Goldini II Zucchini

Unique golden ribbed zucchini that grows exceptionally fast and retains eating quality at larger sizes.

What's new under the sun? Goldini II! This is a cross between a yellow zucchini and Costata Romanesco, an adored Italian heirloom. Organic vegetable breeder Carol Deppe of Oregon developed this variety to flourish under organic growing, and grow fast, fast, fast. Firm, flavourful fruit retain their culinary value even at larger sizes up to 12" long, offering harvest flexibility. Sprawling vines need room. Open Source Seed Initiative pledged variety. 

Transplant or direct seed (recommended). Transplant: start transplants 7-10 days before you intend to put them out. Plant 1" deep and use bottom heat, such as a heat mat. Transplant once the seedlings have small true leaves. Space plants 3-4'. Harden off before putting out.

Direct seeding: After danger of frost has passed and weather has warmed up (late spring to early summer) sow clumps of 2-3 seeds 1" deep, spaced 3-4'. Thin each clump to the strongest plant.

Growing tips: Goldini II grows fast under good conditions. Early planting into cool soil or weather will stunt plants, so wait until good warmth has arrived. Seedlings grow very fast, and should ideally be transplanted when still small to avoid damaging the root structure. Harvest regularly to encourage plants to continue to produce fruit. Powdery mildew is a common leaf fungal infection in squash; minimize it with generous spacing for airflow, avoid wetting leaves, and grow where air humidity isn't too high. Plant vigor tends to decline over time, so professional growers often do a second zucchini planting mid-summer. 

Dry growing (growing without watering or minimal watering): In our fertile but sandy soil, Goldini II has done well without irrigation. It is highly vigorous, which surely helps. I also prefer to direct seed zucchini, which I believe helps set up the plant for resilience. Squash in general are highly sensitive to "transplant shock" — a delay in their growth caused by transplanting. Direct seeding avoids this. For dry growing zucchini, space plants 4-5'. Regular fertilizing with a liquid fertilizer such as fish fertilizer helps maintains best growth possible given drying conditions.