The Wonders of Tromboncino Zucchini....

[Phaedrine Stonebridge]

In August, when it seemed that our Raven F1s might croak and many of you recommended the Italian Tromboncino, we planted a couple to replace the long-bolted lettuce. (The Ravens did revive after the DH cut open the vines and removed the offending creatures, using the bury-the-vine trick.) But the Tromboncinos!... Good grief! Talk about vigorous!

We have already picked a couple (delicious and pretty!) and there are LOTS more on the vines which are now running all over one of our garden plots. LOL this must be like that infamous pattypan we've been hearing about. :) The catalogue said 5 foot runners but none of ours are less than ten feet. They have invaded the carrots and are now at least six feet up the 8' high tripods that my picklers were/are growing on (the picklers have a wilt that I hope does not infect the squash) and some of our tallest tomatoes. Man do they climb well! Awesome! These babies need no coaxing. They also keep running on the driveway and the garden paths and I have to keep moving them in again. What a fun plant. And I am so glad because I wanted to get a lot more zucchini before the end of October. So if the frost holds off (Missouri Z 5b), I will have plenty more.

So thanks to all who recommended them. What a trip. :)

Phae

[spamtrap]

Sounds like it. But the pattypan is a bush squash: it expands equally all the way around, no runners.

I *must* grow them next year. I don't know where though: somewhere where they can ramble. Probably outside the garden.

We have a place where we have mulch dumped and mushroom soil dumped when we buy it, and it tends to get overrun with weeds after we've moved the mulch, etc. Maybe the trombocino would like it there, and fight off the weeds.

Pat

-- To email me, remove the obvious word, and type my first name in its place. "Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand. It is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy." - Wendell Berry

[Phaedrine Stonebridge]

I want to plant some next year if we can get a grip on the shield bug/stink bug problem. Very frustrating. I like them small--- only an inch or two across--- steamed and served whole. That size is also great in stir fries but you probably already know that since you grow a lot of asian-type veggies, don't you?

I am thinking of planting them with the corn next year and that way they can wander in and out of the corn stalks. But I think we'd have to really enrich that plot a lot to support them both.

Sounds like a plan ;)

[spamtrap]

Yes, I did know it. :)

I do grow a lot of Asian veggies - you know, they are really nice garden plants. Ready FAST, this is good. And spring and fall crops - this is also good. I just like them a lot, and we both like stir-fries a whole lot. Pat

[David Hare-Scott]

I have never seen a shield bug two inches across, if I come across any I will try them steamed as you recommend. Is it worth trying this method with the little babies that are say 3/4 inch across ? Do the bright colours of their exoskeleton survive cooking to decorate the plate or should you keep some raw ones for decoration?

David

[Pam Rudd]

When last we left our heros, on Fri, 26 Sep 2003 23:52:18 GMT, "David Hare-Scott" scribbled:

You owe me a keyboard, young man.

And I don't consider the beer nasal lavage a partial payment, either.

Pam

[Phaedrine Stonebridge]

Har har har.

[Karen Zack]

I too have much enjoyed - for the first time - trombocinos this year! They're so delicious, and everyone who I've shared them with has really loved them too. They're such fun, and I'm letting them ramble all over the garden - can't stop 'em, so might as well let 'em go!

karen

[IC_Gardener]

But the Tromboncinos!... Good grief! Talk about vigorous!

I planted Tromboncinos last year, since I love vertical gardening and wanted some summer squash. They did very well, but I was not impressed at all with their flavor. They had a very, well, green taste to me, not much like a summer squash at all. But they did take over my entire 16' W X 8' H trellis, and even reached 4' feet through open space to reach into a small crab apple tree behind the garden. The vines completely covered the top of the tree. (I let them grow out of curiousity.) The mature fruits looked quite odd; 3' long baseball bats hanging from the top of the apple tree after the leaves had fallen! It was well into december before they dropped off.

I now get my summer squash from the farmers market, and put the trellis space into mini pumpkins for the kids.

IC Gardener Iowa City, Iowa Zone 5A

[Phaedrine Stonebridge]

:)

[Phaedrine Stonebridge]

. :: laughs uproariously ::

A very funny post indeed. How I wish I might have seen that crab apple. :) Yes, they are quite vigorous. I quite like their taste. To each his own I guess. I made bread & butter pickles out of them recently and they are really good. And what is so nice is no seeds! I used the long skinny seedless parts for the sliced pickles and the bulbous ends for shredding and freezing, after I had removed the seeds.