Can anyone recommend which squash is a heavy producer - resulting in more flowers??
I've tasted fried squash flowers and love them but cannot find them in my city.
I'm willing to grow my own, just need to know which type produces the larger flowers.
Thank you
Beverly
Squash Advise Needed!!
There used to a variety called Butter Blossom ( zucchini) which was marketed expressly for the large male blossoms. It was a Robson cultivar,Robson became Seedway, and Seedway no longer lists it. Most summer squash will produce adequate blossoms, but open pollinated varieties usually produce more male flowers earlier. Winter squash/pumpkins produce large blossoms, but in most cases less of them.
I got these from Gourmet Seed International
Verde Chiaro D'Italia Zucchini
45 days. Highly productive and early Italian zucchini with very light streaks on smooth, nearly rib-less light green fruit. Good blossom producer for frying, also.
They have a couple of others that they note for their blossom production as well:
http://www.gourmetseed.com/c=3XJPst9TQdiCXOSWZtEJliZsy/category/gourmet_seed.vegetable_seed.squash___summer___zucchini/
like Alberello di Sarzana and Romanesco.
Thanks loads!!
I ran across this the other day and your post reminded me.
Costata Romanesco
Distinctive Italian zucchini, prominently ribbed. Medium gray-green, with pale green flecks and ribs. Big, large-leafed bush with only about half the yield of hybrids, but much better tasting; clearly better textured, nutty, and delicious, raw or cooked. Also a good producer of heavy male blossom buds for cooking.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7655-costata-romanesco.aspx
Jen beat me to it,
Zucchini Romanesco is the one the Greek Restaurant in WP grows for this purpose - and I can personally attest to the quality, both of their fried squash blossoms, AND of this particular variety, which I'd totally forgotten about until you reminded me!
From g_g's link above, ZS02 - Zucchini Romanesco - A fine, classic zucchini and most likely the finest tasting of them all. Superb nutty taste and large producer of wonderful blossoms for frying. The fruit is long, ribbed, and medium green.
PS - I still cannot tell the make from the female, so I will just grow an extra plant or 2!
Cab anyone tell me how big a pot I need for the roots? I'm hoping I can get by with a 3 gallon since that's what I have in matching colored pots for my side walkway. ("Cause I done-run out of garden space in my 24'x8' raised bed, the 7 4'x4' square foor beds, the 5 2'x4' beds, and the 2 container gardens.
I am sick-sick-sick...one person living alone REALLY needs this much produce, right???
How convenient!! I have Costata Romanesco growing already. Now if I can just figure out which one it is. There are 12 possibilities...
Sequee, 3 gallons may be a little tight, I've done it in 5's, and the plant hid the bucket by the time it was producing. However, I would certainly try it. In fact, I have at least two empty pots....
If you can't tell the boys from the girls, you're just not looking closely enough. Don't be embarrassed, they don't mind:).
Maybe this will help (not rated)
http://eatclosetohome.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/male-and-female-squash-blossom-pictures/