Zucchinis, that delightful summer squash that some people consider an intermediate plant, is actually pretty easy to grow. If treated right, they will be some of the most prolific plants you’ve ever seen. They do take up a fair amount of space and resources to achieve this massive bounty, causing the average grower to only plant one or two. But without multiple zucchini plants to fall back on in case something goes wrong, you’ll have all your eggs in one basket. So today, let’s look at all the things that we need to know to grow epic zucchinis this year and all the things that we need to avoid so that we don’t end up with none.
Zucchinis, courgettes, and summer squash — they’re all the same thing. First grown in Milan, Italy, a few hundred years back, zucchinis are the direct descendants of domesticated squash first found in Central South America over 7,000 years ago. You wouldn’t know it, but botanically, zucchinis are actually a berry. It really is a fun, amazing plant with an interesting backstory. So let’s look at all the things that we need to know to be successful zucchini growers.
Zucchinis can most certainly be direct seeded, provided you have a long enough summer. If you’re going that route, plant your seeds one inch deep into moist, rich soil when the temperatures have hit 65 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure that you’re clear of any possible spring frost, and your zucchini plants are good to go. They germinate fast; within a week to 10 days, and you’ll be off to the races once the true leaves appear. Another one to two weeks later, if growing more than one, space your plants at least two feet apart, and if you’re growing many, keep your rows three to four feet apart. Many people who direct seed will plant two seeds per spot, thinning to the best plant shortly after germination. This is sort of an insurance policy, guaranteeing you a healthy plant in the early stages. Remember, usually, we’re not growing very many zucchini plants, so we need all the insurance we can get for these guys.
That’s great, and it’s nice to have the choice, but to save time as well as bed space, I always grow my zucchinis from starter plants. You can buy them every spring for pretty cheap, but if you’re like me, you’ll want to make your own. If you missed the first zucchini article, here’s a quick tutorial on how to do just that. Roughly a month before your last spring frost, plant your zucchini seeds in a potting mix designed for seed starting. I tend to plant my zucchinis roughly a month after my tomatoes and peppers simply because they grow faster and get planted in the garden later in the season. I usually plant my zucchini seeds in the 70-cell nursery trays, but you can use anything from small pots to even biodegradable paper cups. Keep the soil moist and between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and you’ll see germination within a week. Once they sprout, try to keep the temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit to keep them from getting too large and lush, and give them as much light as humanly possible. If you’re anything like me and you always make the mistake of starting your zucchini seeds too early, you may need to move them onto larger pots with some fresh soil. For those instances where they’re really stuck inside for too long, you might even have to give them a little bit of liquid food to keep them healthy. Remember, if your tomatoes and peppers end up being started and germinated indoors about three months before planting, aim for your zucchini seeds to be started around two months prior. The timing of the seed starting for zucchinis really is an art form, and you’ll get it after a few seasons. But either way, as a fast-growing plant, there’s thankfully a pretty big margin of error, so don’t get discouraged or even turned off of starting your own.
When nighttime temperatures consistently rise above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, our indoor zucchini plants are likely bursting with growth and ready to be transplanted in late spring. I prefer to harden off my zucchini plants for at least a week to avoid transplant shock and minimize the risk of leaf damage. Slowly open them to outside components by putting them in an obscure spot for two or three hours all at once, expanding openness continuously.
At the point when it comes time to plant, it’s pivotal to cover the zucchinis profoundly, straight up to the principal whorl of leaves. The part of the squash where the stem meets the soil is notorious for producing tall root collars. This is fine for smaller plants, but as they grow and especially when they begin producing fruit, they can become top-heavy and susceptible to tipping over. Establishing them profound settles the plant and energizes solid root advancement, which is fundamental for supporting the developing plant and its organic product. In this way, make a point to set those zucchinis overall quite somewhere down in the dirt to guarantee a solid, useful plant.. When I plant mine, I don’t just use the soil from the garden bed. Obviously, with a container or pot, I’ll use a brand new potting mix, but even in a raised bed, I’ll supplement the planting with some fresh soil. Give those new roots of these still fairly young plants something to dive into and really get established. For spacing, you really need to go bigger than you think. Truly, these are big bad boy plants that need room to grow. Two feet apart minimum, three feet apart between rows if you’re crazy enough to grow that many. You can intersperse other crops such as lettuce or spinach or even onions. Get creative with it. Zucchinis are actually amazing companion plants.
Okay, let’s get some mulch in these guys and water them super good to complete the planting. When watering your zucchinis, not just for the first time, really water long and thorough at the base of the plant. You want to encourage your zucchinis to develop really deep root growth. It’s in their best interest. Zucchinis are impressive plants, and while they grow massive and produce substantial bounties, it comes at a price. Both the space and water requirements are obvious, but like my tomatoes, zucchinis are one of the rare plants in my garden that actually need supplemental fertilizing. I always heavily fortify my raised beds with my own compost. Heck, I even do it with my pot sometimes too. For virtually all the plants in my garden, that’s enough, except for zucchinis. If you’re like me and you feel that your zucchinis need an added boost, you want to go with a balanced organic solution. What I mean by balanced is equal numbers of the NPK. Those are the numbers that you see on the packaging of any commercial store-bought fertilizer, and what that is is that product’s ratio between its nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are the three main macronutrients that all plants need for sustained growth. Try to keep them as close to equal as possible if you’re going to go that route. Gardeners that are growing container zucchini are gonna need to supplement at some point. There’s really no way around it, and honestly, even
if you’re growing them in raised beds, you’re probably gonna need to feed them something as well. Of course, that depends on the quality of your soil and the quality of your compost if you’re adding some, but these are big, vigorous plants, and it comes at a cost.
Zucchinis produce both male and female flowers on the same plant. Early on, you can get a bunch of flowers and no fruit, and this can be really confusing for new growers. But what it is is those are the male flowers. They tend to come earlier; the female flowers follow, and they’re the ones that bear the fruit. So you just need a little bit of patience early on; the fruit is coming. And speaking of the fruit, zucchinis are always picked immature. You want to harvest them early, about six to eight inches long maximum. If you’re growing them for bread or to feed the livestock, you can let them grow much bigger, but they won’t be good for you to eat. Plus, the more you pick these guys and the faster you do it, the more they produce for you. Once the mother plants get going, they can produce for you non-stop for months, and you’ll quickly start to see why one or two plants is more than enough for most families.
There’s a few things that are gonna put a damper on our zucchini master plans; let’s tackle them in chronological order, as that makes the most sense. Like we said before, zucchinis contain both male and female flowers. By definition, this makes them imperfect, as they don’t have stamens and pistols on the same flowering structure. So for a zucchini plant to fertilize its female flowers, insects such as bees must be present. If you’re not seeing fruit or very little of it, you could have a pollination issue. Another telltale sign of pollination issues is getting a little bit of fruit and then having them wither and fall off. So if you’re not seeing fruit or very little fruit or fruit that just falls off, you could be having a pollination issue. Having more zucchini plants in the surrounding area is obviously going to help, but some people actually resort to hand pollinating. It’s not that hard, and the tool-less method works the best. Simply peel off a male flower, exposing the pollen-loaded anthers, rub the anther all over the stigma of a female flower, and voila, pollination issues solved.
Blossom end rot is another issue with the fruit that almost every grower will encounter at some point. This is a calcium deficiency in the plant’s cells, which has a physiological effect. Since the cells of a zucchini plant that are in a real sense the uttermost away from its vehicle framework are those toward the finish of the organic product, they get minimal measure of calcium. Plants use calcium to fabricate their cell walls, thus the lack is first seen by an obscuring off followed by decaying of the organic product end. On the surface, you might think, okay, I need to add some calcium to the soil. The most likely cause is inconsistent watering. The calcium is moved by water through the plant’s transport tissue. Insufficient water, , the fruit’s end will suffer first because it is so far from the water and nutrients it needs. Something else that can cause bloom end decay in zucchinis is an excess of nitrogen. Recall before that we said zucchinis require a reasonable supplement blend? There’s a reason for it, then. On account of nitrogen, a lot of it will create gigantic, costly foliage which will hoard the assets like calcium and water.
The other major issue that tends to rear its head later on, and you’ll come across it because every gardener does, and that’s powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease outbreak that begins as white mold spots on the leaves. It quickly spreads if left untreated and it’ll take down entire plants pretty fast. For many of us, it happens at the end of the season and it doesn’t really do us any harm. But in some cases, it can appear early, and if it does, it will definitely affect your plants and your harvest. Crowded conditions, lack of airflow, water on the leaves are all a perfect storm for an outbreak. Make sure to water your plants at the base, not all over the leaves, and of course, space your zooks properly right from the beginning. Even still, you may need to prune certain plants where the foliage becomes too constricting. Just remove the older leaves diligently and keep an eye out for overgrown specimens.
Zucchinis are an amazing plant, and once you grow them properly, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more bountiful crop. I kind of do see how some growers consider them to be an intermediate plant, you know, due to the unforgiving nature of the watering, the nutrient balance issues, and of course, the threat of late-season powdery mildew. But don’t let any of that scare you. I’ve seen first-time growers do amazing with their zucchinis, and I know you can too. And hey, if you have any other zucchini growing tips that you’d love to share, make sure to leave a comment down below.
