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Potager Gardens

Good potager squash varieties?!

13 years ago

Hi - I'm looking for a productive bush variety of yellow squash and zucchini, since I will only have a little bit of space to devote to each of them. Can anyone recommend their favorites?

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Comments (6)

ali-b
13 years ago
Last year I used Seeds of Change's Golden Bush Zucchini. It was very prolific and tasty. This year I'm going to try Thompson and Morgan's Cavili (light green) and Parthenon. Both are self-pollinating. I'm going to try growing under cover to avoid the constant battle of picking off squash bugs and vine borers.
lavender_lass
13 years ago
Ali-b, I may have asked you this before, but have you tried growing catmint, near your sqaush? I've read that it's supposed to keep squash bugs away...also radishes and nasturtiums planted around them (in a circle) when the squash are young is supposed to help, too.

I don't think we have squash bugs this far north, but my nephew loves planting the radish and nasturtiums, anyway. We'll probably put some catmint nearby, too, but mainly to bring in the bees :)
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ali-b
13 years ago
LL- I do have catmint about 5' away. Maybe not close enough. I'll throw some radishes near the squash this year. They'd be a good filler while waiting for the squash to bulk up.
riverfarm
13 years ago
I usually plant radishes and nasturtiums along the edge of my squash row and that does help with the squash bugs. Last year I didn't and they were awful. For borers I've found that silver plastic mulch really does seem to help deter them. I haven't had any serious problems with borers since I started using that, but the squash bugs have made up for it. I'd be afraid to try catmint, though; isn't it really invasive?

When I've used row covers the squash plants got so big that it was difficult to keep them contained, and Parthenon produced almost no squash for me.
ali-b
13 years ago
Oh,no! I hope I have ok luck with the Parthenon. I'm planning a 4x4 space for it. I'm also going to try the trombocino on a trellis.

I was able to keep the squash bugs and borers in check until the squash got really and it was difficult to check for the bugs.
riverfarm
12 years ago
Last year I checked for squash bugs every morning, but when the plants got too big it became impossible. I did get some summer squash, and even enough to freeze, but this year I'm planting radishes along my rows to see if that helps - and spraying more frequently with neem. Tromboncino is a nice squash; it can get huge. It resists borers, of course, but not bugs.

My experience with Parthenon was many years ago, so it may have improved or my cultural methods might have been faulty. Do let us know how you make out with it. If you do well I'll try it again!

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