Fordhook Zucchini
Cucurbita pepo var. cylindrica 'Fordhook'
Height: 30 inches
Spacing: 18 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: (annual)
Other Names: Courgette
Description:
A superb heirloom variety with a bushy habit; producing ample yields of smooth, slightly curved dark green fruit with creamy white and tender flesh; best picked when fruit reach 6" long; perfect flavor for roasting, cooking, grilling and baking
Edible Qualities
Fordhook Zucchini is an annual vegetable plant that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces dark green long fruit mottled with yellow and creamy white flesh which can be harvested at any point. The fruits have a pleasant taste.
The fruit are most often used in the following ways:
- Eating When Cooked/Prepared
- Cooking
- Baking
- Freezing
Planting & Growing
Fordhook Zucchini will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. This vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.
This plant is typically grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Fordhook Zucchini is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
