The Tromboncino squash has a sweet taste of nutty butter. The plant produces long-necked, curved fruits with a bulge at the base that can measure more than a meter when ripe. They can be picked when they are 30-45 cm long and prepared like summer zucchini in stir-fries or ratatouille, or they can be ripened and eaten in soups or curries like winter squash such as butternut squash. Pale green in color with white-yellow streaks when young, it turns sandy-yellow when ripe.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Seeds

~25

Difficulty       

Easy

Sowing        

Direct, Indoor

Lifecycle      

Annual

Root cellar   

Yes

Sowing season       

Spring, Summer

Growing tips

Conditions of germination:

depth of sowing: 2 cm

optimal temperatures of germination: 21 to 32 ºC

time for germination: 7 to 14 days

When to sow:

sow indoors 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost date in your area preferably in peat pots to facilitate transplanting OR

direct seeding when the soil is warm and the temperature is above 16ºC

Sowing technique: in pocket

In the same hole, sow 3 seeds 1 to 2 cm apart; when the seeds have germinated and the seedlings have reached a height of 5 cm, keep only the best plants.

Transplant outdoors (for seedlings started indoors):

When all risk of frost is removed and the air is warmed.

Distance in the garden:

between plants: 90 cm

between rows: 120 cm

Soil: rich, humid, well drained, loose

Water: regular watering at the base of the plants (avoid the foliage as much as possible), preferably in the morning so that the parts of the plant above ground dry quickly

Exposure: full sun

Days to harvest: 80 days

Specificities:

For direct seeding, seeds can be sown on a mound of soil and compost and run the plants in opposite directions at ground level.

This plant can crawl on the ground or climb on a support. However, make sure that the plant is stable and solid, even if it means tying the plant and the squash to the support to avoid any breakage.

The squash are ready when the foliage is faded and the fruits are ripe (the color will be fixed and the bark will be hard and difficult to pierce with a fingernail).

Harvest the squash, keeping a 5 cm stem. Dry in the garden for a week if the weather is dry or store under cover in a cool, dry place.