White, yellow, green — that’s the whole choice of zucchini, which until recently satisfied gardeners. But in the last decade, there has been a breakthrough in the selection of this vegetable, and many varieties and hybrids have appeared on the market.
The main novelty of recent years has become round zucchini , similar to a small pumpkin. This is not surprising — after all, they are relatives! After all, zucchini is a type of pumpkin, so one would assume that the breeders have gone from what they left to what they will come to. But in fact, round zucchini differ from pumpkin in several fundamental qualities:
- First, precocity. Most hybrids of round zucchini produce fruit on the 40-45 day after germination. This efficiency makes them desirable almost everywhere, but especially where the summers are quite short and not very hot.
- Secondly, a greater number of new varieties of -shrubby plants, not wicker, and their compactness is in the hands of the owners of modest suburban areas. In addition, many new products are very productive. A great bonus to productivity and early maturity — beautiful carved leaves, bright flowers and fruits that are not indifferent to aesthetic gardeners.
- Third, the flesh of round zucchini is white or cream-colored and not as dense as that of yellow-orange pumpkins, and this is important for gourmet gardeners. The sizes vary (0.5-2 kg/1.1-4.4 pounds), but the balls of zucchini can be eaten at a tender age-the size of 10-15 cm (3.9-5.9 inches) in diameter, which is very convenient for minced meat, and for canning, and for baking.
In fact, even the names of new varieties openly say that:
- So the shape of early-maturing high-yielding shrub varieties of zucchini “Casserole” resembles a pot with a lid, which can be filled with vegetables, meat, cheese, cereals. The fruits are beautiful, dark green, weighing up to 500 g (1.1 pounds). The flesh is crispy, very juicy and delicious.
- The main advantage of the zucchini F1 ‘Cook’ is the excellent taste of its juicy creamy pulp.
- Next to it, you can put the variety ‘little cook’ also precocious (39-43 days from germination to the first harvest) and productive.
- Zucchini ‘TSUKASA’ – early maturing bush variety, without side shoots. Fruits (weighing 800-900 g/1.8-2 pounds) have good keeping quality, thin bark and white juicy flesh.
- Zucchini ‘F1 Mother-in-law’ – an early-maturing hybrid with beautiful fruits (weight 1.5-2.5 kg/3.3-5.5 pounds), differs not only in yield, but also in the ability to tie up to ten fruits at a time, in addition, delicious fruits are well stored and transported without loss.
- Those who like something special should pay attention to the zucchini F1 ‘orange’, more like a melon, which can be eaten fresh. It is easy to guess that the color of the fruit is bright yellow, the flesh is yellowish and sweet, rich in beta-carotene.
- Just cheerful, but even more impressive looks zucchini F1 ‘Festival’, although it, of course, most of all and externally (color and shape), and internally (orange sweet flesh) resembles a pumpkin. It harmoniously combines an attractive appearance and excellent taste. The young fruits have a tender, sweet pulp, ripen and are stored until the next harvest.
- Zucchini ‘F1 Striped sun’ – beautiful with golden-striped cylindrical fruits of excellent taste and shoots up to 90 cm/3 feet.
- The most original, perhaps, can be called the zucchini “F1 Watermelon”, on a powerful bush of which (the length of the eyelashes is up to 90 cm/3 feet) grow fruits that are similar in color and shape to watermelons. The flesh is white, sweet, and the seeds are black. Young fruits can be eaten fresh, mature-baked, stuffed, fried.
By the way, the ability to store well is inherent in many other spherical zucchini. The main thing – do not rush to remove them, allowing them to fully grow and mature.
Best varieties and hybrids of round zucchini
- ‘Tondo scuro di piacenza’ – a medium-early crop variety. The fruit is dark green with speckles. The flesh is sweet, juicy, delicious, creamy. The bark is thin, not coarse for a long time. The variety is resistant to many diseases. Weight 0.5-1 kg (1.1-2.2 pounds).
- ‘Rondo de Nice’ -an early-maturing variety with round gray-green fruits. Skin color: light cream, weight — 0.5 – 0.7 kg (1.1-1.5 pounds).
- ‘Tintoretto’ – early-maturing variety. The fruit is rounded, ribbed. The color in the phase of technical maturity is gray-green, ripe yellow, and the flesh is white. High and stable yield, excellent taste and culinary qualities. Weight-1.5-2.2 kg (3.3-4.8 pounds).
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