No straightneck or crookneck that I know about, but the trombocino is widely grown as a zucchini substitute. Rampant vine that climbs readily. Actually a member of the butternut group, but mostly used as a zucchini. There are also several gourds used as zucchinni. Italian Edible Gourd, Italian Squash, Tasmania Bean, Zucchetta Cucuzzi, Serpent of Sicily 'Cucuzzi'

Just out of curiosity, why aren't there any climbing C. pepo summer squash? There are viney winter squash that are in C. pepo right? Why can't plant breeders get a zucchini or croockneck or pattypan type fruit on pumpkin vines?

Or is there just no demand and everyone wants bush zucchinis?

Hi

This past season I grew Table Dainty squash and I used as a zucchini when young and also when it got bigger.

It has a very good flavor, is very productive and climbs on a trellis.

Silvia

mensplace

if you consider acorn squash to be summer squash, they have mostly long vines. But you are right, not many c pepos do climb. There are a few though. For example the marrows, like Table Dainty mentioned above, although there are several bush marrows too.

To be pedantic, none of them climb, but they can be trained upwards.

Here is a link that might be useful: several trailing marrows

neohippie,

To answer your question the reason there aren't many vining summer squash is because they just don't make any sense from a commercial standpoint. I am sure you know how productive summer squash are and how you really need to watch your summer squash or they will be huge. I like them a little on the large side, which for me is only 4 or 5 days after flowering. And I am sure you have been to or seen a pumpkins patch and you know how those vines go everywhere and are a huge mess. It is nearly impossible to walk without stepping on the vines. Now imagine having to hunt through a patch of vining summer squash every couple days in a search for tiny summer squash that you'll never see beneath the leaves. It just wouldn't work, you would miss a lot, take a lot of time and probably kill the plants in the process by breaking leaves and stepping on vines. That is why vining summer squash don't really exist. It is FAR more efficient and cheaper to have a tame plant with a bush habit.

I've grown Dolma Kabak, a vining summer squash from Turkey. The fruit are kind of globular in shape. I'm not sure how it would climb. What I do like about it, though, is that everywhere the vine touches the ground, it roots with thousands of hair-like roots. So it is pretty resistant to squash vine borers. I got my seed from Jim Wright (jwr6404)and need to grow it out again in 2010.

I'm sure that acorn squash would make a fine summer squash, as we've eaten it that way. It is good! We grow Scarchuks Supreme (from Sandhill Preservation Center), which is borer resistant. When I'm going hand pollinations, sometimes I miss one, and we'll eat it as a summer squash.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Not a silly question at all. I know Rosalind Creasy (edible landscaper) grows squash on an arbor. While you have some good recommendations, you may want to ask at the potager forum, too. They grow all kinds of things vertically, to save space and for visual impact.

The square foot gardening forum also likes everything to fit in smaller spaces, so I know they do a lot of trellising of melons and squash. Good luck with your new garden. One advantage to raised beds is that it's easier to reach your plants and you can add flowers and herbs in fairly easily...which make a very attractive garden too :)

I have lots of deer fencing and bean trellises so I'm looking for vining squash, I'm going to try Tatume which like the squash above roots at nodes, and may go crazy in my garden, sounds like fun. I'm also going to try Table Dainty and perhaps others. Anyone have experience with marrow squash?