Long-Fruited Nice Musk Squash Seed Bag

Nice Long-Fruited Musk Squash (Reference: 3487341) from the Vilmorin brand represents the excellence of French vegetable seed. This traditional, versatile variety wins people over with its unique ability to offer two vegetables in one: tender courgettes early in the season and tasty squash for winter stores. Drawing on Vilmorin's century-old know-how, this seed guarantees an abundant production of superior quality.

Benefits and uses

The Nice long-fruited musk squash is aimed at experienced and beginner gardeners looking for a productive, versatile variety. Perfect for family vegetable gardens, it makes the best use of space by offering two types of successive harvest. Professional market gardeners appreciate it for its productivity and for how easily it can be sold in two different forms.

Early in the season, harvest the young fruit as courgettes for summer dishes: ratatouilles, gratins, fresh soups. Later, let the fruit ripen to obtain winter squash rich in vitamins A and C, perfect for soups, purées and preserves. This double use maximises the yield of each plant and ensures production spread over time.

Technical features and innovation

This variety stands out for its elongated fruit of cylindrical shape, generally measuring 30 to 40 cm in length. The smooth, even skin is a tender green that turns ochre-beige at maturity. The bright orange flesh, dense and melting, develops a characteristic sweet, musky flavour.

The vigorous plants produce trailing stems that can spread over 3 to 4 metres, calling for adequate spacing of 1.5 m between plants. The large, lobed foliage gives excellent ground cover, naturally limiting weed growth. This variety shows good resistance to diseases common to cucurbits and adapts to different types of well-drained soil.

Planting and growing techniques

Sowing is done from March to May depending on the region, in pots under cover or directly in place after the last frosts. Sow 2 to 3 seeds per station at a depth of 2 cm, in soil previously enriched with well-rotted compost. The optimum germination temperature is between 18 and 22°C.

Choose a sunny position sheltered from strong winds. Prepare the soil by working in 3 to 4 kg of manure or compost per square metre. Maintain a constant moisture that is not excessive with regular watering at the base of the plants. An organic mulch preserves moisture and gradually feeds the soil.

For courgettes, harvest fruit of 15 to 20 cm every 2 to 3 days to stimulate production. For squash, let them ripen completely on the plant until the first frosts, recognisable by their dry stalk and hard skin.

Expert advice and vegetable-garden synergies

Pair the musk squash with beneficial companion plants: sweetcorn as a natural stake, climbing beans to enrich the soil with nitrogen, radishes at the edge to keep flea beetles away. Avoid planting near potatoes, which encourage powdery mildew.

To maximise production, pinch out the stems after the third fruit to concentrate energy on the development of the squash. Regularly remove old and diseased leaves to improve ventilation. The male flowers are edible and delicious as fritters, so do not hesitate to pick them.

Plan staggered sowings every 2-3 weeks for continuous production. Store ripe squash in a dry, airy place at 10-15°C; they keep for several months. Complete your range with our organic fertilisers and natural mulches for optimised ecological growing.

Technical specifications