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Fordhook Zucchini Seeds

Scientific name Cucurbita pepo

About this variety

Fordhook produces straight green zucchini with tender flesh and a mild, gently sweet flavor. The fruits are most useful while young, when the skin is delicate and the seeds are still small. Slice them for the skillet or grill, grate them into baking, or pick small fruits for quick summer meals. Its bushy growth keeps the harvest concentrated...

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Alliance of Native Seedkeepers  |  SKU: SSQ31
$200 USD

At a glance

The facts most gardeners need first

View the full variety record
30 minimum seeds per packet
Germination time

4-14 days at 70-85 F seed-zone soil temperature

  • Germination
    4-14 daysa seed-zone soil temperature of 70-85 F
  • Sun
    Full sun
  • Support and spacing
    No support needed · space 36 in · rows 48 in
  • Growth habit
    Bush · Annual
  • Planting season
    Late Spring · blooms Summer · Tender
Secure checkout Details
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Triple-tested seed qualityRegular quality and germination checks support every packet.

We regularly test seed quality and germination as lots move through storage and packing. We stand behind the seed we send and want customers to contact us when a packet does not perform as reasonably expected.

1-year seed warrantyCoverage begins on the date of purchase.

When properly stored, planted, and cared for, we guarantee reasonable germination and true-to-type growth for one year from the date of purchase. Conditions outside our control—including extreme weather, pests, unsuitable storage, and gardener error—are excluded. Contact us when something is not right so we can review the situation and work toward a replacement, refund, or another fair resolution.

Non-GMO / BE seed policyWe do not buy or sell genetically engineered or bioengineered seed.

Every seed variety we sell is non-GMO.

USDA’s National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard defines bioengineered foods as containing detectable genetic material modified through in vitro recombinant DNA methods in ways not achievable through conventional breeding or found in nature.

  • Hybrid means parent lines were conventionally crossed; hybrid does not mean GMO.
  • Heirloom and open-pollinated describe how a variety is maintained and reproduced.
  • Organic certification is separate and is shown only when verified for the individual product.

Read how we define heirloom, hybrid, and GMO/BE seed · USDA BE Standard

Packed in Colerain, North CarolinaPrepared in our seed room for gardens across the country.

Seeds are packed and shipped from Colerain, North Carolina. Our packets use forestry-certified paper, and we use recyclable paper mailers where appropriate. AONSK is also a 1% for the Planet partner while continuing to reduce waste in packing and fulfillment.

Garden tools

Need a plan for your space?

Use the garden-fit planner and soil calculator to turn the recorded growing facts into a practical plan.

Open garden tools Uses this product’s recorded growing information. Local weather and garden conditions may vary.

Variety field guide

What to expect from Fordhook Zucchini Seeds

Fordhook produces straight green zucchini with tender flesh and a mild, gently sweet flavor.

Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record

Fordhook produces straight green zucchini with tender flesh and a mild, gently sweet flavor. The fruits are most useful while young, when the skin is delicate and the seeds are still small. Slice them for the skillet or grill, grate them into baking, or pick small fruits for quick summer meals. Its bushy growth keeps the harvest concentrated around the plant, but the large leaves still need room and steady moisture.

Pick young and often for tender summer squash.

Growing facts

  • Botanical name: Cucurbita pepo
  • Maturity or display: 50-60 days
  • Mature size: Green summer squash, best harvested young at about 6-8 in. long
  • Spacing: 36 in between plants; rows 48 in

About the variety

Fordhook is an open-pollinated summer squash with bushy growth and straight green zucchini. Harvesting while the rind and seeds are tender gives it the delicate texture expected of summer squash.

Starting seed

Direct sow 1 in. deep after frost when soil reaches 65 F. Keep moist; sprouts in 4-14 days. Thin to 36 in. apart, rows 48 in. apart. Use full sun and rich, drained soil.

Care through the season

Water deeply as needed and mulch after the soil warms. Keep the leaves and developing fruits off persistently wet soil. Remove insect covers at flowering so bees can pollinate female flowers. Avoid crowding even when a variety has a bush habit.

Harvest and use

Pick 6-8 in. fruits often, beginning in 50-60 days. Chill and use promptly. For seed, isolate from other C. pepo; let selected fruits fully harden.

Saving seed

Squash can cross with other varieties of the same species. For dependable seed purity, isolate flowering varieties or hand-pollinate and protect marked flowers. Let selected fruits ripen fully, then clean and thoroughly dry the mature seeds. Seed saved from tender zucchini is immature.

Common problems

Check for cucumber beetles, aphids and mildew. Good airflow, crop rotation and watering at the roots reduce some problems. Poor pollination and uneven moisture can distort fruit. Inspect squash plants for squash bugs and vine-borer injury.

Frequently asked questions

When are the fruits ready?

Pick 6-8 in. fruits often, beginning in 50-60 days. Chill and use promptly. For seed, isolate from other C. pepo; let selected fruits fully harden.

Does this variety need support?

Water deeply as needed and mulch after the soil warms. Keep the leaves and developing fruits off persistently wet soil. Remove insect covers at flowering so bees can pollinate female flowers. Avoid crowding even when a variety has a bush habit.

Can I save seeds?

Squash can cross with other varieties of the same species. For dependable seed purity, isolate flowering varieties or hand-pollinate and protect marked flowers. Let selected fruits ripen fully, then clean and thoroughly dry the mature seeds. Seed saved from tender zucchini is immature.

Garden toolsOpen the garden-fit planner, planting-window questions, or soil calculator only when useful

Uses this product’s recorded growing information. Local weather, soil, and garden conditions may vary.

Garden-fit planning for this variety

Will Fordhook Zucchini Seeds fit your garden?

Check vine space, warmth, pollination, water, support, and harvest use. Start with the essentials, then open only the detail groups that matter to you.

Rules-based · no AI · optional answers

Add an optional ZIP code and planting date for a broad frost-window check.Use local forecasts and measured soil temperature for final planting decisions.
1Essential fitTiming, light, and space
2Temperature and exposureOptional microclimate detail
3Soil, drainage, and waterRoot-zone readiness
4Questions for this vining crop seedCrop-specific decisions
5Seed-starting fit and patienceMatch the propagation work
Soil test, pH, drainage, and amendment calculator Have a laboratory soil report? Enter pH, nutrients, texture, bed size, and site observations here. Open soil tools
Recorded soil typeLoamy
Recorded pH range6.0–6.5
Water needsHigh
LightFull sun

Laboratory report interpreter

Soil readiness for Fordhook Zucchini Seeds

Cucurbita pepo

Enter only the values your report provides. The result compares them with this crop’s recorded needs and keeps laboratory recommendations authoritative.

Core report valuesStart here
Advanced laboratory valuesOptional method-aware detail

Full growing record

Complete growing and seedkeeping record

Starting and plantingSeed preparation, sowing, germination, transplanting, spacing, and early establishment
Direct sow 1 in. deep after frost when soil reaches 65 F. Keep moist; sprouts in 4-14 days. Thin to 36 in. apart, rows 48 in. apart. Use full sun and rich, drained soil.

Water deeply as needed and mulch after the soil warms. Keep the leaves and developing fruits off persistently wet soil. Remove insect covers at flowering so bees can pollinate female flowers. Avoid crowding even when a variety has a bush habit.
Season-long growing guideWater, fertility, support, weather response, pollination, containers, and care through maturity
Direct sow 1 in. deep after frost when soil reaches 65 F. Keep moist; sprouts in 4-14 days. Thin to 36 in. apart, rows 48 in. apart. Use full sun and rich, drained soil.
Harvest, storage, and usesRecognizing maturity, harvesting cleanly, handling and storage, kitchen uses, and garden roles

Harvest and storage

Pick 6-8 in. fruits often, beginning in 50-60 days. Chill and use promptly. For seed, isolate from other C. pepo; let selected fruits fully harden.

Squash can cross with other varieties of the same species. For dependable seed purity, isolate flowering varieties or hand-pollinate and protect marked flowers. Let selected fruits ripen fully, then clean and thoroughly dry the mature seeds. Seed saved from tender zucchini is immature.

Uses and garden roles

Fordhook produces straight green zucchini with tender flesh and a mild, gently sweet flavor. The fruits are most useful while young, when the skin is delicate and the seeds are still small. Slice them for the skillet or grill, grate them into baking, or pick small fruits for quick summer meals. Its bushy growth keeps the harvest concentrated around the plant, but the large leaves still need room and steady moisture.

Pick 6-8 in. fruits often, beginning in 50-60 days. Chill and use promptly. For seed, isolate from other C. pepo; let selected fruits fully harden.
Seed savingSelection, pollination, isolation, full maturity, cleaning, drying, labeling, and storage
Squash can cross with other varieties of the same species. For dependable seed purity, isolate flowering varieties or hand-pollinate and protect marked flowers. Let selected fruits ripen fully, then clean and thoroughly dry the mature seeds. Seed saved from tender zucchini is immature.
Pests, diseases, and troubleshootingPrevention, diagnosis, environmental disorders, common damage, and first-response checks
Check for cucumber beetles, aphids and mildew. Good airflow, crop rotation and watering at the roots reduce some problems. Poor pollination and uneven moisture can distort fruit. Inspect squash plants for squash bugs and vine-borer injury.
Frequently asked questionsDecision-focused answers that supplement the detailed guides above
When are the fruits ready?
Pick 6-8 in. fruits often, beginning in 50-60 days. Chill and use promptly. For seed, isolate from other C. pepo; let selected fruits fully harden.

Does this variety need support?
Water deeply as needed and mulch after the soil warms. Keep the leaves and developing fruits off persistently wet soil. Remove insect covers at flowering so bees can pollinate female flowers. Avoid crowding even when a variety has a bush habit.

Can I save seeds?
Squash can cross with other varieties of the same species. For dependable seed purity, isolate flowering varieties or hand-pollinate and protect marked flowers. Let selected fruits ripen fully, then clean and thoroughly dry the mature seeds. Seed saved from tender zucchini is immature.
History and provenanceBotanical identity, cultivar history, regional or cultural context, uncertainty, and source records

Scientific name: Cucurbita pepo

Fordhook is an open-pollinated summer squash with bushy growth and straight green zucchini. Harvesting while the rind and seeds are tender gives it the delicate texture expected of summer squash.

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