Squash plants are equivalent to an invasive bug species. They are hearty as hell, popping up everywhere no matter how many times you turn over the soil in the spring and weed. They are not picky about the soil, water, or sunlight.
Every year my dad and I have dozens of rogue squash plants popping up in random places. However, unlike an invasive bug species, I love rogue squash plants! It's impossible to be mad about MORE squash plants. I am a squash addict: pumpkin, butternut, spaghetti, you name it I eat it. As long as the squash plants come up in a part of the garden that won't hurt my other vegetables, I keep 'em!
This year, I have over 40 plants coming up all by themselves in both my sunflower patches. Squash plants and sunflowers are great to plant together because the sunflowers grow fast and tall, while the squash plants will wind around the bottom of the area and grow their delicious fruits meaning you are wasting no precious garden space! I get lucky every year and never have to actually plant the squash seeds. I'm not complaining :) To be honest, I have no idea what types of squash they are, but that's part of the fun.
Here we have rogue squash plants coming up by the squash we planted. Only two of those circles were planned places for squash mounds. Notice how we have happily accepted the orphan squash into our loving garden. There is always room for one, two, three, or 30+ more plants :P
There are also a few squash plants growing in our front tomato patch. Again, there is no danger here because the tomato plant is growing up while the squash plant will wind around the base.
So, if you find squash plants coming up in random parts of your garden, let them go! They are always the healthiest and best producing squash plants. If you don't have and squash, come on over and take some of ours! We have about 50 to spare :)
~Margaret
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