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Growing zucchini (or courgettes) is incredibly easy, and is the ideal vegetable to encourage kids to grow a garden. Once zucchini fruit start to set, the time isn't far from harvesting, giving young gardeners a thrill.
Steps
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Decide how you’re going to start your zucchini. There are two general methods of propagating zucchini - either by planting seeds, or by purchasing a small pre-existing zucchini plant and transplanting it to your garden. If you choose to grow your zucchini from seeds, you’ll have to start your seeds 4-6 weeks prior to the planting time outdoors for your environment/location. Grabbing a pre-potted plant is always easier and less time-consuming, but may not be as fulfilling as starting your zucchini from seeds.
- There are a few kinds of zucchini, but the squash are all generally the same. You might see zucchini as classified as ‘open habit’ or ‘dense habit’, which refers to the way the leaves grow on the bush (sprawling/vine-y or bush-like).
- Most bush varieties of zucchini are considered summer squash, while vine varieties are considered winter squash.
- Zucchini will vary naturally between a yellow-ish hue and a green so dark it is nearly black. Some have very mild stripes/spots, this is normal and should not be concerning.
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Know when to plant. Zucchini is typically considered a summer squash, because it thrives and produces the best fruit in summer. Some varieties are considered winter squashes, but this has to do with the time of fruiting, rather than the time of planting. Zucchini are sun loving and won’t do well in cold soil. Therefore, plant your zucchini when the temperature of the soil outdoors is at least 55 °F (13 °C). This is normally after the first or second week of spring, after all chance of frost have passed. [1] X Research source
- If you’re not sure when to plant, call your local agricultural extension for detailed information on planting times for zucchini in your area.
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Find the perfect planting location. Zucchini will thrive in an area that gets full sunlight with plenty of room to spread out. Find a location in your garden that will supply the zucchini with at least 6-10 hours of sunlight per day, and that lacks too much shade. Be sure to select a plot that has well draining soil; zucchini like moist soil, but not soggy soil.
- If necessary, improve drainage by planting the zucchini on soil mounds, or through larger changes such as soil amendment and drainage systems.
- Plant in an area with southern exposure for maximum sun (or northern exposure in the Southern Hemisphere).
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Prepare your soil. Although not everyone has the time to, preparing soil several months in advance will allow for the best growing conditions for your zucchini. Start by mixing in a gardening mulch and fertilizer, to supply the soil with the necessary nutrients. Test the soil pH, and amend it if necessary; zucchini prefer a soil environment with a pH between 6 and 7.5. To make the soil more acidic (lower pH), mix in peat moss or pine needles. To make the soil more alkaline (higher pH), mix in lime. [2] X Research source
- To add nutrients and organic material, till compost into the soil a month before planting, then cover with mulch until time to plant.
- If your soil does not drain well, mix in some sand to help encourage water drainage.
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Start your seeds . If you’d rather not take chances of sowing your seeds directly into the soil, you can start your zucchini seeds indoors 4-6 weeks prior to transplanting them outdoors. Grab seed trays, soil-less potting mixture, and your seeds. Place a single seed in each tray, cover with â…› inch of potting mixture, and water well! These should be placed in an area that gets sunlight and is at least 60 °F (16 °C). When the second set of leaves have sprouted, the zucchini starts are ready to be transplanted outdoors.
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Prepare your plot. Use a gardening trowel to dig a small hole for your zucchini plant. If you’re planting seeds, you’ll need to stick each seed less than ½-inch under the soil. For zucchini starts, dig each hole to be slightly larger than the root ball on your plant. Keep 75–100 centimeter (39.4 in) space between each plant (same distance for row space). You can thin out seedlings if needed.
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Plant your zucchini. Place each zucchini seed or start into its own individual hole. Cover seeds with ¼ or ½ inch of soil, so that they are able to get the necessary sunlight and water for germinating. Cover up a zucchini transplant with enough soil to cover the root ball without reaching up the stem. Finish up planting with a heavy watering, and you’re done!
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Maintain your zucchini plants. Keep an eye on your zucchini as they begin to grow. They’re relatively low-maintenance plants, but they do require a bit of upkeep in order to stay in tip-top producing condition. Pull out any weeds on site, and apply a layer of mulch if weeds continue to be a problem. Add a liquid growth fertilizer every 3-4 weeks to help promote growth in your zucchini. Cut off any diseased or dying fruit or branches to prevent disease from spreading to other parts of the plant, and to promote continuous growth.
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Promote growth. In order for your plant to start producing zucchini fruit, it has to become pollinated. If you lack bees or other pollinating insects in your area, or if your zucchini plant doesn’t seem to be producing any squash, you can pollinate your plant on your own. Pick a male zucchini flower, identifiable by its long stem, slender stem, and a visible stamen in the center. Carefully pull back the blossoms on the stem, and rub the stamen inside a female zucchini flower. Female zucchini flowers have short stems, a bulbous growth where the flower meets the stem, and lack stamens. [3] X Research source
- You can do this to several flowers or just a few, depending on the amount of time you have and the growth you’re trying to promote.
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Harvest your zucchini. When zucchini have grown to at least 4-inches in length, they are ready to be picked and eaten . Picking zucchini regularly promotes more squash production. Therefore, if you want lots of the squash, then pick all the zucchinis as they reach maturity. If you don’t have a need for too many squash, leave one or two zucchinis on the vine for the whole growing season to slow down the production. To harvest your zucchini, use a sharp knife to sever the squash from the rough stem that attaches it to the bush.
- Enjoy the flowers in salads. These are edible and if you pick them, there won't be so many zucchini fruits growing.
- Crops will continue to grow until the first frosts if they established well during spring.
- You can simply cut the stem of a zucchini to promote growth, if you don’t want to harvest all of your squash yet. [4] X Research source
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionI was given several zucchinis, but they were hard as a rock. I couldn't peel or cut them. I plan to grow my own this year. How do I avoid this issue?Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Center at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee.Zucchinis can grow hard if they are left on the vine too long. Harvest them as soon as they are around 4 inches (10 cm) long to avoid this.
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QuestionHow long will growing zucchini take from planting to harvesting?Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Center at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee.Typically, Zucchini seeds take around 60 days after planting to reach full maturity.
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QuestionHow do I make my zucchini produce?Community AnswerPollinate the flowers by sticking a paintbrush in a male flower and transferring the pollen to the female flower.
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Tips
- If you want to store your zucchini for later and keep fresh, you can either refrigerate it or freeze it.Thanks
- Yellow and green zucchini taste the same but the yellow are easier to find if you're growing a lot!Thanks
- Zucchini is great stuffed, added to pasta sauce, and turned into soups. It can also be used in salads, and is often used grated to make "zucchini pasta".Thanks
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Warnings
- If the fruit does not set properly, this is because there has been inadequate pollination of the female flowers. You can remove a male flower and pollinate the female flowers by hand to ensure that this is not a problem.Thanks
- In much of North America, the squash vine borer is a major pest for zucchini plants. [5] X Research source Signs of a infestation include wilting leaves, holes in the base of your plants, and a sawdust-like substance on the stems. [6] X Research source Other pests include whitefly, aphids, spider mites, nematodes, mildews, moulds, and viruses.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Zucchini seeds
- Digging tools
- Suitable garden space
References
- ↑ https://www.almanac.com/plant/squash-zucchini
- ↑ https://www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/zucchini-grow-18070588.php
- ↑ https://www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/distinguish-between-male-female-zucchini-flowers-18029891.php
- ↑ https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/vegetables/zucchini-101-growing-and-harvesting-this-super-squash
- ↑ https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/leaf/squash_vine_borer.htm
- ↑ https://www.almanac.com/pest/squash-vine-borer
About This Article
Article Summary
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To grow zucchini from seeds, plant your seeds in pots indoors 4-6 weeks before the second week of spring. After the last chance of frost has passed, transfer the zucchini seedlings to an area of your garden that gets lots of sunlight and has space for the plants to spread out. To plant the seedlings, dig holes slightly larger than the root ball on your plant and plant them in rows. As your plants grow, pull out any weeds you see and apply a fertilizer every 4 weeks to aid with growth. For tips on how to harvest your zucchini, keep reading!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I came to your site because I wanted to know if I should plant the zucchini plants I bought from the store, and whether they should be separated or planted, as they were grouped about 3 or 4 in a pot. However, I learned an easy way to pollinate using a male flower. Thank you." ..." more
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"I came to your site because I wanted to know if I should plant the zucchini plants I bought from the store, and whether they should be separated or planted, as they were grouped about 3 or 4 in a pot. However, I learned an easy way to pollinate using a male flower. Thank you."
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"This article really helped me through the planting process, but when it got to maintaining the plant I realized the fruit had started to rot and turn yellow at the ends. Thanks for giving me tips on how to pollinate my zucchini plants to fix this issue!"
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"Thanks for the info. I threw some sliced zucchini in the back yard for the rabbits, and now have a huge plant! I don't know if I will get anything from it, but I keep checking."
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"Very helpful. Learned about spacing location and pollination. We have an over abundance of bees and learned to handle this situation. Thanks for the useful information."
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"My neighbor and I are trading plants. He is giving me zucchini plants and I am giving him broccoli plants. This helps because I haven't grown zucchini before."
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