Trombocino Squash Substitute

[aclum]

Hi,

I've grown Trombocino Rampacante Zucchinetti (or something like that), for the past couple of years and just loved it. I'd like to grow it again but with reduced yard space and the prospects of water rationing, I need to find a different squash that's similar in taste and texture but not quite so "rampant."

I'm not all that familiar with the various types of squash, but I'd describe the trombocino as sort of halfway between a winter and summer squash with sort of a nutty taste, fine textured and firm flesh (but not as hard as winter squash) and few seeds. It's also a great keeper and can be used as a summer or winter squash. Ideally, I'll like something that would fit in about a 3 x 3 space. Yield doesn't need to be all that great.

Any ideas on what variety I might try?

Thanks!

Anne

[luigiwu]

Hi Anne, this year I'm going to try and grow Tatume. I know nothing about it except that it can be used both as a summer and winter squash. I also have a limited area to garden so crossing my fingers it won't get too crazy on me!

[Doug9345]

It's the same species as butternut so I believe one of the bush butternuts would work. The main difference between winter and summer squash is when it's picked. Summer squash has been breed to be better for it's specialty, but I have peeled it when it go to old to cook like summer squash and used it. Depending on how old it was, its texture was in between summer and winter squash.

[habitat_gardener]

You could also try one of the C. moschata summer-squash hybrids from Kitazawa. I grew Teot Bat Put this year (I was looking for Early Bulam, but the nursery where I got the seeds had only the former.)
http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seeds_summer_squash.html

It was delicious and not rampant -- but I didn't give it much room. I grew Tromboncino at another garden and it was a monster! A week before frost hit, it had probably 10 little squashes on it!

[Tormato]

I've never trialed Trombocino. But, from what I've read, many people trellis it. So, it should easily fit in a 3x3 space that way.

Gary

[Pappi]

I've trellised it, takes to it like a fish to water.

Pappi

[habitat_gardener]

My Tromboncino was on a tuteur (2x2), but it stretched over to the fence a couple feet in one direction and the bean trellises a couple feet in the other direction. I could have paid more attention to it and cut off the wandering vines (squash leaves are edible, I've read), or moved them back, but I let it go. It's an easy squash to grow vertically because the fruits don't need to be supported. I did put plastic pots underneath some long ones so that they wouldn't sit on the ground, though, and I occasionally freed developing fruits from the tangle so they could stretch out.

To use its rampant nature as an advantage, use it for shade. I've seen it growing in another garden on a large arbor (with table and chairs underneath), where it sheltered the patio from the sun and hung down through the openings in the overhead trellis.

[aclum]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the responses!!

I just measured my trombocino trellis from last year - it's 10' wide by 6' tall and ONE trombocino plant about covered the entire thing by the time the bugs got it. (As it grew I clipped the vines to the trellis horizontally then brought them back over to zig zag up to the top of the trellis).

I was planning to replace everything thing that had been in that bed (the squash plus eggplants) with some new Emerald artichokes, but now I'm thinking I might as well go ahead and give the trellised trombocino another year - co-existing with the artichokes. (In the meantime, I'm tearing out my old artichokes in another bed to put in more tomato trellises!)

After reading your comments, I think I'll also try to make room for the Kitazawa squash suggested by habitat gardener. I'm especially fond of the Kitazawa products as I grew up in San Jose and remember the seeds from trips to Japan Town in San Jose long ago. I grew their Kamo eggplant and Tasty Green Cucumber last year. The cucumber was a monster producer with very good flavor. I don't recall the taste of the Kamo as I combined it with other varieties for things like ratatouille and all the eggplant tasted great !

Now I'm hungry for summer veggies!!

Anne