Squash Summer Emerald Hybrid

Zucchini are notorious for playing hide-and-seek (and winning)! 'Emerald Delight' was developed with a more compact, open growing habit, to make it easier to spot those elusive, tasty squash. Home-grown squash is first-rate, and one of the most versatile of vegetables. Plants are resistant to powdery mildew, zucchini yellow mosaic virus, and watermelon mosaic virus 2.

Botanical Name: Cucurbita pepo (hybrid)

Days to Maturity: 50–55 days

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Native: North America

Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual

Plant Dimensions: Compact vines form a 2' tall by 3'–4' bush type plant.

Variety Information: 6"–8" long with very dark green, shiny thin skin with creamy white interior. If allowed to stay on the vine until frost, zucchini can grow to be huge.

Type: Zucchini, Bush

Attributes: Disease Resistant, Good for Containers

When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is 70°–85°F.

When to Start Inside: Not recommended except in very short growing seasons, 2 to 4 weeks before transplanting. Roots are sensitive to disturbance; sow in biodegradable pots that can be planted directly into the ground. Transplant when soil temperature is at least 60°F.

Days to Emerge: 5–10 days

Seed Depth: ½"–1"

Seed Spacing: 3 seeds per mound

Row Spacing: 3'–4'

Thinning: When 3 leaves, thin to 1 plant per mound

Harvesting: Harvest frequently to increase yield; squash seem to get monstrous overnight. While edible at almost any size, seeds are less developed in young fruit, therefore more tender. Using a knife or clippers, cut squash off including some of the stem. By including stem, the fruit is sealed and less likely to mold or dry out. Harvesting Blossoms: Look for male, non-fruit producing flowers that have long stems and harvest just before use (female flowers have a swollen mini-squash at the base of the flower and are on shorter stems).