{"product_id":"semences-courgette-ete-zucchini-verte-foncee-ancestrale","title":"Dark Green Heirloom Zucchini","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe classic Italian summer squash — the one everyone recognizes, the shiny dark-green cylinder synonymous with the North American summer garden. A genetic cousin of the native North American squashes (crookneck, Jack O' Lantern and Sugar Pie pumpkins, English vegetable marrow, Delicata), the modern zucchini is in fact a relatively recent Italian creation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the species \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c\/em\u003e is native to the Americas (domesticated by Indigenous peoples 5,000 to 8,000 years ago), it was in northern Italy, in the Milan region, that 19th-century market gardeners selected the first truly cylindrical and compact forms meant to be picked very young. The Italian word \u003cem\u003ezucchini\u003c\/em\u003e is the plural diminutive of \u003cem\u003ezucca\u003c\/em\u003e (\"squash\") — a marker of that lineage. These Italian varieties travelled to North America with the wave of Italian immigration in the early 20th century; before 1920, the zucchini was practically unknown in America. British English uses \u003cem\u003ecourgette\u003c\/em\u003e (the French diminutive of \"courge\"), while North American English adopted the Italo-anglicism \u003cem\u003ezucchini\u003c\/em\u003e — two words for the same variety, witnesses to distinct migration routes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA compact, sturdy plant 60-90 cm tall, well-held in a bushy habit (not vining like the winter squashes), with large dark-green leaves and the orange-yellow flowers characteristic of the species. Production is particularly abundant: a single plant in good form can yield 25-40 fruits over the season, which ripen within a few days and demand daily attention. Straight cylindrical fruits, 15-25 cm long when picked at the ideal stage, with smooth uniform dark-green skin sometimes striped with paler tones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarvest IMPERATIVELY young, at 15-20 cm long — beyond that, the flesh turns mealy, the seeds harden and the flavour fades. (Don't forget: a single forgotten fruit growing to club size dramatically slows production of the next ones.) Classic zucchini flavour: mild, fresh, lightly nutty, with melting flesh and small tender seeds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA thousand Italian-Mediterranean uses: pan-sautéed with garlic and Genoese basil; grilled in half-rounds on the barbecue; as \u003cem\u003ezucchini fritters\u003c\/em\u003e (cakes with Parmesan, egg and herbs); in \u003cem\u003epasta primavera\u003c\/em\u003e; in Provençal \u003cem\u003eratatouille\u003c\/em\u003e; grated raw in a salad with lemon and mint; or stuffed and baked with ground meat and rice (the Italian classic \u003cem\u003ezucchini ripieni\u003c\/em\u003e). The male yellow flowers are also highly prized — stuffed with ricotta and fried as fritters (\u003cem\u003efiori di zucca\u003c\/em\u003e).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Start indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting, or direct-sow in early June once the soil has warmed to 18 °C. Like all \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c\/em\u003e already described, vulnerable to the squash vine borer (\u003cem\u003eMelittia cucurbitae\u003c\/em\u003e) — same prevention advice as given for the Jack O' Lantern pumpkin and the Crookneck. Space plants 90 cm to 1 m apart: bushy habit notwithstanding, the plants take up considerable ground in full season. Harvest every two days in full season, ideally in the morning. The flowers open for a single morning then close; for cooking, pick the male flowers (those with a thin stem and no swelling at the base) early in the morning and use them the same day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Italian heritage variety. Annual. Monoecious; bee-pollinated, so it crosses with other \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c\/em\u003e (crookneck, pumpkins, vegetable marrow, Delicata, scallop squashes) — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 60-90 cm, bushy habit.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 45-55 days after transplant for the first fruits.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun, warmth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVery rich, well-drained, warm soil. Generous compost at planting. Space plants 90 cm to 1 m apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting, or direct-sow early June in Québec once the soil reaches 18 °C. Harvest every 2 days, at 15-20 cm long.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":41398148235436,"sku":"GC-H-SQUDAR-40","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200","offer_id":41398148268204,"sku":"GC-H-SQUDAR-200","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":44169099870380,"sku":"GC-H-SQUDAR-1000","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/zucchini.jpg?v=1664221334","url":"https:\/\/joualvert.ca\/en\/products\/dark-green-heirloom-zucchini-seeds","provider":"Joual Vert","version":"1.0","type":"link"}