Black Zucchini/Black Beauty?

I've become addicted to grilled baby zucchini but at $5.00 a lb DH has said it's time to grow our own, so I've hunted the net and found this description on a website:


Black Zucchini
Origin: United States
Item #: ZUCC001
Black Zucchini features a very tender, creamy white, flavorful flesh with near black skin. Compact, bushlike growth makes it great for small gardens. Can be eaten steamed, grilled, sauteed, raw in salads or made into relish or breads. Can be harvested very small for baby zucchini. Very early. 44 days.

I also found a description on SSE for a Black Beauty Zucchini

The standard summer squash. Compact spiny everbearing bush with dark greenish-black skinned fruits. Long, cylindrical fruits are best eaten when 6-8" long. Excellent variety for freezing. AAS 1957. 44-64 days

Are these the same? Can anyone suggest another type that would be good for harvesting small? This is what I'm getting at the grocery store.

There are a number of dark green (black) zukes on the market, hybrids as well as OP. Black Beauty dates to 1957 .It was released by the Connecticut Ag Experimental Staion. It and several others are compared to Fordhook Improved by NC State. On the other hand Baker creek is offering Black Beauty, with a claim to intro in the thirties. As with many things in that market niche, It is probably so crossed up that it is basicly generic . You seem to be buy ing a green zucchini, also lots of those on the market. To me the tastiest zuke, is the Lebanese type like Clarimore or Magda. Most productive the grey type. Of course they also come as golden and in round as well as cylindrical form.

Can we pick the lebanese when it's smaller? Which would you pick between the two Clarimore or Magda are they pretty interchangable?

The Lebanese does not grow as big as the standard cylindrical Zuke. Recommendation is 4-5 inches. Clarimore did very well for me. This will be my first year for Magda. Both pics are of Senator, a green hybrid that did well for me a couple of years ago.

ok now I'm starving! *LOL* I don't think SSE has lebanese I'll check some of my other catalogs. I can grow 6 plants per EB should that be enough for two people ya think?

araness--
6 plants will probably supply your whole neighborhood. Any of the tender-summer squash can be harvested in baby form 2-3" Great for the grill would be the 4-8" Several of them get a bit tough when fully grown--then it is time to make zucchini bread. Once the plants begin to bear you will need to check them almost daily if you find you have a size preference. Have fun growing.

thanks to you both...lol and I prbably will be suppling my entire neighborhood. I live in a retirement neighborhood with DH and I being the "children" at 40. The neighbor's have already started asking for their tomato hauls already! lol

SIX zuke plants - and in a nice hot zone like 9a - you might be supplying half the state! I've never grown more than 2 plants for fear of Attack of the Zukes! Good luck and have fun! (I am growing the round "eight ball" for the first time this year as I like to stuff them and they just looked interesting).

We grew the 8-Ball last year and they were fab.

Sequee: The 8 ball look so fun. Were they prolific growers like regular squash?

For some reason my squash has never gone gang-busters for me, but these were the best I've grown - so far. This year I'm going all-out and they're all going to do well - I'm sure of it! LOL! I really enjoyed these - the shape lended itself well to grilling, and the squash itself seemed to keep better than regular zukes.

Of course THIS Year is ALWAYS gonna be the BEST year, right? That's one of the things I love about gardeners - always optomistic and looking to the future :-)

I don't find the round zukes to be as prolific as the cylindrical ones. They are great for stuffing, tho and bear sufficiently. Except for the golden "One Ball" which has given me trouble. This is "Eight Ball". Trying the light green "Cue ball" this year. The open pollinated "Tonda de Nizza" also performed reasonably well although not prolific.

The photo is "Eight Ball"

since I can put 6 per EB I could do 3/3 so could try 2 different types I would guess...humm have to ask Tplant on that one.

Saint, Six zukes in an EB? I was thinking 4 max - pictures please cause my mom will never believe it otherwise. Last year I had a 8 ball zuke turn into a bowling ball - LOL. No more of that. Also, no squash near my tomatoes as the stink bugs like to lay eggs on the underside of the leaves. I am bringing out the shop vac this year!

Have you grown papaya pear squash? They will get kinda seedy like yellow squash if they are not picked young but they are tasty.

Here is a picture of a wheel bug nymph and a cucumber beetle (otherwise known as dinner) on my eggplant. It pays to know your bugs:)

Mmmmmmm. Dinnnner.

Hey, if I let an eight ball and a "regular" zuke grow up, I can have a baseball bat and a bowling ball!

And if someone sees you out there playing with them, you WILL be committed!

araness,

Black Beauty always does well for me, very productive. You probably won't want to plant more than 2 in your earthbox, these plants get huge!

Red

has anyone grown...humm hold on let me get my SSE catalog...*LOL* now where did I put it...Nimba? Sounds tasty...And says the plants are compact...only problem is I don't know how it will do in this heat. Biggie how prolific is Black Beauty? We eat at least a lb of the baby zuke a week grilled and could eat another lb (I'll be picking this small)

I'm liable to be committed anyway... even without zukes!

Well, if you can only bring one plant, make it the 8-ball. I'll be in the room next door - you'll have the zukes and I'll bring the cukes!

lol I already have the cukes...sugar crunch and I love em! have four plants and they are puttin out like a 2 dollar...humm better not finish that...

araness,

I didn't mean to ignore you, they're very prolific. I usually put in 2 plants and have enough for my wife and myself, give some away (if I can!) and put up some delicious zucchini relish. I usually let mine get a little bigger than you, though. I pick it at 6 to 8 inches. We love it sliced up and fried!

Red

Edited for spelling.

This message was edited May 4, 2007 11:35 AM

Araness:

Aren't those sugar crunch cukes awesome! They are my absolute fav. I sent a few people seeds of them last year and everyone like them as well.

kanita

lol yes Kanita you sent IO1 seeds and she's the one who got me hooked on em!

Thanks Biggie!

LOL!!! Thats too funny. I didn't remember who I sent them to, but I'm glad you all enjoy them as much as I do.

Now you guys have to try the Sierra lettuce for the sugar crunch to go with in a salad. Even in hot weather you get really dense crunchy lettuce. It is a Batavian variety that I now love. The edges are tinged in red so its really pretty to grow as well as delicious to eat.

Edited to correct bad spelling.

This message was edited May 5, 2007 5:10 AM