Smooth Criminal Summer Squash
Best summer squash for gardeners seeking easy, pain-free harvesting.
Discover the Smooth Criminal Summer Squash, a hybrid variety from Territorial Seed Company, offering a bountiful harvest of buttery yellow, straightneck fruits from early season until frost. This squash is best enjoyed when harvested at about 6 inches, revealing its creamy white flesh. The plant's unique upright habit and nearly spineless nature make harvesting comfortable and easy. Rich in beneficial nutrients like carotenoids, this annual vegetable thrives in fertile soil with consistent moisture and full sun exposure for optimal growth.
$24.45
Owner Satisfaction
4.7
/ 5
Category Rank
270
/ 6090
#270 in Seeds & Seed Tape
Price vs Category Average
+130%
Above average
Botanical Name
Cucurbita pepo
/ Cucurbita pepo
Who it's for
- Gardeners tired of prickly, irritating zucchini stems
- Home cooks wanting a heavy, early-season harvest
- Culinary enthusiasts seeking uniform, easy-to-slice produce
Who should skip it
- Seed savers who prefer self-sustaining garden cycles
- Busy growers unable to commit to daily harvesting
- Organic gardeners wary of common cucurbit pests and diseases
Performance breakdown
Harvest Ease
Spineless stems make picking squash a painless, scratch-free experience.
Growth Speed
Rapid 45-day maturity ensures a quick turnaround from planting to plate.
Disease Resistance
Robust hybrid genetics provide reliable protection against common garden viruses.
Space Efficiency
Upright growth habit saves valuable square footage in smaller garden beds.
Culinary Versatility
Creamy flesh and buttery flavor excel in almost any summer recipe.
Germination Reliability
Consistent 75% minimum rate provides dependable success for home gardeners.
Key Specs
Botanical Name
Cucurbita pepo
Days to Maturity
45 days
Plant Type
Vegetable
Life Cycle
Annual
Variety Type
Hybrid
Sunlight Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Seed Depth
1–1 ½ inches
Features
- Produces buttery yellow, straightneck squash.
- Nearly spineless plant for easy harvesting.
- Unusual, upright plant habit.
- Fruit is ideal at 6 inches long.
- Creamy white flesh.
- Resistant to multiple common viruses.
- Hybrid variety for robust growth.
What customers say
Customers consistently praise the Smooth Criminal squash for its exceptional reliability and high quality. Gardeners report vigorous growth and impressive yields, making it a dependable choice even in varied conditions. The flavor profile is frequently highlighted as superior, offering a tender texture and sweet taste that elevates summer meals. This variety delivers substantial value, performing robustly throughout the season and exceeding expectations for both production and culinary appeal.
Know before you buy
For the best flavor and texture, harvest these fruits when they reach approximately 6 inches in length. At this stage, the flesh is creamy white and the skin is tender.
The plant's lack of sharp spines makes the harvesting process much more comfortable. You won't have to worry about skin irritation or scratches while reaching into the foliage to pick your squash.
Smooth Criminal features a unique upright habit, which helps it take up less horizontal space than traditional sprawling squash varieties. However, you should still allow for 3 to 6 feet between rows to ensure proper airflow and growth.
This hybrid variety is quite fast-growing, typically reaching maturity in about 45 days after planting. It will continue to produce fruit consistently from the early season until the first frost.
These seeds thrive in full sun and require fertile, well-draining soil. Ensure the soil temperature is between 65–85°F for optimal germination, and maintain consistent moisture throughout the growing season.
Yes, Smooth Criminal is a hybrid variety specifically bred for robust growth and resistance to multiple common viruses. This makes it a reliable choice for gardeners looking to minimize crop loss.
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Ask Hayley anything about this product before you decide.
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$24