Growing zucchini in open ground, in a greenhouse and at home: caring for them, how to grow them in a cunning way

Zucchini is a vegetable from the pumpkin family, native to hot Mexico. It is easy to grow, unpretentious and has excellent taste. It is fried, stewed, pickled and canned, compotes are made with it and jam is made. It has a minimum of calories and is useful for young children. All these qualities helped the zucchini win the love of summer residents.

Some people grow the vegetable in a greenhouse, but it also grows well in open ground, thanks to its early ripening and unpretentiousness. In order to always enjoy the harvest, it is necessary to observe some growing features. And first of all, we choose a variety.

Description of zucchini and overview of varieties

Zucchini forms a powerful bush up to 70 cm high, sometimes more, on which elongated fruits of yellow, dark green or white grow. Only 7–14-day-old young fruits are eaten. Older fruits are much larger, but become hard and practically unsuitable for food. They are used as livestock feed, but their feed value is low, because zucchini fruits of any age are low in calories. But this quality makes them simply irreplaceable in a person’s diet for losing excess weight.

Four different varieties of zucchini

100 g of zucchini provides only 27 kilocalories. Of the nutrients, it contains the most potassium - 240 mg. There is iron, organic acids and a set of vitamins of groups C, PP, B and carotene.

Self-pollinating varieties of zucchini

Used for growing indoors, in the absence of pollinating insects:

Cavili.
Parthenon.
Jellyfish.

Early varieties

Ball.
Tsukesha.
Aeronaut.

Late varieties

Calabash.
Spaghetti.

Ancient varieties

Gribovsky.
Odessa.
Kuldzhinskie.
Greek.

WHERE DOES ZUCCHE COME FROM?

Central America is considered the birthplace of zucchini. Here, since ancient times, it was grown by Indian tribes, who prepared many tasty and healthy dishes from it.

Spanish sailors brought the seeds of this interesting crop to Europe at the end of the 16th century. And here for almost a hundred years it was grown as an ornamental plant with exotic huge yellow and orange flowers.

Interestingly, the French and Italians were the first to use it for food. Moreover, not only fruits, but also flowers were used. To this day, Italians prepare stuffed squash flowers and pickled buds for the holidays.

In Russia, zucchini appeared only in the middle of the 19th century. And he immediately fell in love with both the nobility and the common people. Unpretentious zucchini was grown almost throughout the country. It was in Russia that they first began to prepare squash caviar and pies with squash filling.

Growing zucchini seedlings

The first fruits of zucchini are ready to eat already 50–60 days after germination, so in the central and southern regions they have time to ripen even when planted without seedlings, directly with seeds in the ground.

However, the first harvest is not the entire harvest. Zucchini can bear fruit throughout the warm period until the coldest weather. Therefore, the earlier they are planted, the more harvest they will produce during the season. And for early planting, the seedling method is used even in warm regions. In addition, zucchini is heat-loving. The optimal growth temperature is 18–25 degrees. And for quick and friendly seed germination, an even higher temperature is required - 25–28 degrees, which only happens outside at the beginning of summer.

Tara

Zucchini produces fairly powerful shoots, so it needs a volume of soil of at least 350–500 g. If you need only a few seedlings, it is best to use rectangular cut-off dairy packaging. They are cut off and several holes are made at the bottom to drain excess water. It is better not to wash the packs - there is an assumption that the colony of lactic acid bacteria improves the background microflora of the soil and prevents competing pathogenic microflora from settling. How exactly this works at the microbiological level has not yet been described by science. But in practice, many years of experience have shown that plants grow better in such packaging, that’s a fact.

Can be placed in a box for ease of transport

Planting each plant in a separate container is called “closed root” growing. This means that when transplanting into open ground, the plant will not need to be removed from the common box, damaging the roots, but can be transplanted from a separate container along with the soil, without disturbing the roots at all. With this planting, the plants do not get sick and immediately begin to grow.

This is especially important for zucchini because they do not like transplanting. For the same reason, they are not picked (intermediate transplant).

You can use any other container of suitable volume - plastic glasses, pots, cassettes with cells, etc.

These cassettes have holes in the bottom to drain excess water.

You can avoid problems with preparing the soil and finding containers and save time by buying ready-made peat humus pots in specialized stores or companies.

Soil for seedlings

Zucchini is demanding on the soil. Poor sandstones, pure peat and heavy clay soils are not suitable for them. The soil should be nutritious, loose and free-flowing. And when it dries, it should not become hard and form cracks.

Most often, the soil for them is prepared according to the following recipe:

1 part good garden soil.
1 part forest, compost or manure humus.
0.5 parts of peat - as needed to add looseness.

Adding 0.5 liters of wood ash to 10 liters of mixture will provide the plant with all the necessary elements for growth, except for nitrogen, which is not present in ash. All other substances may be in the soil, but something may be missing, but in the ash they are 100% guaranteed.

It is better if the soil was prepared in the fall and stored in the cold. Then it is sterilized by cold. Ice crystals formed when water freezes in the ground break apart the soil particles, and when it thaws, it becomes softer and looser.

The soil is brought in from the frost in advance so that it warms up the entire massif to a temperature of at least 25 degrees.

Deadlines

Seedlings are ready for planting in open ground at the age of 30–35 days. Based on this, the timing of planting seeds for seedlings is calculated for each region. It is taken into account that zucchini is a heat-loving crop and can be planted when it is at least 15–20 degrees outside. For example, if in the southern regions it is May 1, then seeds for seedlings are planted 30–35 days before this date, March 25 - April 1. If in southern Siberia it is June 1, then the seeds for seedlings are planted on April 25 - May 1.

Seed preparation

Seeds are prepared in the same way both for planting as seedlings and for planting directly in the garden.

First, the seeds are disinfected by placing them in a pink manganese solution for 20–30 minutes. Then the seeds are washed and germinated at a temperature of 20–25 degrees. A cloth is placed on a plate, seeds are placed on it and the cloth is covered on top. The seeds lie until they begin to hatch. All this time, the fabric is not allowed to dry out, moistening with water as needed.

Preparing seeds for planting

It is necessary to select all large ones and discard empty seeds. They are heated in the sun for 10 days, or in the oven for 4 hours, gradually increasing the temperature to 50 degrees.

You can soak the seeds in a growth stimulator. For 200 ml of water, 6 drops of Epin Extra. Leave for 15-20 hours without a lid. To eliminate root rot and bacteriosis, treat the seed material for 2 hours in a solution of phytosporin, or in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 12 hours.

Sometimes the packages with seeds already indicate that the seeds do not need processing, then this step can be skipped.

For resistance to frost, hardening is carried out. To do this, the seeds are placed in the refrigerator on the lowest shelf for 3 days. Or changing the temperature. Ten hours at room temperature and sixteen hours on the refrigerator shelf. After all the manipulations have been completed, the seeds are ready for planting.

For quick germination, the seeds need to be germinated. They are placed in wet gauze and placed in a warm place. Usually sprouts appear after 1-2 days. And you can sow.

Growing in open ground

Zucchini is easy to care for. It will produce a small harvest even in an unfavorable year with minimal care. But in order to get a full harvest, you must fulfill the requirements of agricultural technology and care.

Priming

Fertile areas, sheltered from the wind, are allocated for zucchini. With a serious approach, the soil is prepared in the fall, adding 10 sq.m. for digging. 50–70 kg of humus, manure or semi-rotted compost, and 200–300 g of superphosphate.

In the spring, the area is dug up again and fertilizing is applied - 150 g of ammonium nitrate and 200 g of potassium salt per 10 square meters. m.

If the soil is loose and warms up well, zucchini is planted on a flat area. If the soil is clayey, heavy and cold, ridges are poured from a loose mixture of humus, turf soil, compost, peat and garden soil in proportions. which will ensure soil looseness.

Landing

The intervals between zucchini can be different - 60 by 40 cm, 50 by 50 cm. The main criterion is that there should be about 1 square meter per plant. m. On good soil, zucchini is planted in holes in the usual way. If the soil is poor, sandy, or heavy clay, the ground for zucchini can be significantly improved. Holes are dug with a depth of 20–25 cm and a diameter of 35–40 cm. 5–7 liters of manure are poured at the bottom, which is covered with earth. The seedlings with a lump of earth are placed in a hole and covered with loose soil so that the hole is slightly below ground level. This is done for ease of watering, so that the water does not spread when watering. After planting, the hole is generously watered and covered with mulch - peat, humus, compost, rotten dark sawdust, etc.

Soon they will grow and cover the entire area

Mulched plantings require watering much less frequently, since mulch prevents moisture from quickly evaporating even in hot weather.

Watering

Zucchini is demanding on soil moisture. The frequency and amount of watering is determined by summer conditions and location. You cannot leave zucchini in dry soil without watering - the fruits become sluggish, the ovary and foliage dry out, and with abundant watering or rain after a drought, the ends of the fruits begin to rot.

Therefore, the basic rule is to keep the soil constantly moderately moist. But during the fruiting period, zucchini need more moisture, and the volume of water for irrigation is increased.

Top dressing

If the soil is filled with fertilizers in the fall and spring, fertilizing is practically not needed. Also, little or no fertilizing is needed on initially fertile soils - rich black soils and rich black loams.

At the same time, it is important that the predecessors are not related to pumpkin squash - cucumbers, squash, pumpkins. Related species remove from the soil the substances that this particular species needs, and it is these that the zucchini may then lack.

A lack of nutrients in the soil is immediately visible by the poor development of plants and fruits. Then the zucchini must be fed every 10–12 days.

Organic fertilizers

Fresh mullein or slurry is diluted in an amount of 1.5–2 liters per 10 liters of water.

Bird droppings are also used in a proportion of 0.5 liters per 10 liters of water.

It is better if the solution stands for 1-2 days. Then the water is saturated with oxygen and more organic substances will dissolve in the water, turning into a form more accessible to the plant.

Mineral supplements

Dilute in 10 liters of water

30 g ammonium nitrate or urea
40 g superphosphate or 20 g double superphosphate
20 g potassium salt
30 g of nitrogen fertilizers (nitrate or urea) and 100–150 gram glass of wood ash.

Before fertilizing with any fertilizer, zucchini is watered with plain water to avoid burning the roots. Solutions of any fertilizers are watered at the rate of 1 to 3 liters per plant, namely:

1 liter for young bushes 20–30 cm high
2 liters for more developed bushes with ovaries
3 liters for an adult bush.

After each watering and fertilizing, the mulch washed away with water is raked over the damp soil or a portion of new mulch is added.

Such doses and compositions of fertilizers are recommended by serious sources, which are based on many years of agronomic experiments conducted at scientific experimental stations. The plant converts all fertilizer substances into others that are useful to the human body. But, for example, excess nitrogen in fertilizing can lead to the accumulation of harmful concentrations of nitrates and nitrites. Therefore, gardeners try not to overuse excessive fertilizers, including organic ones, because they contain nitrogen in large quantities. It is better to lose in the harvest, but you are guaranteed to get a pure, healthy product. Otherwise, the composition of a rich harvest will be no different from that produced en masse on large farms, where the quantity and appearance of the crop are of paramount importance.

Harvesting

Zucchini fruits should not be allowed to outgrow. Overripe large fruits older than 12–14 days take on a lot of nutrients and moisture, thereby inhibiting the formation and growth of new ovaries. Therefore, harvesting is considered a maintenance operation. Edible zucchini that is 8–12 days old must be removed by cutting it with a sharp knife, thereby accelerating the growth of new ovaries. The fruits are harvested approximately once a week.

Pre-sowing preparation

Trading enterprises offer a wide range of zucchini and zucchini seeds. According to the reviews of the majority of gardeners who buy planting material from well-known brands, the descriptions of the plant and images of the fruits placed on the packages correspond to the result; misgrading is almost never encountered. As a rule, such seeds undergo high-quality sorting and special preparation, which guarantees fast and uniform germination, active growth in the early stages, resistance to diseases and weather stress, uniformity and marketability of vegetable products, and high taste.

In the photo - seeds in packages of various agricultural manufacturers of planting material

When purchasing, it is important to pay attention to the release and expiration dates of the seeds. Their maximum germination rate begins at 2 years of age and remains high (up to 95%) even in the sixth year. One-year “fresh” seeds are produced mainly by barren flowers.

In general, zucchini, like their closest “relatives” (watermelons, squash, zucchini and some large-fruited pumpkins), have a biological feature that to a certain extent complicates the process of growing them: during the flowering period, male flowers (empty flowers) appear earlier and there are 10 of them -20 times more than female (pistillate). Experts recommend growing plants from seeds that are 2-3 years old; it is on such specimens that significantly more female flowers are formed, which determines the yield of these crops.

Many summer residents use “homemade” seed material collected from ripened fruits for planting.

When using “your” seeds, you need to take into account several nuances. They must be absolutely healthy and well-ripened, preferably proven, local varieties. Attempts to propagate F1 hybrids in subsequent seasons are useless, since their improved properties are not passed on to offspring. Seeds of varietal squash grown simultaneously with other varieties of the crop will turn out to be hybrid as a result of cross-pollination, and the new plants may be very different from the mother plant. It is recommended to update planting material every few years to prevent diseases from accumulating in it.

If you are interested in obtaining zucchini, squash and pumpkins that have all the declared varietal qualities, it is better to purchase new seeds annually from reliable, trusted producers.

Purchased planting material does not require pre-treatment. To speed up the emergence of seedlings, it is recommended to pre-soak self-collected seeds in water or spread them on a damp cloth, leave them in a warm place for 2-3 days until they swell and hatch, and then dry them until they flow and sow immediately.

Growing zucchini in greenhouses using biofuels

This is an old method that was widely used in cold regions for growing not only zucchini, but also other crops and seedlings. Nowadays it is rarely used for many reasons:

Labor-intensive, requires hard physical work.
The main biofuel, manure, is not as available today as it used to be.
The large supply of zucchini on the market all year round makes difficult “battles” for the harvest of early zucchini pointless.

But you need to know this method. It's a business matter - you can use it today.

The heating principle of such a greenhouse is fresh manure, which, when decomposed, “burns”, releasing heat. In autumn or spring, they dig a pit 50–70 cm deep over the entire area of the future greenhouse. At the end of March it is filled with manure. Garden soil is scattered on top of the manure in a layer of 12–15 cm. Flexible elastic arcs made of wire or glass reinforcement are placed above the greenhouse so that at the highest point it is no higher than 50 cm. If higher, there may not be enough heat to heat a large volume of air. A transparent film is stretched along the arcs.

The frames at the top can be replaced with arches

Sometimes, instead of arches, a wooden box 20–30 cm high from the surface of the garden is placed around the perimeter of the greenhouse. It is covered with frames with glass or film.

For any type of greenhouse, you need to have additional shelter on hand - several layers of non-woven material, fabric, padding polyester, light old clothes, etc., which are used to cover greenhouses in case of severe frosts.

Before planting seedlings from home, heated greenhouses or seeds in such greenhouses, biofuel is “turned on” by pouring boiling water - about 10 liters per 1 square meter. m. The greenhouse is immediately closed to save heat. Manure heated with boiling water should “ignite” and begin to release heat, self-heating inside to 50 degrees. The process will continue until the manure completely rots. This is a side value of the method - after using manure as biofuel, high-quality humus remains.

To monitor the temperature inside the greenhouse, place a thermometer on the soil.

Zucchini is planted in holes 25–30 cm deep, which are made directly in the manure. The hole is filled with prepared soil from a mixture of garden soil, humus, peat or loose turf soil to make the mixture loose. Add 150–200 g of wood ash to 10 liters of mixture.

The seedlings are planted in the hole up to the root collar. Seeds - to a depth of 1–1.5 cm.

Water rarely, once every 10–12 days, with warm and even slightly hot water, but not higher than 40 degrees.

As the weather warms up on sunny days, you need to monitor the temperature. The sun and biofuels can heat a greenhouse to temperatures above 50 degrees. The plants will simply burn. To reduce the temperature, do not remove the entire film, but open the corners of the greenhouse on one or both sides, more or less, depending on the temperature.

When the bushes grow and they become cramped under the shelter, it usually becomes quite warm outside. And if the film interferes with plant growth, it is simply removed completely. You can't do this suddenly. Under the film there is always a different microclimate, very different from the open mode. It's warm there, stagnant air and high humidity. The plant experiences shock due to an instant change in conditions; it may stop growing and get burned by winds, unusually dry air, direct sunlight and night cold. Therefore, the film is removed gradually - first two sides are opened, then completely for several hours, then removed completely. During hardening, the greenhouses are closed at night to conserve daytime heat.

It is impossible to name the exact timing and duration of such hardening. It all depends on the climate and weather. You just need to observe the plant and the thermometer readings on the ground. In the sun, the readings of a thermometer lying on the ground should not exceed 45 degrees. This does not mean that the plants are extremely overheated - the soil at this time, as a rule, is no warmer than 20–25 degrees, and a short-term increase in air temperature in sunny weather threatens the plants with thermal burns when the thermometer readings are above 45 degrees.

However, an approximate hardening algorithm is as follows:

During the first 3–5 days, the ends of the greenhouses are opened.
Over the next 3–5 days, up to a third of the area is opened.
Then for 5–7 days they open completely for 4–6 hours a day.
Afterwards you can remove the film completely.

You can leave the zucchini to grow under the slightly opened film until the end, if you raise the arches so that the film does not interfere with the development of the bushes.

Tips and tricks for growing

When choosing seeds, trust only a trusted manufacturer. Read planting recommendations carefully. Do not neglect disinfection of seeds; be sure to disinfect them.

For seedlings, purchased ready-made soil, which already contains the necessary set of nutrients, is perfect. Use flower pots, wooden boxes or any other dry and clean container as a container for seedlings.

After planting zucchini in open ground, follow the watering regime. Also, do not forget to regularly loosen the soil and remove weeds. Alternate mineral and organic fertilizers. Inspect the plant for external signs of disease, and if any are detected, begin treatment immediately.

Important ! All fertilizing is divided into root and foliar. Roots are useful for the roots and stem; to do this, treat the plant with Rossa or Bud. Foliar treatments include spraying with preventive medications. They are carried out once every 2 weeks.

Unusual growing methods

This method can be conditionally called “portable”. Zucchini seedlings are grown in the usual way, and then transplanted into containers of at least 5 liters, where they grow to completion.

Zucchini in bags and tubs

The advantages of this method are that you can compactly place zucchini in a greenhouse or even in a living room. Then, with the onset of stable heat - 18-25 degrees during the day, they can be taken outside, freeing up valuable greenhouse space for other crops.

The disadvantage of this method is that zucchini cannot develop to its full potential with this method. Under natural conditions, their root system is located widely and shallow from the surface. In a limited container, they are forced to form a root system in an unnatural form - to the bottom of the container in depth and limited in diameter of the container. The soil in a container dries out much faster than in a solid garden. Therefore, you have to water almost every day. In the garden, zucchini roots themselves find the most nutritious and favorable layer of soil for them. In a closed container, they are completely dependent on how fertile and suitable the soil is prepared for them.

Look a little depressed

For comparison, this is what zucchini bushes “free” might look like:

This is what normal zucchini bushes look like from mid-summer

The most suitable soil for zucchini in a closed container:

1 part of garden soil, chernozem, loam or sandstone, rich in humus.
1 part mature manure, compost or forest humus.
0.5 liter jar of wood ash per 10 liters of mixture.

If the garden soil is too heavy, the composition is made looser by adding no more than 10% (tenth) sand, 20% (fifth) peat.

Despite the disadvantages, this method allows you to grow zucchini in a warm place until the end or until the onset of heat. Therefore, for the northern regions it may be the only way to grow zucchini.

Zucchini in barrels

Sometimes zucchini is planted in 200-liter iron barrels.

In two adjacent barrels they develop unevenly

Zucchini have a larger feeding area in barrels than in bags. But another problem lurks. The iron or plastic walls of the barrels do not allow air to pass through, and the roots do not have enough oxygen. In the heat of the sun, the surface of barrels, especially iron ones, can heat up above 50 degrees, and all the roots near the walls suffocate and burn out.

Also, such planting requires daily watering. And a simple question arises - why not just plant zucchini in the ground exactly in the same place where the barrels are located. But here, as they say, the master is the master.

Description of the plant

Central America is considered to be the birthplace of the plant . Like many plants of the Western Hemisphere, it came to Europe about 500 years ago, and for quite a long time it was grown there exclusively as an ornamental greenhouse plant.

More than two hundred years passed before the gastronomic features of the vegetable were appreciated and it took its place in more than one hundred dishes. First of all, these are dietary and baby food, as well as numerous pickles and canned goods.

The varietal variety of zucchini is quite large. There are several hundred varieties and intervarietal hybrids. Currently, there are zucchini that can be grown in almost any conditions, with a wide variety of colors and pulp consistency. We can say that any gardener will be able to choose among all this variety the variety that will satisfy all his needs.

Zucchini with flower and fruit

Zucchini is a herbaceous annual plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. It has a branched root system, spreading within a radius of 0.8-1 m from the central stem. The depth of penetration of the root system is about one and a half meters, although in the vast majority of cases the roots do not go deeper than 40 cm.

The stems of zucchini bear large leaves with a characteristic five-lobed shape. Both the stems and leaf petioles of zucchini have noticeable pubescence. The growing season of zucchini is relatively short - no more than one and a half months. After it, the plant begins to form flowers and forms them until late autumn.

Various varieties of zucchini

The plant is monoecious. As a rule, each plant produces approximately the same number of male and female flowers. It is not recommended to plant different varieties of zucchini or other pumpkin plants in the same area to avoid cross-pollination.

Zucchini contains a lot of potassium, vitamins C and B. The calorie content of zucchini is low, about 27 Kcal per 100 g of weight, which makes this plant an excellent dietary dish.

Diseases and pests of zucchini

Basically, zucchini suffers from three serious diseases.

Powdery mildew

This is a fungal disease. It can be easily identified by the appearance of a white coating on the foliage. The plant looks like it has been sprinkled with flour, which is why the disease got its name. Affected leaves become brittle and eventually dry out.

This disease develops in cold, damp and cloudy weather. When the temperature rises above 20 degrees, the development of the disease stops on its own, especially with a clear sky in the sun.

Among the old means of control, it is recommended to dust the affected areas with colloidal sulfur powder. Dusting with wood ash may help. This dries out the leaf and creates an unfavorable environment for the development of fungus.

Copper-containing preparations are also used - Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate solution: add 7 g of copper sulfate and 30 g of laundry soap dissolved in water to 10 liters of water.

A large group of drugs specifically designed to combat fungal diseases are called fungicides. Modern fungicides recommended for use in small-scale crop production - Topaz, etc. (there are more than 100 types of them today) are used in extreme cases according to the instructions on the packages.

Root rot

Appears on the bottom of the stems. First, the root collar rots, then the lesion spreads up the stems and down, affecting the roots. The onset of the disease is determined by the appearance of brown spots. This is also a fungal disease, and control measures are the same as for powdery mildew. Watering with cold water and sudden temperature changes can trigger the disease.

Plant completely killed by disease

Apical bacteriosis

This is a bacterial disease. It first attacks zucchini fruits. Determined by the following criteria:

At the first stage, the ovary stops growing.
Then it becomes glassy, the tip of the ovary begins to rot.
The fruit at the stem continues to grow for some time, eventually taking on an ugly shape.

The disease is provoked by watering with cold water, too high humidity, and unfavorable growing conditions.

The affected fruit should be removed

Prevention can be considered compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. A strong plant under good growing conditions can resist disease. Also, do not injure (break, scratch) stems, leaves and fruits. The infection enters primarily through open wounds.

To prevent and treat this (and other non-fungal diseases), spraying with the following folk remedies helps:

For 10 liters of water, 1 liter of any fermented milk products (kefir, whey, fermented baked milk) and 1 tbsp. spoon for treatment or 1 teaspoon for prevention of pharmaceutical tincture of iodine.
0.3% hydrogen peroxide solution (100g bottle of pharmaceutical 3% peroxide per 1 liter of water).

Pests

Pests rarely attack the rough foliage of zucchini. The main and most dangerous pest of zucchini is the larvae of the moth moth. They gnaw through the stem and settle inside, feeding on the plant tissue. Ultimately, this can lead to the death of the entire bush. They are not easy to spot because they live in the ground and are nocturnal. Treating the soil with pesticides does not give anything, since the poisons do not reach the pests.

However, the measures to combat them are simple:

Regularly weed and loosen the soil. This procedure, which is necessary in itself, destroys the eggs and larvae of the pest.
At the beginning of the butterfly’s flight, when it has not yet laid eggs, they set sticky traps - industrial ones from stores or from sugar syrup, kvass, fermented juice, jam.

This will help get rid of the bulk of pests. Single larvae will not be able to cause much damage.

Video: how to get an early harvest of zucchini

In summer, zucchini is consumed in small quantities. Apparently, because at this time it is the season for a variety of delicious vegetables and fruits. It is not required as much as is needed for the year, for example, potatoes and cabbage. But there are many excellent recipes for canning this vegetable, including the famous caviar. When calculating the family's needs, you need to know that under normal conditions, zucchini can produce 80–100 kg of marketable fruit per 10 square meters. m. And, of course, this dietary product is needed in the modern diet, as an important element of a varied and nutritious diet.

Author: Gennady Chernikov
Print

Rate this article:

(8 votes, average: 3.3 out of 5)
Share with your friends!

Zucchini care

Proper watering is the key to a good harvest. As the soil dries, water the plants once every ten days so that there is no excess moisture in the morning or evening. During dry summers, water more often, otherwise the stems will crack. The water should be warm; straight from the pump it will cause the plants to rot. A few days before harvesting, it is recommended to stop watering.

Before the vegetable begins to weave, the soil is loosened and weeds are removed. After 4-5 true leaves appear, spud up.

During care, do not forget about pollination. To do this, several methods are used to attract insects. Spray the beds with a solution of sugar (0.5 tbsp.) and boric acid (2 g.) in a bucket of water. Add diluted honey (1 tsp per 250 ml of water). Or marigolds are planted nearby, which attract bees. It is better to buy self-pollinating varieties.

Feed 12 days after planting with nitrophoska with water (30 grams per liter), mullein (diluted in hot water (1:10), after 3 hours, diluted with water (1:5) and watered at the root). During flowering, use superphosphate with potassium nitrate, diluted with water. When the fruits appear - Agricola, nitrophoska or potassium sulfate with superphosphate and urea. Spray with Bud solution once every ten days.

Bush zucchini is not tied up; shoots of climbing varieties are sent along a trellis and the top is pinched.

You can read about watering zucchini in open ground in the article How to water zucchini in open ground and in a greenhouse so that they grow faster and do not rot.

Diseases and pests, prevention and control

Zucchini is sometimes affected by diseases and pests attack.

Problem	Manifestations	Corrective measures
Powdery mildew	A loose, gray-white coating, then turns into brown. The leaves curl, dry out, and the fruits become deformed.	Spray with colloidal sulfur, Bayleton, Quadris, Topsin-M.
Black mold	Yellow-rusty, then black-brown spots on the leaves. The fruits do not grow and shrink.	It cannot be treated; damaged bushes are removed and burned.
Sclerotinia or white rot	White coating on all green parts and ovaries, softened fruits.	The affected parts are removed, the sections are sprinkled with charcoal, fed with ash, egg shells, and phosphorus mixtures. Irrigate the soil with Phytolavin and add compost.
Downy mildew (downy mildew)	Oily green-yellow spots that eventually turn gray-brown.	Copper oxychloride and Metiram help. Stop watering for several days and feed with potassium fertilizer.
Anthractosis	Brown-yellow spots on the leaves, then they dry out and holes form, the flesh tastes bitter, the fruits wrinkle and rot.	Spray with 1% Bordeaux mixture, Previkur, Fundazol.
Bacteriosis	Small white spots, eventually turning angular brown, watery sores on the fruit.	Treat with 1% Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloride. If this does not help, the bushes are destroyed.
Cucumber mosaic	Yellow, white spots, leaves curl, no harvest.	At the initial stage, treat with Aktara, Aktellik. For prevention purposes, ants and aphids that carry the disease are immediately destroyed.
Whitefly	A sticky coating on the underside of leaves that gradually wither.	Stains are washed off with water, the soil is loosened. Then they are sprayed with insecticides: Commander, Tanrek, Oberon.
melon aphid	The above-ground part gradually dries out.	Spray with infusion of onion, tobacco, garlic, potato tops or Decis, Karbofos
Slugs	They eat flowers, shoots, leaves.	Pests are collected by hand, pepper, ground mustard, and eggshells are scattered around the bushes. In case of a large invasion, treat with copper sulfate and scatter Metaldehyde granules.
Spider mite	It affects the lower part of the leaf blades, forming yellow dots and cobwebs. The plant dries out.	Use an infusion of onion and garlic with the addition of laundry soap. They also use drugs: 20% Chloroethanol, 10% Isofen.

Crop rotation and compatibility with other crops

Accelerated growth and production of large fruits is facilitated by the selection of suitable preceding crops. It is better to plant bush zucchini after cabbage, legumes, tomatoes, onions and potatoes. It is not recommended to grow zucchini after pumpkin and any varieties of cucumbers.

The rules of agricultural technology for growing zucchini also require ensuring crop rotation. It is prohibited to grow zucchini on the same land for two seasons in a row. Pumpkin crops should not be placed in the garden at the same time as zucchini.

It is allowed to grow zucchini in different parts of the garden, using small unoccupied areas. It is important that such areas are located in a lighted and warm place.

Alternative Growing Methods

In addition to open ground, zucchini is grown in boxes, boxes, bags, and buckets. These simple methods give a good harvest.

We have prepared for you rules for growing zucchini in containers:

Prepare the container, wash it well and dry it. The depth of the container must be at least 0.5 m, and its height must not be more than 1 m.
Once the container is ready, place the soil in it.
Make holes for the squash and fill them with organic matter. Place the bush itself on top and sprinkle with soil.
Water the plant with plenty of warm water.

Alternative growing methods are great for those gardeners who do not have enough space to grow vegetables in their garden plot. Care is no different from the rules for growing zucchini in open ground. Loosen the soil and fertilize the bushes in a timely manner.

Harvesting is the trick

The first 2-3 young zucchini fruits must be cut off after they reach 12-15 cm in length, this stimulates continued fruiting in the plants.

Do not leave the squash on the bush until the ripening stage (when it reaches its maximum size and begins to turn yellow). The bush will devote all its energy to producing seeds and this will lead to a sharp decrease in further yield.

The plant, as it were, receives a signal that the reproduction mission is completed, and you will receive 1-2 zucchini from it per week, instead of two daily. At the same time, the fruiting period will also be reduced from 4–5 months to one and a half months.

That is, zucchini should be picked young (with a length of no more than 20 cm), which not only increases the yield, but also allows you to have more tasty fruits.

The fruits must be cut with a sharp knife and not broken out, so as not to damage the plant.

Disease Control

Common diseases of zucchini are black mold, bacteriosis, powdery mildew and anthractic blight.

Powdery mildew affects the stem, leaves and fruits with a gray loose coating, subsequently the leaves dry out and the fruits stop growing. This disease appears when there are sharp fluctuations in temperature and humidity. When a disease is detected, the area is treated with a 10 percent solution of fungicides - Bayleton or Topsin.

Black mold leaves behind rusty spots on fruits and leaves that crumble and dry out over time. The leaves remain in the holes, and the fruits stop developing. If detected, diseased plants are removed from the garden and burned.

Which varieties are best to plant?

Before you start growing zucchini, you need to choose a variety. The entire harvest will depend on this. For a specific region and soil you need to select your own variety.

Belogor F1

This variety is a hybrid and early ripening, characterized by short shoots and medium-sized fruits. These zucchini have dense, white flesh. Good for Siberia.

Tsukesha

Versatile and very popular among gardeners. The main advantage is resistance to spring frosts and high yield (up to 10 kilograms of crop can be harvested per meter). It has proven itself well in the climate of central Russia, and is also suitable for the Moscow region.

Apollo F1

Like Tsukesha, he is very popular. Can produce high yields, even in bad weather. It bears fruit even in the shade, and the fruits can weigh up to 3 kilograms.

Spaghetti

This variety got its name due to its pulp, which breaks down into fibers when cooked.

The variety has long shoots that are directed in the right direction.

Gribovsky

Has high productivity. Excellent for transportation and long-term storage. But it requires more space to grow because the bushes are large. Excellent for both the Urals and the Moscow region.

Video clip

It produces many ovaries, salad-colored fruits ripen early and have a delicate taste. Can be stored for a long time.

Watch the video! Comparison of 6 varieties of zucchini!

Selecting a planting site, preparing soil and beds

For growing zucchini, it is necessary to allocate a well-lit and sun-warmed area, since the crop is heat- and light-loving. In addition, it is important to observe crop rotation and not grow it in the same place every year. This type of melon grows well on light loams and chernozems with neutral acidity pH=5.5–6.5. It is best to start preparing the soil for planting in the fall. To do this, dig up the earth to a depth of 30 cm, leaving the clods unbroken. To saturate the soil with nutrients, add 6–10 kg of manure, humus or compost per square meter for digging. In addition to organic matter, complex mineral fertilizers are also added (50–70 g per 1 m²).

When preparing a site for planting zucchini, manure is used as organic matter.

The land on the site does not always meet the necessary requirements. Poor and acidic soils are not suitable for growing zucchini. Peaty, swampy and clayey soils, which are characterized by high humidity, are also not suitable. If the soil is acidic in the place where you plan to plant the crop, liming is necessary. For these purposes, add 200–500 g of lime per 1 m². However, it is worth considering that manure and lime cannot be used at the same time. In this case, it is better to add organic matter in the spring.

In general, the soil can be fertilized in the spring, but then it is better to add nutrients to the planting holes in the following quantities:

humus or compost 1–1.5 kg;
ash 150–200 g.

In the spring, surface loosening of the bed is carried out to retain moisture, after which 15–20 g of ammonium sulfate per 1 m² is added to the digging to a depth of 20 cm. If the soil on the site is sandy loam or sandy, then zucchini can be planted on a flat surface. However, on loams and clay soils, plants can simply stand in water. Therefore, the beds must be made about 1 m wide and raised to a height of 25 cm.

In the spring, the soil is dug up to the depth of a spade bayonet and ammonium sulfate is added at 15–20 g per 1 m²

How long do zucchini grow from germination to fruit?

Harvest time depends on the ripening time of the variety. Pumpkin culture is divided into 3 groups:

Early varieties - the period from germination to the first ovary is 35-45 days. Among the most famous zucchini of this group:

Aral F1 - the vegetable belongs to the early ripening hybrids, ripens 33-35 days after germination. The fruits are light green, length 18-20 cm, weight 500 g. With good care, the yield is 10 kg per square meter. m.
Zebra is a zucchini that reaches ripeness in 38-40 days. Pumpkins are green with light longitudinal stripes and spots on the skin. Large – weight 0.5-0.9 kg.
Angelina F1 - a productive hybrid begins to bear fruit in 40-43 days. The bush is compact, the pumpkins are cylindrical in shape, the skin is light green and spotted.

Medium varieties - time from germination to fruit appearance is 40-50 days. Among the representatives of the group there are many zucchini:

Black beauty is a bush form with dark green smooth fruits up to 22 cm long. There are 45-50 days before the first pumpkin harvest.
Zolotinka - the fruits are distinguished by their bright yellow skin and juicy pulp. You can pick zucchini after 47-50 days. The length of the pumpkins is 15 cm, weight is 0.5 kg.

Late-ripening varieties - how long do the latest zucchini ripen? Pumpkins appear on the bushes no earlier than after 60-70 days. Such a long wait is justified by the long shelf life of the fruit. The fresh harvest is stored until winter.

Walnut – takes 80 days to ripen. The fruits are elongated, pear-shaped, weighing about 1 kg. The skin is yellowish, the flesh is orange.

Advice. If you want to harvest zucchini throughout the summer, then plant varieties with different ripeness periods.

In which month pumpkins ripen also depends on the time of planting. In the southern regions, seed planting occurs in May. After 6-7 days, sprouts appear. Early varieties begin to be harvested in mid-June. In the middle zone and northern regions, sowing dates shift to the beginning or middle of June. Young zucchini will ripen at the end of July. Late varieties are harvested in August.

Information: technical maturity of zucchini occurs 5-10 days after the formation of the ovary. Young pumpkins have thin skin and juicy flesh. They can be used raw.

If you have problems

Here are some of the most common problems that arise when growing zucchini, their causes and solutions.

The plant loses its fruits even before they begin to grow.

Zucchini is a true summer vegetable. If it is quite cold and rainy, the plant begins to lose small fruits more often.

In addition, the reason may be that the female flowers are not fertilized. Such fertilization is usually done by bees and bumblebees, but, unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer of them.

You can help your zucchini by hand pollinating. Pick the male flower and pass it along the pistil of the female flower, thereby transferring the pollen.

There are a lot of barren flowers, the fruits do not set well, or the ovary rots

The reason is a lack of microelements. If your zucchini is growing on a compost heap, it is low on nitrogen and low on micronutrients. The boron fertilization described above quickly solves this problem.