Episode 37: Let's Talk Crookneck Squash

About This Episode

On this week’s episode of Ask Grumpy, Steve Bender, Southern Living’s Grumpy Gardener addresses a question on Crookneck squash. Plus, Grumpy’s Gripe of the week.

Question Of The Week

I grew some crookneck yellow squash this year and the plants were loaded with plump fruit. I picked them for supper one night, but their skins were so tough that I couldn't eat them. What did I do wrong?

Grumpy Gardener Answer: Crookneck squash, they naturally have a tougher, thicker skin than a straight neck squash. And the longer that the fruit stays on the plant, the tougher it gets, so you need to pick them when the skin is still shiny and light yellow and they're no longer than about six inches. The fruit will be a lot more tender, but also, picking them at a younger age will encourage the plants to keep producing. Now, in the event that a few of your crooknecks do get too tough, all's not lost. You can just slice off the skin and scoop out the insides and that's edible.

Gripe Of The Week

It's about this time of year. You know, we have August and September and some people in certain parts of the country, they consider September to be the beginning of fall, when it cools off. Does it cool off here in September? No, it doesn't. You are just waiting for the first cold front to come through and you get that crisp air. But when you live in the South, I mean, there really isn't any difference, it's so disappointing. So I was thinking, "You know, August and September are not that different. So maybe what we should just do is combine their names, because they feel the same. Don't they? Yeah. So, I thought, Well, could we call it Augember? No, that, that's not so good." So I've decided that these two months are now gonna be one month and it's called Saugust. We're in the middle of Saugust, and it's gonna last for 60 days, so just get used to it."

About Ask Grumpy

Ask Grumpy is a podcast featuring Steve Bender, also known as Southern Living’s Grumpy Gardener. For more than 20 years, Grumpy has been sharing advice on what to grow, when to plant, and how to manage just about anything in your garden. Tune in for short episodes every Wednesday and Saturday as Grumpy answers reader questions, solves seasonal conundrums, and provides need-to-know advice for gardeners with his very Grumpy sense of humor. Be sure to follow Ask Grumpy on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you don't miss an episode.

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors.