While growing zucchini vertcaly is certainly not an idea that is new, there is plenty advice on how easily they break, how big and heavy they can get, how tall they can be. What I couldn't find, was which NZ available varieties were best or least suited. So here is a sum of what I have learnt so far.
Cocozelle is a striped Italian variety. It is Hardy, I have moved it around, pulled it upright and tied it up. Nothing has stopped it growing, it was easily manipulated and didn't feel week. This is the one in the picture.
Black Coral F1 is a very dark green zuchini, and is a younger plant than cocozelle, but show the same promise as cocozelle. This looks like it will also be well suited.
Gold Rush F1 is a yellow zuchinni and did not like being mahipulted. It was the same age, size and stem thickness as cocozelle, but was not as tough to manipulate, and it sulked almost straight away, opening it up to attack by almost everything😔. Lucky I had already planted my back ups, so they can go in this weekend. This will need to be planted straight against the post, which I was hoping to avoid the post too close to the base of the stem. I know that roots grow around, but if wind moves the plant then the flex point will be at the base of the stem, rather than just twisting along the length. I will try this again, but seems less likely to be a suitable variety.
Sunbeam F1 is. a yellow patty pan (scallopini) and it just did not grow well from seedling and then did not transplant well so don't know. I have moved it on to the compost bin😔. The second sowing is doing much beter and will go into ground this weekend
African Gem Squash, while not a zucchini, this is also vertical up behind my corn and is also curcubita pepo, a summer squash. This is a vining type and is doing well. Care will be taken to avoid cross pollenation by isolating hand pollenated flowers as I would like to get aclimatised strains of these seeds. This looks highly recommended for vertical growing.
Let me know in the comments if there is a variety you have had successfully grown up a pole 😊
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