It’s disheartening when your yellow squash plants start producing fruits with bumps and rough patches. After patiently tending to your vegetable garden and eagerly awaiting the first fruits of your labor, the anticipation turns into disappointment once you spot those abnormalities marring the otherwise smooth surface of your squash.
But don’t despair. While unsightly, bumpy squash is still perfectly edible. The cause is most likely environmental and you can take steps to prevent it in the future. Let’s explore the common reasons behind bumpy yellow squash and what you can do about it.
What Causes Bumpy Squash?
There are a few possible culprits that could lead to deformed bumpy squash
Overmature Summer Squash
Summer squash like yellow crookneck and zucchini are harvested when young and tender, before the rind hardens Leaving the squash on the vine too long allows it to mature and develop a tougher, bumpier exterior. Make sure to harvest summer squash while they are still small, soft, and free of large seeds. The skin should still dent when pressed with your fingernail
Insufficient Pollination
Inadequate pollination can cause squash fruits to become misshapen. Ensure your squash flowers are being properly pollinated by bees and other pollinators by planting pollinator-friendly flowers nearby. You can also try hand-pollinating your squash blossoms using a small brush.
Calcium Deficiency
A calcium deficiency in your soil may lead to bumpy rinds. Test your soil pH and amend with lime if needed to increase calcium availability. Foliar spraying liquid calcium can also help.
Pest Damage
Squash vine borers, cucumber beetles, and other chewing pests can cause scarring and malformations on developing squash. Use row covers or insecticides if pests become problematic.
Disease
Fungal and viral diseases like powdery mildew, mosaic virus, anthracnose, and angular leaf spot can distort squash shape and texture. Plant resistant varieties, rotate crops, eliminate weeds, and use fungicides/biofungicides to protect your plants.
Environmental Stress
Heat waves, drought, and other environmental stressors can take a toll on squash growth. Make sure plants get sufficient, consistent moisture and try providing shade cloth or other protections during periods of extreme heat or sun exposure.
Preventing Bumpy Squash
While you can’t always control environmental factors, there are some preventative measures you can take to reduce the chances of growing bumpy, misshapen yellow squash:
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Plant disease-resistant squash varieties suitable for your climate.
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Test and amend your soil to optimal pH (6.0-7.0) and nutrient levels.
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Use floating row covers to protect plants from pests.
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Use trellising to optimize sun exposure and air circulation.
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Water and mulch adequately to prevent drought stress.
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Scout for pests and diseases and treat promptly if found.
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Harvest squash when young and skins are still soft/penetrable.
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Hand pollinate flowers to ensure adequate fertilization.
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Rotate squash plantings to different areas of the garden each year.
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Remove and destroy severely infected/damaged plants to prevent spread.
What to Do With Bumpy Squash
While bumps and scars make for an ugly presentation, the flavor and edibility of the squash is unaffected. Bumpy squash is still perfectly safe to eat! Here are some ways to make use of less-than-perfect squash harvests:
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Chop up and simmer in soups, stews, and casseroles.
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Bake, stuff, or grill for entrees and side dishes.
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Grate or shred for baked goods like zucchini bread and muffins.
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Slice, cube, and freeze for later use in cooked dishes.
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Ferment into relishes and pickles.
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Dehydrate into veggie chips or dried fruit leathers.
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Puree or juice as a base for smoothies, drinks, and sauces.
So don’t let a few bumps stop you from reaping the rewards of your squash patch! With some tweaks to your care regimen, you can prevent much of the marring. And the edible value remains high, even if the squash isn’t beauty pageant material. Now get out there and start harvesting your bumper crop!
Reasons for Bumpy Squash
Rapid growth, boring insects, and excess calcium in soil may contribute to lumpy squash plants. However, the majority of these fruit deformities are the result of a mosaic virus. There are many types of mosaic strains that occur in different fruit families. The cucumber mosaic virus is the variety that most commonly attacks the cucurbit family. There is also the watermelon mosaic, papaya ring spot, and zucchini yellow mosaic. Cucumber mosaic affects summer squash and produces raised, yellow bumpy squash and warty regions on the fruits skin. Watermelon mosaic affects both winter and summer squash. Summer squash get green overgrowths on the exterior, while winter squash grow knobby protrusions. Papaya ring spot produces malformations on the skin with color breaks over the surface. Zucchini yellow mosaic affects zucchini and results in distorted fruits and the squash is warty looking.
Why is My Squash Bumpy?
You are in the zucchini patch and see that the squash is warty looking and knotty. This leads to the question, why is my squash bumpy? Squash are cucurbits and fall in a family that includes cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins. Fruits in the cucurbit family are plagued by several different viruses, which can cause lumpy squash plants. Usually the foliage goes unaffected for quite some time, while the forming fruits get knots and bumps in the skin. The texture of smooth skinned squashes is rough and patchy. Some of the diseases that cause these symptoms are viruses found in soil and some come from insect vectors.
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FAQ
What is yellow squash with bumps?
| Cucurbita pepo ‘Yellow crookneck’ | |
|---|---|
| Crookneck squash along with other types of squash | |
| Species | Cucurbita pepo |
| Cultivar | Yellow crookneck |
| Origin | Eastern North America |
What causes bumps on squash?
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Mosaic Viruses:Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), watermelon mosaic virus, and other mosaic viruses can cause bumpy, deformed fruits in squash.
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Natural Characteristic:Some squash varieties, like crookneck, are naturally bred to have bumpy or warty skin.
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Other Factors:
- Incomplete Pollination: Incomplete pollination can sometimes lead to lumpy or misshapen fruits.
- Oedema: A non-biotic or physiological problem, possibly related to overwatering, can cause warts or bumps.
- Rapid Growth: Rapid growth can sometimes lead to deformities.
- Boring Insects: Boring insects can also contribute to lumpy squash plants
- Incomplete Pollination: Incomplete pollination can sometimes lead to lumpy or misshapen fruits.
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Mosaic Virus Symptoms:
- Leaves and fruit become mottled and misshapen.
- Leaves may have dark green and blistering patches.
- Fruit may be bumpy and off-colored.
- Leaves and fruit become mottled and misshapen.
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Bacterial Leaf Spot:Bacterial leaf spot can cause small, dark, angular lesions on leaves, which can eventually lead to fruit deformities.
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Alternaria Leaf Blight:This fungal disease can cause small, yellow-brown spots on leaves, which can spread and cause lesions on the fruit.
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Fusarium Fruit Rot:This fungal disease can cause water-soaked lesions on the fruit, which can lead to rot and deformities.
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Gummy Stem Blight:This fungal disease can cause black spots on the fruit and rapid defoliation of vines.
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Powdery Mildew:This fungal disease causes a white, powdery coating on leaves and can weaken the plant, leading to premature ripening and smaller fruit.
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Downy Mildew:This fungal disease causes gray-purple fuzzy growths on leaves, especially under leaf surfaces, and can weaken the plant.
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Blossom End Rot:This is a calcium deficiency that causes the blossom end of the fruit to rot, but it can also cause bumps or deformities.
What does overwatered squash look like?
An overwatered squash plant has yellow, wilting leaves that may fall out. The soil may also be wet to the touch. Should I cut yellow leaves off a squash plant? Yes, you can remove yellow leaves from your squash plant.
Do you peel bumpy yellow squash?
Nope! The coolest thing about yellow squash and zucchini is that the skin is completely edible; bumps are natural and safe to eat.