Sunburst F1 Scallopini Squash Vegetables Seeds - West Coast Seeds

PRODUCT DETAILS

C. pepo. Sunburst scallopini seeds produce a big bush bearing vivid deep yellow pattypans that look like jewels. These dazzling miniatures are best picked at 5cm (2""). Steam them whole or saut̩ée in a little butter. These tasty summer squash remain tender up to about 15cm (6"") in diameter, but we prefer picking them shortly after pollination. The female flowers can also be picked the morning they open and stuffed, with the immature fruit ovary attached at the base. This makes a very striking addition to any gourmet meal, and the edible flowers are mild and delicious. Winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Matures in 50 days. (Hybrid seeds)

All About Sunburst

Latin

Summer & Winter Squash: Cucurbita maxima, C. pepo, & C. moschata. Specialty Squash: Momordica charantla, Luffa acutangula.

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Difficulty

Easy, but all squash plants take up space, and some can be huge.

Season & Zone

Season: Warm season

Exposure: Full sun

Timing

Direct sow or transplant in late spring once the soil is warm. For transplants, start seeds indoors during the first two weeks of May. Optimal soil temperature: 25-35°C (77-95°F). Seeds should germinate in 7-14 days.

Starting

Sow seeds 2cm (1″) deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot where you want a plant to grow, and thin to the strongest plant. Space summer squash 45-60cm (18-24″) apart in rows 90-120cm (36-48″) apart. Give winter squash and pumpkins even more room with a minimum of 90-120cm (36-48″) apart in rows 120-180cm (48-72″) apart.

Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. These big plants need lots of food. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer worked into the soil beneath each plant. All squash grow male flowers first, at later female flowers. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of their petals and require pollination by bees mostly. Incomplete pollination often happens at the beginning of the season, and results in misshapen fruits that are withered at the blossom end. Just discard these damaged fruits before they begin to rot. Encourage bees to visit the garden by growing Phacelia, sunflowers, or buckwheat for improved pollination.

Harvest

Summer Squash: Pick when small, if fruit gets big the plant stops producing. Check the plants regularly.

Winter Squash:

Fruit is ripe if your thumbnail doesn’t mark the skin and the stem is dry and brown. Cut the stem about 4cm (2″) from the fruit. Squash survive a light frost, but store better if harvested before frost.

Storage:

Field-cure for 10 days in the sun, or cure indoors in a warm room for 4 or 5 days. To prevent mould sponge the skins with a solution of 10 parts water to 1 part chlorine bleach. Store at 10-15ºC (50-60ºF) with low humidity with good air circulation. Try on a shelf in the garage.

Seed Info

In optimal conditions at least 80% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 2 years. Per 100′ row: 180 seeds, per acre: 15M seeds.

Diseases & Pests

Bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila) – Remove and destroy infested plants. If striped or spotted cucumber beetles appear, control as early as possible. Powdery mildew – avoid wetting foliage if possible. Water early in the day so that above ground parts of the plants dry as quickly as possible. Avoid crowding plants and eliminate weeds around plants and garden area to improve air circulation. Viral disease – remove and destroy entire infested plant along with immediately surrounding soil and soil clinging to roots.

Companion Planting

Companions: corn, lettuce, melons, peas, and radish. Avoid planting squash near Brassicas or potatoes. Borage is said to improve the growth and flavour of squash. Marigolds and nasturtium repel numerous squash pest insects.