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Jessie Keith
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbita pepo 'Eight Ball'
Eight Ball Zucchini, Zucchini
Winner of the All-America Selections award in 1999, ‘Eight Ball’ produces a generous summer crop of small, globe-shaped zucchini with speckled, faintly-striped, dark green skin. The fruits have dense flesh with a pleasing nutty flavor and are perfect for fresh slicing, frying, baking or stuffing. Tidy, bushy plants make this variety perfect for smaller gardens or large containers. Fruits are ready for harvest approximately 40 to 45 days from sowing and should be picked when young and tender.
Zucchini, like many summer squash, are derived from the New World species Cucurbita pepo. These warm season, annual vines are monoecious, meaning single plants bear separate male and female flowers. The large, yellow, funnel shaped male blossoms are generally produced first, followed by the fruit-producing female flowers, which are distinguished by bulbous ovaries at the bases. Following pollination by bees, these develop into fruits, which are often obscured by the plant’s large, coarse, heart-shaped or deeply lobed foliage.
Plant summer squash in full sun and deep, rich, well-drained loam when the soil has warmed and all danger of frost has passed. Regular water is essential, but the plants will not tolerate soggy conditions or wet feet. Where drainage is not optimal, it is advisable to plant them in raised mounds of fertile, porous soil. Watch closely for squash bugs, cucumber beetles and vine borers at the base of the stems. Older plants are often susceptible to powdery mildew. Yearly crop rotation and removal of dead plant debris at the end of the growing season can help to minimize insect and disease problems.
12 - 1
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vegetable
Full Sun
2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m
3'-4' / 0.9m - 1.2m
Indeterminate
Hybrid Origin
Neutral
Well Drained
Loam, Sand
Very Fast
Average Water
Cushion/Mound-forming
Summer, Fall
Showy
Yellow, Orange
Green, Dark Green, Black
Striped/Striated, Spotted/Mottled
Green
Dark Green
Yes
No
Single
Coarse
Matte
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
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