Bennings Green Tint Scallop is a heirloom summer squash with tender, light green fruit shaped like a delicate scallop shell, ready to harvest in just 50-60 days. Developed by Charles N. Farr specifically for its uniform, graceful form and distinctive greenish-cream color at early maturity, this compact plant produces excellent yields in zones 3-12 with minimal fuss. It represents a long gardening lineage, descended from patty pan varieties that Native Americans and European gardeners have cultivated for centuries, making it both a reliable producer and a living piece of food history.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-12
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Moderate
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This variety earned its name honestly: Charles N. Farr selected it specifically for uniform scallop-shaped fruit and that particular greenish-cream hue that appears as the squash matures. The compact growth habit means you can fit productive plants into modest garden spaces, and the tender flesh harvests at its peak within two months of planting. Early gardeners, even young ones, find it remarkably easy to grow, which is partly why it remains a beloved heirloom rather than fading into obscurity.
Summer squash like Bennings Green Tint are at their culinary best when harvested young and tender, sliced and sautéed with minimal seasoning to let the delicate flavor shine. The scallop shape makes them striking on a plate, encouraging roasting, grilling, or quick pan-frying whole or halved. Their tender flesh also suits light preparations: steaming, adding to vegetable medleys, or brief stir-frying where the gentle, slightly sweet character comes through without being masked by heavy sauces.
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Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before planting. Space transplants 24 inches apart in soil that has warmed to at least 70°F and after all frost danger has passed.
Direct sow seeds into warm soil after the last frost date, planting in hills or rows spaced 24 inches apart. Squash germinates readily in soil warmed to 70°F.
Pick Bennings Green Tint Scallop when the fruit is young and tender, before it reaches full maturity, typically 50-60 days after planting. The scallop-shaped fruit harvests best at 3-4 inches across, when the skin is still thin and the greenish-cream color has just begun to develop. Cut the fruit from the plant with a sharp knife rather than pulling, which can damage the vine, and harvest regularly to encourage continued production throughout the season.
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“Scalloped patty pan squashes arrived in America long before European settlement, cultivated by Native Americans along the East Coast, and made their way to European gardens by the 16th century. Bennings Green Tint Scallop emerged from this deep tradition when Charles N. Farr undertook deliberate selection work to refine the variety, choosing plants that produced the most uniform scallop-shaped fruit with that distinctive greenish-cream coloring at the early stages of fruiting. Farr's careful breeding created a variety that preserves the charm of ancient patty pans while offering the consistency and productivity that home gardeners crave, turning a casual selection into a standardized heirloom worth preserving and sharing.”