Incredible speed and uniformity combine with amazing disease resistance. The fruits are smooth and dark-skinned with light speckles, and they have no trouble setting in hot weather. Choose Desert for long season production and for harvests right into the cooler weather of autumn. Plant two staggered crops for the longest harvest period. Start the first batch indoors in May and transplant out after six weeks. Start the second batch in late June and transplant for late July/early August. This will keep the fruits coming even if the fist crop succumbs to late summer mildew.
Matures in 50 days
West Coast Seeds Desert F1 Organic Squash-Summer Seeds, Per Package
Starting
Sow seeds 2cm (1″) deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot you want a plant to grow and thin to the strongest one. Aim to space zucchinis no less than 45-60cm (18-24″) apart in rows 90-120cm (36-48″) apart.
Timing
Direct sow or transplant in late May or early June when soil is warm. For transplants, start seeds indoors in late April or early May. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 25-35°C (68-95°F). Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days.
Harvest
Pick regularly to encourage the plant to keep on fruiting. Zucchini leaves are often very prickly, so pull delicate skinned fruit out carefully. Fully mature zucchini have a hard skin: chickens like them.
