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  • From: "Adriana" <adriana AT chefsgreens.com>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Squash Blossoms
  • Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 17:35:26 -0600


Hi Beth
Did you get answers to these questions? If so, can you please advise.
I loved growing them this summer! I have a chef waiting for blossoms from my greenhouse right now. (The mice have eaten my first 2 batches of seedlings). Based on this year's experience:

1. Seed variety - Johnny's Selected Seeds recommends Costata Romanesco as a
good variety because of the many male blossoms.
Costata Romanesco produced the biggest blossoms but I prefer Tromboncino because it is vining and does not have scratchy stems....

2. Yield - what yield can I expect per plant per week?
I can't remember exactly but I would say at least one blossom per plant per day, maybe 2.

3. Plant spacing - typical recommendations call for multiple seeds in
"hills".
Costata Romanescos 36" apart was too close, I suggest 48"; Tromboncinos can be planted on trellisses 18" apart.

4. Timing - do you recommend bi-weekly or monthly sowing to provide
continuous harvest throughout the season?
I suggest you plan on at least a second planting to have blossoms all summer.

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.
I wished I had trellised my Costatas as the wieght of the massive plants made them fall over and harvesting blossoms was a bear...the tromboncinos are vining and it was a delight to pick them standing up next to the 3-ft diameter hog wire cages.

6. Pests - are row covers advisable
I had problems with squash borers drilling out the stems, which caused the plants to die prematurely.

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?
I try to harvest fully opened blossoms, first thing in the morning. You have to harvest daily, unless you want baby squashes on the female blossoms.

8. Storage - is it best to air cool the blossoms or can they be hydro
cooled.
Air cooled worked fine.

9. Packing - what is the best way to pack them.
I could put a dozen in a 10" x 10" plastic clamshell.

10. Pricing - my search comes up with pricing ranging from 3/$1.00 to $.99
I had no complaints from chefs at $.75 apiece.

Adriana




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