SOIL PREPARATION:

Before you plant your winter squash, you should test your soil pH and temperature. Soil temperatures should be about 70 degrees, and a soil pH of around 6.5 is recommended. For best results, you should test your soil with an electronic soil tester.
An electronic soil tester can easily analyze both soil pH and temperature:

Winter squash need well-draining soil with lots of organic material mixed in. Organic compost mixed into your soil will ensure healthy, well-draining soil. This website is an excellent resource for learning how to compost in your backyard:

Also, consider purchasing a high quality composting bin for your home to improve the quality of your compost.

A good organic fertilizer can also give your winter squash an added advantage.
See this site for more information on organic fertilizers and pesticides.

PLANTING TIPS:

To grow winter squash, it’s important to first select one that is appropriate for the size of your garden, as many winter squash like to sprawl out and need plenty of space. Vining squash require a large garden, while semi-vining and bush varieties of winter squash are appropriate for smaller gardens.

To grow winter squash in the home garden, you can grow them either in rows or in hills. To grow winter squash in rows, plant the seeds about two and a half feet apart in rows that are spaced at least two feet apart. For hills, heap up your soil into a small, rounded hill. If you are planning on growing a large number or squash and have the space, you should space vining squash about seven feet between hills, with the hills being about 60 feet in size. You can plant about six seeds on each hill, ¾ of an inch deep. Allow about ten feet between rows. Plant about seven seeds and as the plants start growing, you can eliminate all but the healthiest three plants.

For bush and semi-vining squash, plant your seeds about one inch deep, three to four seeds per hill. Allow at least six feet between rows. For semi-vining varieties, remove all but the healthiest two to three squash plants. For bush squash, you should keep only one plant per hill.

Timing is very important when your plant your winter squash as they are a warm season crop. Squash require warm soil to germinate and even a light frost can damage the seedlings. Plant your seeds after the last frost and test your soil temperature, which should be at least be 70 degrees F before you plant. Once again, you should consider purchasing an electronic soil tester  so that you make no mistakes when planting squash or other tender vegetables.

WATERING, WEEDING AND MAINTENANCE TIPS:

Winter squashes grow best in soil that doesn’t stay too wet, so infrequent watering is recommended. Drip irrigation or a soaker hose are excellent ways to water your squash and ensure that they get a good deep watering each time. Drip irrigation will also keep the foliage dry and help to avoid many common diseases. Powdery mildew is a common disease that may appear if your winter squashes’ leaves stay too wet. As the winter squash fruit starts to mature, you can reduce watering.
Weeding is critical for growing healthy squash, especially when they’re young. Pest and common diseases often breed in weeds and garden litter, so clean up your garden frequently. A good weeder or cultivator will ensure healthy squash plants in your garden.

Once your plants begin to product fruit, you can begin to train and cut back the vine so that your winter squash produce more fruits. You can trim back the vines when at least two squash are present. Remove the newest vine growth within about ten inches of where the last fruit appears on the vine.

USING FERTILIZERS AND INSECTICIDES:

We don’t recommend the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers on your organic squash for several reasons. In the first place, squash mostly require healthy soil to grow well. If you want to fertilize, consider using an organic fertilizer or a compost tea. Additionally, insecticides may kill the bees that squash need to fertilize the flowers and produce fruit.

There are plenty of organic fertilizers available  that will grow excellent, healthy plants and not threaten bees and other beneficial insects in your garden.

HARVESTING AND STORAGE TIPS:

The most important part of harvesting your winter squash is making sure you harvest them before the first frost of fall. As the squash approach maturity and are ready to harvest, you’ll notice that the stems of the squash will start to dry out and wither. Depending on where you live, you can expect to start harvesting in September and finish by October or early November.

Because of the vast varieties of sizes and colors, the rule of thumb for harvesting winter squash is when they are a full size and have a deep rich color. The rinds should be hard to the touch. If you harvest your winter squashes too early, they may lack flavor.

You can use a bypass pruner to cut through the stem and remove the squash, leaving about 2 ½ inches of the stem on the fruit. A short stem can lead to rot. This may not be possible with smaller varieties, however. In these cases, preserve as much as the stem as possible. It’s also important not to damage your squash when harvesting and storing, as they can go bad more quickly. Try avoiding manually breaking the stem at all costs.
Store you squash in a dry place with temperatures under 60°F. If you have a large crop, don’t stack them too high as they need plenty of air to breath so they don’t prematurely rot.

Some winter squash need to be “cured” before storing. Curing your squash requires storing them in higher temperatures (around 68°F or slightly higher) for at least fifteen days. You can then move them to a cool, dry place. Never store your squash when there is a risk of freezing. Delicata and acorn squash do not need to be cured.

Another option for storage is to cut your squash into chunks and store them in freezer bags. Use your frozen squash quickly to maintain flavor. Do not store whole squash in the refrigerator, as humidity levels are much too high.