Zucchini Summer Ratatouille Mix - seeds - Cucurbita pepo

In this special assortment, "Summer Ratatouille", several varieties of courgettes with the best taste qualities have been gathered. They will allow you to create colourful dishes as you will find yellow courgettes (Gold Orélia Courgette F1), green courgettes (Baccara Courgette F1), and white courgettes (Loréa Courgette F1). The varieties offered here are highly productive and non-running, and you can sow them from March to June to harvest them from June to November.

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

Orange, green, red, yellow, black, or even blue, smooth, ribbed, warty, with tender skin, etc. squash and courgettes offer us an astonishing variety of shapes, colours and sizes, as they easily hybridise. This is why there are so many varieties.

Winter squash generally refers to all kinds of pumpkins, potimarrons, butternut squashes, etc. with tough skin and delicately sweet flesh. Summer squash or courgettes, on the other hand, refers to the different varieties that are harvested when the skin is still tender. The latter are consumed with their seeds.

All of them are native to America and belong to the large family of cucurbits. They were introduced to Europe in the 16th century.

• There are about ten species of squash, of which four are the most cultivated in our vegetable gardens. These are Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita moschata or musk squashes, Cucurbita maxima, and finally Cucurbita argyrosperma.
• Cucurbita pepo: these are the most represented in vegetable gardens and include certain pumpkins, courgettes, pattypan squashes, etc. They are generally recognised by their rigid and serrated leaves and their angular stem with at least 5 ridges that do not widen at the point of attachment to the fruit.
• Cucurbita moschata or musk squashes: they have soft leaves. The stem is very ribbed and visibly widens at the point of attachment to the fruit. The leaves take the shape of a heart.
• Cucurbita maxima: these are mainly pumpkins. Their stem is rounded and takes on a slightly spongy appearance. As the name of the species suggests, it mainly includes varieties with large fruits. The leaves have 5 lobes.
• Cucurbita argyrosperma: very few are represented in our gardens, they have trilobed leaves and a very thick, robust, and non-ribbed stem.

They are generally trailing and cling to any support with their tendrils. Female flowers can be distinguished from male flowers by their inferior ovary (under the flower), which resembles a small fruit. In many regions, male flowers are harvested just after pollination to be consumed stuffed or in fritters. There are many ways to eat squash and courgettes. Sautéed, fried, in gratin, in soups, or stuffed. Courgettes are a key ingredient in Provençal ratatouille, Italian caponata, Maghrebi couscous, or many Mediterranean dishes.

Harvesting: Squash and courgettes need a lot of water to bring out their best flavour. Squash will be best if harvested when fully ripe. Courgettes are harvested young and fresh, still immature. They must all be handled with care and not damaged.

Storage: Courgettes can be cut into pieces and frozen. Their delicate skin is not suitable for storage as they are. Winter squash with tough skin can be stored for several months and consumed throughout the winter. Unlike other fruits and vegetables, they need warmth for optimum storage. There is no need to store them in a dark place, so you might as well store them where their plump silhouette can be appreciated.

The gardener's little tip: place a slate or roof tile under the fruit. It will then no longer be in direct contact with the ground, thus avoiding rotting due to moisture. They particularly like slightly moist soil. So mulch around the plants, especially during the height of summer. Squash and courgettes are very prone to powdery mildew (a fungal disease that leaves a white powdery coating on the leaves). Be careful not to water the leaves or flowers. Grow your squash with alliums such as chives, onions, or shallots, or with legumes such as beans or peas. Growing squash and cucumber together may be detrimental to both parties.