Zucchini Black Forest F1 - Cucurbita pepo

The Black Forest F1 Courgette is a climbing courgette that can be grown vertically. This offers the advantage of saving space, both in the garden and on balconies where it can be grown in pots. Very productive, it produces numerous smooth, dark green fruits, approximately 15 cm (6in) long. Sow it under cover from April to May or directly in the ground from late May to late June for a harvest from July to October.

Orange, green, red, yellow, black or even blue, smooth, ribbed, warty, with tender skin... Pumpkins and courgettes offer a surprising variety of shapes, colors, and sizes because they cross-breed with disconcerting ease. This is why there are so many different varieties.

In common language, winter squash refers to all types of pumpkins, potimarrons, and butternut squash, which have tough skin and delicately sweet flesh. Summer squash or courgettes (Cucurbita pepo in Latin) refers to the different varieties that are harvested when the skin is still tender. These are consumed with the seeds when they are still tender.

They all originate from America and belong to the large family of cucurbits. They were introduced to Europe in the 16th century. Generally, they are trailing plants that cling to any support with the help of their tendrils. The female flowers can be distinguished from the male flowers by their inferior ovary (below the flower), which resembles an embryo of a fruit. In many regions, male flowers are harvested just after pollination to be eaten stuffed or in fritters.

In the kitchen, courgettes can be prepared in many ways: sautéed, fried, gratin, soups, or stuffed. They are essential ingredients in Provençal ratatouille, Maghrebi couscous, and many emblematic Mediterranean dishes. They are low in calories but rich in vitamins, especially provitamin A, vitamin B, and minerals.

Courgettes are fruit vegetables that require regular watering to give their best. They love heat and sunlight and should not be planted in the garden before early June.

NB: This variety is labeled F1 for "F1 hybrid" because it is a variety resulting from the cross-breeding of carefully selected parents to combine their qualities. This results in a variety that can be particularly flavorful and/or early while being resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticized or mistakenly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrid seeds are interesting both for their uniformity and their resistance, but unfortunately, their qualities do not pass on to subsequent generations, so it will not be possible to save the seeds for later sowing.

Harvest: Courgettes are harvested when they are young and fresh.

Storage: They can be stored for a few days at room temperature or in the bottom of the refrigerator, and for several months when cut into pieces and frozen.

Gardening tip: Don't forget the flowers! Even though the vegetable garden is primarily intended for producing high-quality vegetables, it is always interesting to plant flowers. Firstly, for the aesthetic pleasure they provide, especially for vegetables like cabbage that are beautiful on their own, but also to repel pests and attract valuable pollinators. So, don't hesitate to plant gaillardias, marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, nasturtiums, or even beautiful herbs like dill in the middle of the rows or along the edges. However, be careful with certain plants, like borage, which tends to self-seed abundantly in dedicated cultivation areas.