Zucchini ‘Cocozelle’
* Common name: Zucchini ‘Cocozelle’
The striped fruit of a ‘Cocozelle’ zucchini.
* Botanical name: Cucurbita pepo ‘Cocozelle’
* What it is: An oldie-but-goodie, ‘Cocozelle’ is an Italian heirloom summer squash that W. Atlee Burpee Co. introduced to American gardeners in 1890. It’s still a durable, high-yielding, good-tasting zucchini that’s also good-looking with its light and dark-green stripes. Fruits ready 55 days or less from direct-seeding in the garden.
‘Green Tiger’ is a similar striped hybrid variety if you can’t find ‘Cocozelle.’
* Size: Grows a bushy three feet tall and wide.
* Where to use: Vegetable garden in full sun. Squash is a little big for containers… unless you’re using a big pot.
* Care: Plant seeds into the garden any time between mid-May and mid-July. Sow two or three times a few weeks apart to spread out and/or lengthen the season’s harvest.
Work compost into the soil before planting, then keep plants consistently damp throughout the growing season.
A booster dose or two of fish emulsion or organic vegetable fertilizer helps maximize production. Fruits can be picked young, but don’t allow them to get much bigger than 10 or 12 inches or they’ll become seedy (unless you’re aiming for a few to save seeds for next year).
* Great partner: Corn and beans are “three sisters” companions to squash that date to native-American times.