Squash, Summer 'Fordhook'
Cucurbita pepo
Fordhook is a classic heirloom, dark-green zucchini (aka courgette). I don't know why you don't see it more often as it's one of the earliest producing OP varieties, super productive and an AAS Winner. I might be boring, but I actually love a classic courgette. Probably because they are perfect for my favorite dish: Provençal Summer Squash and Potato Gratin. Thinly sliced and baked low and slow for a crispy texture, with aromatic herbs and nutty cheese—is it summer yet?
Interestingly, Fordhook is related to the first golden zucchini. It was the work of Dr. Oved Shifress when stable gene B was transferred by backcrossing from Precocious Pear to Fordhook—named Precocious Fordhook Zucchini. Golden Zucchini (seen in the 4th photo and also available) was developed by Burpee using seed presumably from the Precocious Fordhook Zucchini breeding line (Oved also developed the hybrid cucmber Burpee Hybrid and tomato Burpee's Big Boy Hybrid). (Goldman, The Compleat Squash).
If you want an impressive harvest of garden vegetables, grow summer squash! You probably only need one plant, but I'm that person who loves summer squash, so I grow a lot of it. I love the variety of shapes, sizes, and shades of green/yellow. I love that their versatility doesn't stop in the garden, either. If you're looking to add more veggies to your diet, look at summer squash and all it's possibilities. You can eat it raw or cooked. Shave it as the base of a salad or shred it for baked bread. Hollow it out and stuff it, or puree it into a creamy dip. You can fry it into crispy fries, or layer and bake it au gratin style. Toss it onto pizza or into pasta. Hells bells, you can literally turn it INTO pasta!
Packet contains approximately 20 seeds.
DETAILS
Plant type: Annual
Days to maturity: 57 days
Light preference: Full sun
Plant spacing: Plant spacing: 18–24” apart in rows 6’ apart
Hybrid status: Open pollinated
SOWING
Depth: 1/2-1 inch
Germination: 75–95°F
How to Grow
Sow indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out after danger of frost. Roots do not like disturbance, so we prefer to direct sow once soil temps are above 70 °F.
Harvest & Storage
Fruit: Cut or gently twist off fruits when they have reached the desired size. Harvest regularly, 2–3 times a week, once plants begin to produce. For some varieties, it is common for the first fruits to be malformed, wither, or blacken, which indicates poor pollination and is usually remedied as more male flowers appear. Keep fruit at 40–50°F, 95% relative humidity for up to 2 weeks.
Flowers (for culinary purposes): Harvest male flowers (thin stems) when fully open, leaving a few to pollinate the female flowers.
SHIPPING
FREE: $100 or more on any seeds
$3.95: 1–9 seed packets
$7.95: 10+ seed packets
