-America Selections Winner from Massachusetts is still deservedly the most widely grown, full-size OP butternut. Fruits avg. 9" long. AAS Winner. Avg. weight: 4-5 lb.
Yellow Crookneck Squash Early Summer
An improved selection of the classic yellow crookneck that produces earlier harvests and more uniform fruits than traditional varieties. This prolific summer squash delivers the beloved buttery flavor and tender texture of heirloom crooknecks while offering better disease resistance and more consistent production. The distinctive curved neck and bumpy skin make it instantly recognizable and highly sought after by gardeners who appreciate traditional American vegetables.
Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash
A prolific summer favorite that embodies the abundance of warm-weather gardening with its curved neck and bumpy, golden skin. This fast-growing bush variety produces tender, mild-flavored squash continuously throughout the season when harvested young. Its distinctive shape and reliable production have made it a garden staple for generations.
Yellow Pattypan Squash (Sunburst)
A cheerful and productive summer squash that produces bright yellow, scalloped fruits with a distinctive flying saucer shape that adds whimsy to any garden. This compact bush variety is perfect for small gardens and delivers tender, mild-flavored squash that's ideal for stuffing, grilling, or eating fresh when harvested young. The attractive plants produce continuously throughout the season, providing both ornamental value and delicious harvests.
Yellow Scallop Pattypan
These charming sunshine-yellow summer squashes look like little flying saucers with their distinctive scalloped edges and flattened shape. Incredibly productive plants begin bearing early in the season and continue producing tender, mild-flavored fruits perfect for stuffing, grilling, or eating raw. Their unique appearance and sweet, delicate taste make them a favorite at farmers markets and dinner tables alike.
Yellow Straightneck Zucchini
A prolific summer squash that produces straight, bright yellow fruits perfect for beginners and experienced gardeners alike. Unlike crookneck varieties, these stay straight making them easier to slice and store. The tender skin and mild flesh make them incredibly versatile in the kitchen.
Yellow Summer Squash (Early Prolific Straightneck)
A classic summer squash that's been a garden staple for generations, prized for its reliability and continuous production. This variety produces smooth, bright yellow fruits with tender skin and mild, buttery flesh that's perfect for everything from grilling to baking. Its compact bush habit and early maturity make it ideal for gardeners who want fresh squash all season long.
Zucchini Ambassador
A premium hybrid zucchini that sets the standard for disease resistance and productivity in home gardens. This variety produces glossy, dark green fruits with exceptional flavor and tender texture, while its compact bush habit makes it perfect for smaller spaces. Ambassador consistently outperforms open-pollinated varieties with its vigorous growth and extended harvest period.
Zucchini Costata Romanesco
This stunning Italian heirloom zucchini features distinctive ribbed fruits with alternating dark and light green stripes that make it as beautiful as it is delicious. The tender, flavorful flesh has a nutty sweetness that's prized by chefs and home cooks alike. Both the fruits and large golden blossoms are edible, making this variety a true dual-purpose garden treasure.
Zucchini Dark Green
The quintessential summer squash that every home gardener should grow, producing abundant harvests of tender, dark green fruits perfect for everything from bread to stir-fries. This reliable variety is incredibly prolific, often yielding more zucchini than one family can handle. Its compact bush habit and early production make it ideal for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.
Zucchini Eight Ball
This unique round zucchini variety produces perfectly spherical, dark green fruits that are ideal for stuffing and create stunning presentation dishes. The compact, productive plants are perfect for container growing and small spaces while still delivering abundant harvests of tennis ball-sized fruits. Their dense, flavorful flesh and hollow centers make them the ultimate stuffing squash for elegant summer meals.
Zucchini Green Machine
A powerhouse hybrid zucchini that delivers exceptional yields of uniform, dark green fruits with tender skin and creamy white flesh. This vigorous plant produces consistently from summer through fall, making it perfect for gardeners who want reliable harvests for fresh eating, baking, and preserving. Known for its excellent disease resistance and ability to maintain quality even in challenging growing conditions.
Zucchini Grey
A distinctive heirloom zucchini with beautiful mottled grey-green skin that stands out in any garden. This productive variety produces tender, flavorful fruits with creamy white flesh that's excellent for both fresh eating and cooking. The unique coloring and reliable production make it a favorite among gardeners who want something different from the typical green zucchini.
Zucchini Partenon
An award-winning All-America Selections hybrid zucchini that produces without pollination, making it perfect for container growing or areas with poor pollinator activity. This compact, high-yielding variety produces dark green fruits with exceptional flavor and tender texture. The parthenocarpic trait means consistent production even in challenging growing conditions.
Zucchini Rampicante
An Italian heirloom climbing zucchini that produces long, curved fruits with distinctive ridged skin and exceptional flavor. This vigorous vining variety can be trellised to save space and produces continuously throughout the season when harvested regularly. The unique serpentine shape and ribbed texture make it as ornamental as it is delicious.
Zone 4 Growing Tips for Vermont
Start your squash seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost date – around late April in Zone 4 – using biodegradable pots since squash roots hate transplant shock. Keep seedlings warm (70-75°F) and don't rush them outside; wait until soil temperature consistently reaches 60°F, usually by May 20-25th. Even then, keep row covers handy for unexpected late cold snaps that can stunt or kill young plants. Black plastic mulch or landscape fabric can help warm the soil faster and extend your season on both ends.
Given your shorter season, focus on soil preparation in fall rather than spring – work in plenty of compost and aged manure so you're ready to plant as soon as conditions allow. Consider succession planting summer squash every 2-3 weeks through mid-July to ensure continuous harvest, but get winter squash in the ground by early June at the latest. The compact bush varieties like Table King Acorn and Burgess Buttercup are lifesavers in Zone 4 since they mature 2-3 weeks faster than their vining counterparts and are much easier to cover if September brings an early frost threat.