Spaghetti Squash Marinara

Spaghetti Squash

• Sow seeds directly into warm soil after the last frost, or start indoors 3-4 weeks prior to transplanting.
• Provide plenty of space for vines to spread (up to 20 feet) or train them up a sturdy trellis to save space.
• Ensure full sun and consistent moisture, especially during fruit development, to encourage good yields.

Tomatoes

• Plant tomato seedlings in a sunny location with well-drained soil after all danger of frost has passed.
• Provide staking, caging, or trellising for support as the plants grow to prevent disease and improve fruit production.
• Water deeply and consistently at the base of the plant to prevent blossom end rot and cracking.

Garlic

• Plant individual garlic cloves, pointed end up, 2-4 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart in well-drained soil in autumn.
• Garlic needs a period of cold temperatures (vernalization) to produce large bulbs, making fall planting ideal.
• Choose a sunny location and keep the bed free of weeds, which compete for nutrients and water.

Basil

• Plant basil in a warm, sunny spot with well-drained soil after all danger of frost has passed, as it is very sensitive to cold.
• Pinch off the central stem once the plant has 6-8 leaves to encourage bushier growth and prevent premature flowering.
• Grow basil in containers near the kitchen door for easy access and to move indoors if temperatures drop.

• Monitor spaghetti squash plants for squash bugs and squash vine borers; hand-pick bugs and eggs, or use row covers on young plants.

• Inspect tomato plants regularly for tomato hornworms and hand-pick them off, or introduce beneficial wasps.

• Use neem oil spray on basil if aphids or whiteflies become a problem, ensuring full coverage of leaf surfaces.

Spaghetti Squash

• Harvest spaghetti squash when the skin is firm, deep yellow, and resistant to fingernail puncture, and the stem has dried.
• Cut the squash from the vine with a sharp knife, leaving a 2-inch stem attached to improve storage life.
• If left on the vine too long, the squash can become overly watery or develop a stringy texture.

Tomatoes

• Pick tomatoes when they are fully colored and firm but yield slightly to gentle pressure.
• Harvest regularly to encourage the plant to produce more fruit.
• Overripe tomatoes can become soft and mealy; pick them promptly for best flavor.

Garlic

• Harvest garlic when the lower third to half of the leaves have turned yellow or brown, but the upper leaves are still green.
• Gently loosen the soil around the bulbs with a fork to avoid damaging them, then pull the plants from the ground.
• Cure garlic in a warm, dry, well-ventilated spot for 2-4 weeks until the wrappers are papery and the stems are dry.

Basil

• Harvest basil leaves by pinching off individual leaves or cutting entire stems just above a leaf node.
• Regular harvesting encourages the plant to produce more foliage and delays flowering.
• If basil flowers, pinch off the flower stalks immediately to maintain leaf flavor and production, as flowering can make leaves bitter.