“For best flavor and texture Yellow Crookneck squash should be harvested at five to six inches or less in length. Its flavor is mild and buttery with nuances of black pepper and nuts.”

It is my favorite zucchini. It is creamy and sweet harvested at around 5”.

https://www.theartofdoingst...

To get the best results according to the above link:

1. Zucchini need to be pruned and staked. For real. Like you prune a tomato. (The pruned suckers can be put into water to start roots to grow more plants to be planted in July to have a continuous harvest).

2. Zucchini can be planted VERY close together. 1 per square foot but remember to make sure your soil is amended for that. (lots of compost or some organic fertilizer)

3. Powdery Mildew CAN be halted.

To avoid losing the plant by squash vine borers, you can
1. cover the plant with net (see through curtains or insect net until you don’t see the orange moth flying around, usually sometime in July).
2. Or you continue to root the suckers to make more plants.
3. And you can cover the soil with cloth, insect net, plastic or thick layer of gravel or sand.

I would also remove the leaves close to the bottom. Since they don’t get much light and leaves that don’t get enough light tend to get sick and attract slugs.

Since it is a fast growing plant, it should be fertilised once every week or every two weeks to ensure that it makes fruits fast. I like the GAIA organic slow release all purpose fertilizer which could be mixed into the soil before planting and then added to the surface after a month once every two weeks. When the growth is very strong, you could sprinkle it onto the surface once every week.

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