The Eightball Zucchini Summer Squash is a new twist on the traditional summer squash. This zucchini has a small baseball-size fruit that is just right for one serving. Stuff with your favorite filling and serve as an appetizer or main dish, or use as you would other zucchini in your best recipes. Pick when 3 in diameter, before the seeds have started to form. Bushy plants produce dozens of squash. The flavor is still great if allowed to get larger.

20 seeds

PLANTING

Cucurbita pepo

Germination:4-10 days

Germination Temperature:Optimum soil temperatures 70-85F

Seed Sowing Depth:1/2-1″ deep

Sowing Indoors:3-4 weeks before the last frost.Provide70-85Fsoil temperature.Sow 2-3 seeds per cell/pot.Sowing into individual biodegradable peat/cow pots reduces rootdamage when transplanting. Transplant 36-48″ apart after the last frost.

Sowing Outdoors:Sow after the last frostwhen the soil temperature is over70F.Sow a few seeds every 36-48″.

Harvest:Check and harvest a few times a week. Cut or kindly twist off fruit, starting at a 3-4.

Tips:Plant Eightball Zucchini Summer Squash in fertile soil, amended with compost or well-rotted manure, and keep well watered. They benefit from growing on black plastic and by using row covers for weed, insect control, and more rapid growth.