Matures in 45 Days
These summer delicacies are the true Italian green squash enjoyed for over 100 years for their nutty flavor and tender skin. Easy-to-grow short vines are very resistant to most diseases that other squash are susceptible to. Each fruit is medium green with distinctive pale green ‘stripes’.
SOWING:
Plant 3–5 seeds in ‘hills’ spaced 3–4 feet apart in late spring when soil has warmed to 50°F and all danger of frost has passed. Cover seed with ½ inch of soil, press firmly, and water well.
GERMINATION:
10–15 days depending on soil temperature and weather conditions.
REMARKS:
Best if picked when less than 7 inches long. Plants continue to produce tender, vitamin-rich fruits until frost if all fruits are picked before they start to mature. Flowers are also edible and prized for their size—used stuffed with salad or lightly fried. Harvest only the male blossoms (those that do not have tiny squash at the stem end) in late morning after the dew has dried, to ensure the bees have had enough time to visit and pollinate the female flowers which become the cocozelle squash.