It's that time of year for seed orders. Can anyone recommend bush-type varieties for zucchini and yellow squash? I'm going to try containers for them this year to give them more space than what I can allow in my garden.

All of these are bush type. So your choices should be what you like best. I prefer crooknecks lime Horn of Plenty or Summer Crookneck. If you like starightnecks Superpik or Early Prolific. I prefer the Mediteranian/Lebanese type zucchini like Profit or Barque. Dark Green zucchini Senator or Fordhook. Partenon if you need to grow under row covers. I have not grown the long yellow zukes for years, but do like round zukes, for yellow Sunday or One Ball. I also like scallops which come in colors from white to extra dark green.

I would go heirloom open pollenated if possible but its your choice

Gorgeous photos, Farmer Dill. There are so many varieties, it's nice to hear what does well for others. Can you tell me what variety is in the photo (top row, 2nd from left)? I have limited space so look for more compact varieties that perform well.

I've never tried it but amabar winter squash from Baker creek is good supposively compact

That is the old OP Grey. I left out the grey types which I prefer to the dark Green. All are pretty compact, but zukes are normally slightly larger than crookneck plants.
Sunglo

Wow - thanks for all of the suggestions. I bought two huge plastic pots with the intent of growing the squash/zucchini in them this coming year - more space than my little vegetable patch allows. Since I can move the pots around, I can keep them out of the shade that starts creeping in in very early fall.

They might do well in pots but squash in gen like to be in the ground beans are good bushtypes and so are peppers for pot culture

Thanks for the prompt response, Farmer Dill.....off to look for seeds for that variety.

Not particularly compact but they are a bush type (like pretty much all zucchini, I think), I've had very good success with the OP "Golden Zucchini" -- less blossom-end rot than I've had with hybrid types.

My problem with summer squash is that I don't have enough sense to plant only a couple of types in succession, instead I plant way too many and have way more then I could ever use or give away. Good thing the chickens like them.

Due to lack of space, I grow mainly tomatoes (only 3 or 4 plants), cucumbers (1 or 2 plants), snow peas early on trellises, kale (3 plants), carrots (new to these in a narrow space) and zucchini/summer squash (which end up taking more space than I erroneously allowed). Sweet peppers are hit or miss here so I don't waste the space and green beans - I buy by the bushel to freeze. So either the zucchini/squash or tomatoes go into pots. Tomatoes can be iffy in pots with supports if we get windy days. I'd love to have the space to put everything in the ground but that's not going to happen here.
Sandy - did you once mention growing 'Black Beauty' in a pot?
I am looking through Territorial, Bakers and Johnny's for appropriate types but they don't often mention "bush type" but rather "open" as descriptives.
Thanks again for all of the suggestions.

"Sandy - did you once mention growing 'Black Beauty' in a pot?"

Black Beauty zucchini? I don't think I've ever grown that variety, so I hope I didn't... LOL . But, along those lines, I have some planters that are similar in size to Earth Boxes that I might try growing zukes in this summer.

To my knowledge, zucchini are pretty much all bush-type plants. I'd actually like to grow some vining summer squash on my trellis, because it saves so much room in the garden... I have some seeds for "Trombocino" that I want to plant this year to see how they compare. (Not sure that's the correct spelling, but it's close)

sorry 'bout that, Sandy. Obviously I can't remember who mentioned the 'Black Beauty' zucchini in pots.

Never tried growing in pots, but know folks that have had good success with growing them in Earth boxes. Black Beauty is a decent op dark dark green variety. Average size zucchini plant. Summer squash are fast growing and early maturing. some as fast as 40 days DTM.
Black Beauty

I grew one each of straightneck yellow and 'Black Beauty' in the ground last year and waited all season for one yellow squash. Not a good year. The sun started moving just about the time they started producing, casting shade in the afternoon. Lots of male flowers but few female flowers. The pots I intend to use are about 15" high and 17" across at the top. In pots, I can move them to get the most sun. Since my 'BB' seeds are starting to get old, I thought I'd try 'Fordhook' and 'Golden' for a yellow squash.