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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Squash blossoms

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  • From: "Elaine Granata" <ecgranat AT ouray.cudenver.edu>
  • To: <lists AT rhomestead.com>, "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Squash blossoms
  • Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 11:18:34 -0700

Adrianna: I've been doing squash blossoms for the past 3 seasons, one year
at Farmers' Market, and would sell out of 40-60 of them fast.

Am not doing Markets now, but have two restaurants who request them. I
planted the Romanesco based on Johnny's catalogue description, but find that
patty pan also have many large male flowers. I plant about 80 hills of
summer and winter squash for my CSA and use the male flowers from all these
for my restaurants (some winter squash have real small flowers and I by-pass
those).

I pick early -- about 7-8:00 and deliver them still open. I find they close
by 11:00. I've deliverd them in produce bags and in shallow boxes (I get
from markets that held tomatoes, avocados, etc) lined with plastic produce
bags, depending on the number they order. I can generally get 50 blossoms
easily in one picking during the peak of production in July and August.
Have picked up to 100 on some mornings. Don't know if you can pick daily--
don't see why not-- if the flowers are there. I pick twice a week because
that's all the demand I have.

I sell to one upscale restaurant who pays .50 a blossom and 3 for a $1.00 to
a vegetarian restaurant and to a speciality market.

Have experimented with putting their stems in water in the frig covered with
a plastic bag and that seems to keep them a day before they close. I
harvest when the blossom is fully opend, but read on this list that someone
is harvesting them the day before they open-- haven't tried that yet.

I row cover all of my squash till blooming time as squash beetles get them
if I don't. Also check regularly for eggs and destroy them before they
hatch.

Good luck -- hope this helps.

Elaine
Denver, Zone 4-5
Granata Farms


> Subject: [Market-farming] Squash blossoms
>
>>
> 1. Seed variety - Johnny's Selected Seeds recommends Costata Romanesco as
a
>
> good variety because of the many male blossoms. I have seen other
> references to the use of unimproved Mexican pumpkin varieties because they
> have a sturdier blossom. One market grower recommended growing pattypan
> squash for blossoms.
> 2. Yield - what yield can I expect per plant per week?
> 3. Plant spacing - typical recommendations call for multiple seeds in
> "hills". I noticed the Costata Romanesco package recommends linear
> planting 9-12" apart which sounds tight given the typical size of zucchini
> plants.
> 4. Timing - do you recommend bi-weekly or monthly sowing to provide
> continuous harvest throughout the season?
> 5. Trellising - is there any benefit to some sort of trellising. I know
> zucchinis are bush types but I seem to recall reading about growing summer
> squashes on slightly raised wire grids.
> 6. Pests - are row covers advisable
> 7. Harvest - do you harvest the flowers when they are fully opened or at
the
>
> bud stage. How frequently should you harvest? Time of day?
> 8. Storage - is it best to air cool the blossoms or can they be hydro
> cooled.
> 9. Packing - what is the best way to pack them.
> 10. Pricing - my search comes up with pricing ranging from 3/$1.00 to
$.99
>
> apiece...
>
> Thanks,
> Adriana Gutierrez
>
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