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ZUCCHINI SeeDS

This is an Italian heritage zucchini, prized for its large flowers which are great for stuffing.

It is vigorous, easy to grow and has a somewhat nutty flavour that doesn't go soggy when cooked. It is larger than other varieties, and its firmer flesh is perfect for low carb dishes such as stuffed "boats", veggie spaghetti and veggie lasagna noodles. Even though it is a "summer squash", medium to monster sized fruits that are left to sun dry in late summer/autumn will keep through the winter and can be stuffed and baked or used like pumpkin or even stored to feed to chickens when nothing else is growing.

I've found it is quite tollerant to cold weather and can be planted outside earlier than other warm weather lovers like tomatoes and peppers. You might be unlucky if you get a late frost but you will have plenty of seeds to replace any losses.

Your first fruits will come in 4 to 6 weeks and if there is dry weather, plenty of nutrients and moisture in the soil, your zucchini will keep on growing till the cold hits. Like all cucurbits, it can get mildew if it gets rainy or too much water on its leaves. Cut off old leaves at the first sign of mildew and burn or bin. Keep thickly mulched with straw, dried grass clippings etc and if you are saving seed or growing monsters for winter feeding, keep the fruit off the soil and when the plant has finished its run, remove and sit in a well ventilated sunny spot to harden off. If you are only growing a few plants or if bee numbers are low, it pays to polinate flowers by hand. To do this, in the morning, pick a male flower (no little fruit), peel off the petals and then insert briefly into the "cervix" deep in the open flowers. Dont prise open any closed flowers, its usually too late to polinate them by this stage. If fruits have not been polinated they will rot at the flower end. Zucchini flowers are a real treat. Unless you are growing lots of plants, you might need to collect for a few days. The best results are gained by having your filling ready to go and pick new flowers each morning and stuff while they are open. You can store for a few days till there is enough for a meal.

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