Patty pan squash is a fun, flying saucer-shaped summer squash that adds flair to any vegetable garden With scalloped edges and pale green to bright yellow skin, patty pan squash offers a delicate flavor and texture that work well in a variety of dishes.
What is Patty Pan Squash?
The patty pan squash, which is also called sunburst squash or custard marrow, is in the same genus as zucchini and is related to it. The squash is called a “patty pan” because it looks like a flattened disc, like a pan. It is also known as a “peter pan,” “ganny squash,” “scallop squash,” “scallopini,” “custard squash,” “schwoughksie,” and “white squash.”
Patty pan squash has been cultivated for centuries and originated in Central America or Mexico. Today, it is grown worldwide in home gardens and commercially for its edible fruits.
What Does Patty Pan Squash Look Like?
This type of summer squash comes in bright green, yellow, and white colors. The fruits are disc-shaped and have sharp scalloped edges. They are between 2 and 6 inches (5 to 15 cm) across. When fully grown, larger squash can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) long.
The plants have cucurbit-like stems that are sharp and big yellow flowers. The leaves are broad and lobed with a rough texture.
How to Grow Patty Pan Squash
Patty pan is easy to grow from seed or transplants. Here are some tips for a successful crop:
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Sun: Plant in full sun. This plant needs at least six hours of direct sunlight every day.
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Soil: They thrive in nutrient-rich, well-drained soil. Add compost or fertilizer to improve soil quality.
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Planting: Sow seeds 1 inch deep directly in the garden after danger of frost. Space 3 feet apart. Or start 4-6 weeks before last frost indoors and transplant seedlings when soil warms.
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Water: Keep soil consistently moist throughout the growing season. Provide 1-2 inches of water per week.
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Harvest: Pick squash when they are 2-4 inches across. Use scissors or a knife to cut from the vine, leaving 1-2 inches of stem attached.
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Pests: Watch for cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and powdery mildew. Row covers and organic pest control methods can help prevent damage.
How to Cook With Patty Pan Squash
This versatile summer squash can be prepared many ways. It has a sweet, nutty flavor and firm yet tender texture when harvested young.
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Grill slices or halves seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper
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Saute with onion, garlic, herbs, and bacon bits
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Roast halves stuffed with cheese, grains, or meat
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Steam or boil briefly and toss with brown butter, lemon, and fresh herbs
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Use raw in cold summer soups like gazpacho
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Bake into quick breads, muffins, and cakes
With its eye-catching scalloped look and mild taste, patty pan squash adds interest and nutrition to warm-weather meals. A compact plant, it’s easy for home gardeners to incorporate into planting plans. With proper care, patty pan will yield abundant edible “pans” to enjoy all season long.
How to Sow Indoors
When possible, opt to direct sow rather than growing starts to transplant.
However, if you have a short growing season, you may need to start seeds indoors two to four weeks before the last frost date.
- Don’t fill pots all the way to the top; leave a half-inch to an inch of space at the top.
- Each pot or tray cell should have a hole in the middle. Then, put one seed in there about half to one inch deep.
- Close the growing medium around the seed and pat it down to make sure the seed and medium are in good contact.
- After the seeds sprout, put the pots or tray near a window or under a grow light so the plants can get six to eight hours of direct sunlight. Keep the plants at a temperature of 70 to 95°F.
- Keep the growing medium moist. Expect germination in five to 10 days.
After your last frost date, harden off the seedlings and transplant into the garden.
Follow these steps to plant your seedlings, whether you grew them indoors or bought them from a nursery:
- Get the growing area ready by pulling out any weeds or dead plants from last year’s garden.
- Water the planting area the day before transplanting.
- Make a hole in the ground twice as deep and wide as the nursery pot.
- For seedlings in biodegradable pots, cut off the pot’s rim and throw it away. Then, put the pot into the hole. For those in plastic pots, take the plant out of the pot slowly so as not to damage the roots, and then put the root ball into the hole.
- Put fresh soil around the roots, but be careful not to cover the plant’s crown.
Water in well, and irrigate daily for the next week if conditions are dry.
Growing patty pan squash is much the same as growing other summer squash.
Here’s what you’ll need to know:
Patty pan squash are warm season crops – that means they won’t tolerate frost or freezing temperatures.
Plant seeds or move plants after there is no longer a chance of frost, and harvest before the fall frost. You can also use a floating row cover to extend the growing season.
Like other cucurbits, these summer squash plants need a full sun location in the garden.
Situate the growing patch where it will receive at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day.
Patty pan squash grows happily in typical loamy garden soil, thriving in a pH range of 5. 8 to 6. 8.
Have you ever had a volunteer squash plant pop up in your compost pile?
Take that as a cue – these vegetables love compost, so grow your patty pan crop in compost-enriched garden soil.
As a general rule, water patty pans infrequently, but deeply.
Some people say that scallop squash plants need one to two inches of water every week. That’s true, but only when the temperature is in the 70s.
How often you’ll need to water depends not just on the temperature, but also on how sunny it is.
In dry, hot weather, you may need to irrigate two or three times a week.
If you work compost into your soil before sowing or transplanting, you may not need to add additional fertilizer later in the growing season.
However, if you’re feeling motivated, it won’t hurt to side dress with some additional compost as the patty pan squash plant spreads.
A couple of handfuls, worked into the edge of the soil will help encourage vigorous growth.
Are you ready to think about which type of scallop squash to grow? Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
‘Benning’s Green Tint’ is an heirloom cultivar first introduced in Washington, DC, in 1914, that produces light green to creamy white fruits.
Needing just 52 days to reach maturity, ‘Benning’s Green Tint’ should be harvested at two to three inches wide.
Purchase packs of ‘Benning’s Green Tint’ in an assortment of sizes from High Mowing Organic Seeds.
A German heirloom, ‘Gelber Englischer’ produces fruits that are cream colored to lemon yellow, and are shaped rather irregularly.
This variety is best harvested at two to four inches wide, and needs 55 to 60 days to reach maturity.
You’ll find packs of 20 ‘Gelber Englischer’ seeds available at Botanical Interests.
‘Jaune et Verte’ is a yellow and green patty pan cultivar with radiating stripes that is best harvested at two to three inches wide.
This French heirloom is slower to mature than some of the others, requiring 60 to 90 days to produce fruit.
Pick up ‘Jaune et Vert’ seeds in a selection of pack sizes from Eden Brothers.
Find the right variety for your garden with our supplemental guide, “13 of the Best Varieties of Patty Pan (Scallop) Squash.”
When growing patty pan squash, keep the area around the bushes free from weeds, especially when they are young and trying to get established.
However, after the plants are a bit bigger, they will hold their own and won’t be bothered if you get behind on weeding chores.
In the meantime, one way to help prevent weeds from growing is to apply mulch around plants.
And there are many different materials you can use for mulch, such as leaves or straw.
Managing Pests and Disease
I’m sure you’re looking forward to plucking that first patty pan squash off the bush.
But to ensure an abundant harvest, you’ll also need to be on the lookout for pests and diseases.
Insects aren’t the only types of unwanted visitors you might find eating your patty pan squash plants:
If there are deer in your area, your garden will be at risk from them unless you let them know they are not invited.
A deer fence can keep these four legged browsers away from your crop – but there are other preventative actions you can take as well, as detailed in our guide.
Rabbits only seldom choose to nibble on these plants, but if you’ve previously had visits from these mammals to your garden, you might want to protect the plants.
Expect the same types of critters to frequent your patty pan squash plants as the pests that typically target zucchini.
Here are a few potentially bothersome insects to look out for:
Aphids are tiny insects sometimes found on the bottoms of leaves and on stems, sucking nutrients from the plant.
These pests also leave trails of honeydew behind, which in turn can cause fungal problems.
Often, an aphid infestation can be controlled simply by spraying them off the plant with a strong jet of water from a garden hose. Repeat weekly until the aphids are gone.
Squash bugs are true bugs that bite into the leaves of cucurbit plants, damaging the tissue, and causing them to wilt, and eventually die.
Manual control is a slightly time consuming but effective method of removing these pests.
Check the undersides of the leaves for eggs, and remove and destroy them when you find them.
The adults are easy to spot when you water – watch for the bugs scurrying away from the plant, and dispatch them if you can catch them. When squished, they will produce a very strong odor.
And also keep your eye out for nymphs that are bright gray or light green with spindly black legs.
Does a cloud of white flies greet you when you enter your garden patch? Sounds like you might have a whitefly problem.
In spite of the name, they are not actual flies, these sucking insects are related to scale and mealybugs.
And as part of an organic approach to protecting crops from pests, consider using companion plants.
In addition to pests, you’ll also want to be aware of a few diseases that affect patty pan squash:
Have you admired a developing patty pan fruit, only to come back the next day and find it browning and half rotted?
Welcome to your first experience with blossom-end rot, a condition caused by a lack of calcium.
This condition affects patty pans in the same way that it does zucchini.
If you have noticed yellow or light green angular shaped spots on leaves, accompanied by a downy fuzz, then you’re probably looking at downy mildew!
This fungal-like disease thrives in humid conditions, and can be prevented by watering at the base of the plant instead of overhead, such as with sprinklers.
Are you seeing a white powdery substance on the leaves of your patty pan plant?
Powdery mildew, a fungal disease that spreads in humid conditions, is likely to blame. It’s very common in the summer garden and can be treated organically.
Here’s the fun part! When the fruits are about two to three inches wide, it’s time to harvest.
When the size is right, grab a clean knife or pair of garden pruners and cut the stem from the bush.
Why should you pick fruits when they are so small?
As they grow larger, the seeds inside will become tough. You can still eat the fruits at this later stage, but you will want to remove the hard seeds from the interior first.
If you grow more patty pan squash than you can eat at once, you might want to consider preserving some of your harvest.
Freezing is of course one option. If you want to freeze the raw vegetable, take the time to blanch it first for the best results.
Canning these vegetables is no longer considered a safe preservation option due to the risk of botulism – unless of course you pickle the fruits in an acidic brine!
If you need guidance for making pickles from your patty pans, head to our sister site Foodal, where you can substitute patty pan squash in the recipe for bread and butter zucchini pickles.
Finally, don’t overlook the wonders of dehydration. Dried garden vegetables can provide ingredients for winter soups or be transformed into fun snacks.
Patty pan squash can be treated like crooknecks or zucchini, but take every opportunity to highlight the unusual shape of these cucurbits – such as stuffing them and baking in the oven.
Need some guidance to get started? Substitute your patty pan squash in this recipe for vegan stuffed zucchini with millet, tomatoes, and olives, at our sister site Foodal.
Stuffed scallop squash is a nourishing meal that will help warm you up.
On the other hand, if you’re trying to beat the heat and looking for something a bit lighter, why not pull out a box of pasta?
Grilled zucchini and white bean pasta is just the thing to celebrate the flavors of summer while keeping cool – just substitute with scallop squash and use this recipe from Foodal.
Or how about portobello patty pan squash tacos? Just use your patty pans to replace the zucchini in this delicious recipe also from Foodal.
Discover How To Grow Patty Pan Squash
FAQ
Does patty pan squash need a trellis?
No, patty pan squash typically does not require a trellis. It is a bush-type squash, not a vine, and does not naturally climb.
How big does a patty pan squash plant get?
A compact, summer squash cultivar growing to 60cm (2ft) high and 90cm (3ft) across, producing flattened, round squashes reminiscent of flying saucers, in ….
What not to plant with patty pan squash?
Plants to Avoid Near Pattypan Squash Potatoes are a no-go when planting alongside Pattypan squash. They compete fiercely for nutrients and space, which can lead to stunted growth and attract unwanted pests.
What is the difference between yellow squash and patty pan squash?
Two kinds of summer squash are patty pan squash and yellow squash. They are different in shape and sometimes color. People often say that patty pan squash looks like a “flying saucer” because of its round, flattened shape and scalloped edges. Yellow squash, on the other hand, is typically elongated and cylindrical, with a smooth, yellow skin. While patty pan squash can also be yellow, it’s not the only color option, and it’s the shape that truly distinguishes it.