ADD VARIETY TO YOUR GREENHOUSE AND TABLE WITH HYDROPONICALLY GROWN ‘BABY’ SQUASH

In the past few years, ‘baby’ vegetables have become a popular item for restaurant chefs.
In spring 2003, 18 squash cultivars (7 zucchini-types (3 green, 3 yellow, 1 round), 5 yellow summer squash-types, 4 patty pan/scallop-types, and 2 cousa-types) were grown hydroponically in a passive-ventilated greenhouse.
Plants were grown from 14 Feb. until 15 May 2003. Squash were harvested every other day starting 10 March 2003 (28 total) and graded as fancy or baby depending on size. Squash were graded as ‘baby’ when they were less than 10 cm in length for zucchini and summer squash types and less than 4 cm diameter for round and patty pan/scallop types.
Marketable fruit larger than those considered baby-size were graded as fancy.
The cv.
Sunburst (patty pan) produced the greatest number of baby-size fruit per plant at 67 while the cv.
Bareket (green zucchini) produced the least, 16. The zucchini-types produced between 16 and 25 baby-size fruit per plant (Bareket, Revenue, Raven were green while Goldy, Gold Rush, and Sebring were yellow). The yellow summer squash-types (Seneca Supreme, Supersett, Yellowcrook) produced approximately 45 baby fruit per plant (50 to 84 total fruit per plant). The production of the patty pan/scallop-types (Butter Scallop, Sunburst, Patty Green Tint and Starship) ranged from 50 to 67 baby-size fruit per plant depending on cultivar (70 to 80total fruit per plant). Magda and HA-187 (cousa-types), produced 27 and 34 baby fruit, respectively.
Baby squash can be easily grown hydroponically in a pesticide-free environment of a greenhouse where they can be harvested, packaged, and distributed to buyers daily.

VII International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates: Production, Pest Management and Global Competition

N.L. Shaw, D.J. Cantliffe

Cucurbita pepo, protected agriculture, soilless culture

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.659.67