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Navarre,OH

Been growing black beauty zucchini's for many years. Been growing over and over from the same seeds/plants for years. Havent bought zucchini seeds for prob a good 6-7 years now. All seed giving fruits are close pollinated so they havent been crossed by anything. Noticed today I have probably a good 10-15 good sized taproots coming out the plant(stalk) 3/4 of the way to the very top of the plant. I just thought this was strange concidering I have never seen taproots growing up a main stalk of a bush type curcibita before. Anyone else ever get this?

6/16/2010 10:04:45 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Billium, have never seen taproots, from a bush type zucchini either. My 1st ? is how did you close pollinate them? I would try and make em lay down, and make those taproots find soil, maybe a new world record is in the making!!!! Peace, Wayne
PS...all who read this should be prepared for a Zucchini seed auction in the future!!!! Grow em BIG!!!!

6/17/2010 1:10:08 AM

Navarre,OH

Plant was pretty old and quite large when I pollinated it last summer. Used a puckered male off the same plant.Flower was closed enough so not bugs could of gotten inside it and the female was pollinated right after it opened. I usually pick one of the largest females on the plant before it opens and I put a piece of very fine mesh around the whole flower, when it opens I pollinate it and put the mesh back on. Almost a complete zero change of it being crossed with anything else. Would be hard to get it to lay down, its growing straight up. I mounded a good amount of dirt covering as many taproots I could. Would be nice to beat the 13lb one I grew last year(same one I harvested the seeds from). Wish I could afford some dang mycorrhizal to feed the marrow and zucchini!

6/17/2010 7:31:06 PM