codyg
Not easy to find vining summer squash. I think I will do some mulching between beds and let the bush varieties crawl onto the mulch. I tried trellising my barq and zucchini but they didn't want to grow vertically.
Territorial seed company lists a 'black hawk' vining zuke, but it's $6.90 for 10 seeds. I only need one plant so it seems pretty expensive. I also saw Trombocino squash which other members mentioned last year and Territorial shows it vining on a trellis.
Keski

(rapping on) Squash on a trellis, squash on a trellis, lookin' like a FOOL with your squash on a trellis (rapping off)

:D

kesci,

Is this variety an heirloom?

If so, buy the seeds, and never go back again! The 10 seeds you buy will be viable for a few years, so, if you start 3 seeds a year (4 in the 3rd year) to ensure 1 good plant, you are set for 3 years. Then, you can start saving seeds from your squash for future years. Just let one squash remain on the vine to get to full maturity (really big) at the end of the season before you pull it out, and save the good seeds. (You can find all kinds of resources on how to tell a viable seed from a bad one).

You are now set for life! Realistically speaking you shouldn't have to worry about where you get future "viners" from.

Note: This may work best if you grow TWO plants, rather than just one, but the theory should still work out. You will just end up with "clones" of the original. Also note that this also assumes that you are not growing any other squash of the same type (cucurbita maxima, cucurbita pepo, cucrbita moschata, etc. ) They do cross pollinate and won't work out the way you want. All maximas will cross with other maximas, but, maximas won't cross with a pepo.

Just checked and found that 'black hawk 'zuke if an F1 hybrid. supposedly is early and great tasting along with prolific. I might have to try it anyway. You're right eaglesgarden, though, about the seeds lasting a few years.

jengc - that was funny! I currently have that song as my ringtone.

To the OP, sorry - I just had to tell that.

EG

Too bad it's a hybrid! You could always experiment by saving the seeds and see what you get!

I am doing that. I will buy SOME hybrid but only if I can't get the heirloom to grow from seed. I LOVE saving the seeds and truly "living off the land" but sometimes, you have to pull back and punt (can you tell that the Super Bowl is coming up? GO COLTS!...ahem sorry).

Try Gem Squash. Lots of people at our allotment site grow them. They are very popular in South Africa, and I got my seeds from someone who used to live there. They are round and dark green. When they are small, in the golf-ball to tennis ball size, you steam them whole and eat them seeds and all. They are very good tasting, with pale off-white flesh. If you let them go longer, the skin hardens and the flesh turns yellow-orange and they can be stored like winter squash.

Victory Seeds has something called Tatume, from Mexico, on their site that looks just like the South African Gems that I have grown. You might try them if you can't find a source for Gem Squash.

I have tried to post a link to a picture of my gems when they started to grow nicely last July.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1263369}}

Thanks, paully1. I will give them a look.

I also searched the GardenWeb forum and came up with a variety of Turkish vining zucchini that a gentleman in Oregon was willing to send seed for.

And, I'm going to try 'tromboncino' as well from Territorial seeds.

I just thought of another possibility. A number of people at my garden site grow something called Sicilian Zucchini. They grow HUGE long squashes. (Like overcompensating with a Corvette huge). They trellis them up an arbor about 4 or 5 feet and let the squash hang down from the top. I have seen them touch the ground! The only negative is that I have heard they are pretty watery and bland. I can't say for sure, because I have not grown or eaten one.

I found another vining zuke at Thompson and Morgan. They only charge $3.95 and shipping is also only $3.95 versus the $7.50 charge at Territorial.
Keski

I found some Sicilian Zucchini at Grow Italian. It looks like the shipping for one packet would be $3.50.

paully1, Which one do you think your gardening neighbors grow?

Here is a link that might be useful: Zucchini

I think it is the one called cucuzz-zuchetta, although I don't know for sure. I recall that they have white, not yellow, flowers. That fits the description on that page of cucuzzi.

I did a quick google search. Check out the size of the Sicilian Zucchini this guy grew...

Here is a link that might be useful: Sicilian Zucchini