Growing Zucchini Squash

Growing Zucchini

Zucchini are a kind of summer squash. The small gourd like vegetable grows on a vine. The plant originated in Italy and the word zucchini is Italian for squash. Zucchini can be green or yellow and resemble a cucumber.

Zucchini is an easy vegetable to grow making it an excellent choice for a first time gardener. Its yellow flowers that bloom become zucchini squash. Once zucchini begins to produce there is not much that prevents it from growing.

Plant the zucchini where it will get hours in the sun. Planting only a couple of plants will provide enough of the vegetable to feed your family as well as having plenty left over to share.

The bush varieties of zucchini are popular with gardeners who do not have a large garden space. The vine type of zucchini can be trained to climb a fence or trellis. Whether you sowing seeds or transplanting seedling, first prepare the earth.

Dig a hole about 2 feet in diameter and about one foot deep. The soil Ph should be 6.0 to 6.5. Mix in compost and fertilizer. Mound up the soil, creating a hill. Plant at least two hills spaced 48 inches apart.

If starting from seed, wait until the threat of frost is past. In each hill, sow a handful of seeds, six inches apart and an inch deep. The seeds will germinate in about a week. Once zucchini appear, thin the plants to the hardiest.

Growing zucchini seedlings is a fun gardening project for children. Plant in paper pots that you will transplant directly in a hill.

Fill the pot with a rich potting mix, placing one seed in each pot. Speed up the germination process by placing a sandwich bag over the pot for a miniature greenhouse effect

Care for growing zucchini

Do not over water. Let the top of the soil dry out between watering. Don't water from overhead, but soak the soil underneath. Top watering encourages deadly mildew and wilts. Feed every two to three weeks to grow productive plants. Mulch to conserve moisture.

The growing zucchini plant usually shoots out about numerous leaves before it begins blooming. Zucchini has both male and female blossoms. At times, all the first blooms will be males. Do not worry; the second blossoming will produce female flowers.

If the female flowers neglect to set fruit, the reason may be the growing zucchini was not pollinated properly. This condition could be caused by high humidity or a shortage of bees and butterflies. While easy to grow, all squash requires a plentiful bee population for successful pollination.

Harvesting

From seed to harvest is 40 to 55 days. The time from transplants to table takes 35 to 40 days. Check the plants frequently and pick the zucchini as it ripens. An over ripe zucchini loses its flavor and becomes tough. Harvest the fruit when it is three to six inches long.

Slice the young and tender zucchini paper thin to serve in salads. Zucchini are good grilled, baked, broiled, or boiled. It has a delicate flavor that spices up stews and soups. Zucchini is a tasty squash for making into bread.

Pests and Disease

The most common pests for the growing zucchini are the squash bug, cucumber beetle, caterpillars, and the cutter worm. Control the insects by regularly handpicking or spraying. Major diseases include blossom end rot and powdery mildew.

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