The zucchini I raise starts out as a bush, BUT will vine if it stays healthy long enough. There are likely squash simular to zucchini that vine.

Many ' vining' zucchini are actually zucchini. Most popular is the trombocino which is actually a type of butternut squash. http://www.territorialseed.com/product/1100/220
http://www.cooksgarden.com/prodinfo.asp?number=680&variation=&aitem=1&mitem=15 , Baker Creek
Costata Romanesco is actually a bush as are all true zukes but has a huge plant. Baker Creek, Johnny's
The Cucuzzi is also sold as 'Italian' zucchini, but is actually a gourd. Rachels, Baker Creek

Here is a link that might be useful: vine zuke

I had found and just ordered Zucchino Rampicante from Baker Creek when I seen your reply. Thanks John

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

I tried a number of vining zucchini last year and was happy with all of them. I assume you are looking for one you can train onto a trellis?

My favorite was Gialla Nostrale (accidentally called Gialla Nostrala sometimes). It was fantastic on a trellis, had a tasty, rich-but-not-nutty flavor and, best of all, was squash vine borer resistant. Unfortunately, it is only available in Seed Savers Exchange's Yearbook. You would need to join their membership to get it. In my opinion, it would be worth it.
Seed Savers Exchange

Another I tried is Trailing Green Marrow from Sand Hill Preservation Center. Again, excellent on the trellis, very good, light flavor, but completely devastated by squash vine borers.
Sand Hill Preservation Center

As others have mentioned, Tromboncino is another great trellising zucchini (and borer resistant). I purchased mine from Pinetree Garden and Franchi Seeds. Both grew equally well.

I tried to trellis most of my other non-bush zucchini, but it did not work well. The Romanesco has very thick, heavy vines that break or crack under the weight. The three listed above are true trellising varieties.

Bellatrix

There really aren't any vining zukes, other than the squash marrows from England and New Zealand most of the vining varieties are either winter squash or gourd varities eaten young. Bella covered most of them, here are a few others:

Table Dainty - Sandhill
Tatume - Sandhill
Cucuzzi - ECHO

While it is true that most vining zucchini are not really zucchini, some are so close that it does not make a difference. Tromboncino is from the species moschata (as someone mentioned), more closely related to butternut squash. Its taste is a bit different, but very close. Cucuzzi is an edible gourd (have not tried it yet). Some are immature pumpkins, like Zapello de Tronco (a vining variety I forgot to mention). Its taste is also a little different, but close. Gialla Nostrale and Trailing Green Marrow are both from the species pepo (same as zucchini) and taste and look like a zucchini. Trailing Green Marrow was indistinguishable from some of my other bush zucchini.

{{gwi:10926}}

As a side note, I have my suspicions that Gialla Nostrale is really from the species mixta (Cushaw winter squash), but I have no proof!

Hope this helps anyone trying to pick out a zucchini to trellis. I just had to try a whole bunch!

Bellatrix

Nice picture, Bellatrix. Thanks for posting it! Where does one get seeds for Zapello de Tronco? I Googled and didn't find any sellers. And the Tonda de Piacenza in your picture ~ I found a seed source, but how does it compare to Ronde de Nice (sp?)? I just bought Ronde de Nice to try this year as I love to stuff those little round zuchini, but have only grown hybrids so far and want an OP variety.

I'm thinking I very well may try Costata Romanesco alsok, because of this thread.

Part of the reason that you can't find it is that I can't type/spell! It should be Zapallo del Tronco. I think I bought it from Bountiful Gardens, but it doesn't look like they are offering it this year. Hmmmm...I may need to add this squash to my list of squash to seed save. It's worth keeping around.

I have not tried Ronde de Nice yet. Tonda de Piacenza is very tasty. In my garden, it always gets powdery mildew first, yet it hangs in there and comes back strong in the fall.

As for Costata Romanesco: GROW IT!! I've trialed quite a few zucchini so far and, IMHO, it has the best flavor of them all. Its taste is very distinctive from other zucchini. Fantastic on the grill! I get mine from Franchi Seeds.

Bellatrix

Well, bummer about Bountiful not offering it. Oh, well ~ I'll have enough summer squash anyway. If I do order the Costata (probably will after hearing your glowing recommendation), that'll be four types of zuchini (six total summer squash). I ordered vegetable marrow from Pinetree along with Black and Ronde de Nice.

I found Costata from Baker Creek. Now I just need to go order it while fighting myself to not order another dozen types of seed from them. ;)

Thanks for the info, Bellatrix.

I found Costata from Baker Creek. Now I just need to go order it while fighting myself to not order another dozen types of seed from them.

Ain't that the truth! Seed fetish here....

Nice picture Bella! I could not see it earlier, a Big Brother thing....

I have cucuzzi, Table Dainty, Tatume and trombocino seed, all from commercial suppliers. You have any Nostrale or TGM seeds left you'd care to exchange?

Tom

"Ain't that the truth! Seed fetish here...." Ha! That's how I describe it to my gardening friends, too. Yep ~ I'm already looking through Baker Creek, up to eight varieties on my (pared down) list. And this after I just got $96 worth in the mail from Pinetree (if you know about their prices, you'll know what long list that represents ;).

And this after I just got $96 worth in the mail from Pinetree

Yikes! And I thought I had it bad...that represents a lot of seeds ;-)

I grow a Turkish variety of vining summer squash called Dolma Kabak, which Jim Wright (famous original source for Insuk's Wang Kong Runner Bean) sent me. It produces kind of tear drop shaped fruit, like that of Gialla Nostrale (above). What I really like about it is that it is TOUGH AS NAILS when it comes to pests. I've had this one grow right through a bad squash vine borer summer, take numerous hits from borers, shrug off our 8 weeks of 100+ F. heat wave and continue to produce. Dolma Kabak roots all along the stem, wherever it touches the ground. I don't mean, like rooting at the leaf nodes, no, this one roots ALL ALONG the stem. The roots it develops look almost like hair, they are so thick. Vines get about 10' long. I've even had this one grow out into the lawn and root through Bermuda grass.

George

George,

That sounds really interesting. I'm in Florida and get NO frost, my okra is perennial...we're so buggy that in the summer growing any kind of zuke or cuke is practically impossible, so I'm always thinking outside the box. I'm an Urban/Small-space gardener with a total plot of only 7' x 50' so I'm forced to grow vertically...have you tried growing this Dolma Kabak on a trellis?

Tom

No Tom, I haven't. I bet it would grow on a trellis.

George

Hi Tom

I just rechecked this thread and saw your question. Sadly, I am low on seed for both varieties. I was actually going to request more Gialla this year from the yearbook, but it looks like they are not offering it this year! Very sad. If you can wait a year, I will be isolating Gialla Nostrale and saving seed this year. I'd be happy to trade then.

Bellatrix

Bella - that sounds good, if you'd still like to try anything I have this year drop me a line and I'll send you some seeds.

George - I'm looking forward to trying the Dolma Kabak!

Tom

How does one acquire Dolma Kabak seeds? I am interested in training it up on a trellis, and my delicious Portofino zucchini only made it half the summer because of squash bugs. Would Dolma Kabak be resistant to squash bugs as well?
Thanks!

Send me a private message and we can discuss this.

I know of no squash which is really resistant to squash bugs. Dolma Kabak is simply VERY vigorous, which might help.

George

bellatrix,

Is the Gialla Nostrale squash available in the 2009 SSE Yearbook? I could not find it.

thanks,

Dean

Dean - I was very disapointed to see that it is not listed this year. It was offered by SSE itself and appears to be one of their more rare grow outs. Either that or it was one of the plants that went down the river during the flood last summer. I still have seed from last year and will be isolating it and growing it out this year. As long as my grow out goes well, I will be offering it next year in the SSE Yearbook.

Bellatrix

Trying to grow zucchini for the first time this year I certainly see the merit of growing a type that is vining and can be trained up.

I am trying a few to see how they work and taste: Tromboncino and Tromba d'albegna. The seeds were from CooksGarden and they don't seem to germinating though.

After Googling a little I thought Zapallo de Tronco (also seems to be called Zapallito de Tronco) was such an interesting squash to try. I saw such high praise for it here http://www.mastergardeners.org/projects/mcclellan/2003/summer-squash_end.html

Have any of you tasted this squash (Zapallo de Tronco) as a green squash? How would you describe the taste?

I also found out that Bountiful Seeds hopes to sell the seeds for it next season.

Thanks for this helpful thread.

Katyjini

Ok, ya'll are contagious. I just ordered some Tromboncino seeds from Pinetree Garden seeds. If they ship quickly I'll test drive a few vines in my garden this year. The squash vine borers usually wipe my squash out in July or so, so I'm hoping these will take over the production in August.

Check out http://www.liseed.org/trailzuc.html: Ken is doing research ( & having fun) with trailing zucchini crosses. Join him! Oh, and he'll be interested in Dolma Kabak & Giallo Nostrale - and so am I :-)
Botanically interesting: all zucchinis are Cucurbita Pepo (someone mentioned that); Tromboncino aka Tromba d' Albenga is a Cucurbita Moschata;
Zapallito is a Cucurbita Maxima; Cucuzzi is a Lagenaria Siceraria.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lusthof

bellatrix, Gialla Nostrale is not listed in the 2010 yearbook either.

I trialling out a Turkish squash called "Sakiz", which is a vining zucchini I received from a friend. It translates into the word, "Marrow". It is reported to have a deeper flavor then most zucchinis.

I am also trying Tatume from Sandhill Preservation.

I will report back end of season.

Dean

Hi Dean,

I did list it - look under Pepo, Squash - Zucchini, Gialla Nostrale. I have very limited quanity of it this year and it doesn't look like SSE is offering it. If you are a first year member or not listing anything, I will still send you seed despite the LQ code - just mention that you are the Dean from Gardenweb!

Bellatrix (PA MO K)

Hi, Bellatrix,

Not sure if you'll see this, but I've been following your postings with interest as I've resolved to grow only SVB resistant varieties of squash this year and (probably) into the future, and you seem to be quite the authority on them!

You mention above that Gialla Nostrale is a pepo (that you think might be a mixta) but also that it is SVB resistant - can you elaborate on that? Is the SVB resistance the reason you think it might be a mixta?

Thanks!

~emmers