Organic Striato d'Italia Zucchini Summer Squash Seeds

Striato d’Italia Zucchini is a very productive squash that can produce early in the season and continue into fall. Light green in color with striations, and tender to the touch, this centuries-old Italian heirloom is a pantry essential! Cook it into a favorite dish or use it as a table centerpiece to elevate your dining experience!

Planting by Zones

Zones 9-10

• Grow squash in the warm season, when soils are at least 70°F.

Zones 2-8

• Direct-sow in spring once soils have warmed.

Planting Striato d’Italia Zucchini Summer Squash

• In Zones 9 and 10, you can direct-sow or transplant your squash. We recommend direct-sowing into freshly irrigated soil.
• To direct sow, plant seeds in debris-free, well-worked soil that has been deeply watered. Cover with 1″ of finely sifted soil.
• If you are planting seeds in starter pots, plant seeds into thoroughly moist, high-quality sseed-startingsoil. Place seeds on top of the soil and cover with 1″ of finely sifted soil.
• Once your squash has germinated and the first set of true leaves show, fertilize with an organic liquid fertilizer. When the plants are 3-4″ tall you can plant them out into the garden. Space at least 12″ apart.

Growing Striato d’Italia Zucchini Summer Squash

• Plant squash in deeply irrigated, fertile soil. In Zones 9 and 10, add tons of compost to build healthy soil structure and retain moisture.
• Heavy mulching around your plants will also help suppress weeds and retain moisture
• Pollination is key to producing squash. Hand-pollinate your squash if you doubt pollination.

Harvesting Striato d’Italia Zucchini Summer Squash Squash

• Harvest squash at peak ripeness. There are two ways to know that your fruit is ready, this is by knowing what kind of squash you are growing.
• Summer Squash is eaten when it is young and tender. You should be able to pierce the flesh with your nail.  These are crops like zucchini and scallop squashes, among others.
• Winter squash matures with a hard outer shell and can last several months through the winter. Hence the name! You want these squash to fully mature on the vine.

Growing Squash in Containers

• Squash plants like to grow across the ground but alternatively can be grown up a trellis if hanging fruit are supported. If growing in a container, make sure your container is at least 20″ deep. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture. Mulch heavily on the top layer of soil to keep it from drying out or overheating

Southern California Pro-tips

• Mulch heavily around your squash plants to ensure the soil does not dry out or overheat.
• Do not overhead water as this promotes foliar diseases.
• Grow at least two squash plants to ensure good pollination.

Companion Flowers/Crops

• Squash are aggressively growing plants that look wonderful with cosmos, zinnias, and sunflowers.

Additional Learning Resources

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out in-depth information for pests that can be an issue to squash at the UC Integrated Pest Management site.