Would be helpful to know what Zone or area your in for more accurate help.

I have been successful with Gold Nugget Squash even in years when no other squash would grow. It forms a bush like a Zucchini but produces small round golden brown hard shelled squash that keep well. It is not a big producer so you would want a few plants. Hope that helps.

Plants can be started a few weeks prior to setting out ... BUT, don't get too anxious and sow too soon. Select early maturing varieties and hope for a warm summer, hot weather will make for earlier ripening and good flavor ... though, get a cool summer and quality will be poor to totally tasteless. A few years back, I had grown 'Sweet Mama' squash, that was one cool wet summer and the fruit was not at all worth eating. In 2007, the pumkins had rotted right in the garden ... but, last year was hot and dry and they are of excellent taste for pumkin pie :)

Terry

Hi thanks. I think I've chosen the right zone.

I've always had success with Sweet Mama (an early-maturing buttercup squash),though in a cool summer I might have to let them ripen up a bit indoors after harvest. Lately I've switched to East Elite, which is almost identical to Sweet Mama, just slightly smaller fruit. Both these squash keep very well... I ate my last one from this past season just a few weeks ago and it was still in excellent condition (actually, they get sweeter the longer they age).

I've tried acorn, butternut, and an early hubbard squash, but none of them ripened for me in Edmonton. Acorn was the closest, so this year I'm going to try an early ripening bush acorn squash, along with my East Elite buttercup squash. I get my seeds from Vesey's.

BTW, spaghetti squash do well in zone 3, but be prepared for wild vines and a billion squash, give or take a few.

Thanks everyone...I'll give your suggestions a try. :)

Try the squash named Cream of the Crop. It is an acorn type (75 days). I grow it and get fruit in the 2 to 3 lb. range. This was by direct seeding. I purchased the seed from www.superseeds.com (Pinetree garden seeds). A US company. Many of the seeds are for shorter growing seasons, low prices on seeds and shipping and handling is under $4.00 for a seed order of $20.00. and quick delivery.