Features of growing zucchini in a polycarbonate greenhouse

Zucchini is an unpretentious crop, so in most cases it is grown in open ground. However, this does not mean that they cannot be cultivated in greenhouse conditions. On the contrary, this will allow you to harvest a richer harvest - on average up to 30 kg of fruits per 1 sq. m. We will find out further what needs to be taken into account when growing this vegetable crop in a greenhouse, and how to properly care for it.

Advantages of growing indoors

Zucchini is rarely grown in greenhouse conditions, since it produces a good harvest in the garden. Moreover, they are resistant to night cold and require little maintenance. However, even taking this into account, their cultivation in a greenhouse is not without meaning, as it offers the following advantages:

• the fruits ripen several times faster, which has a positive effect on the amount of harvest;
• when formed, the zucchini acquires a more delicate and delicious taste;
• hybrids intended for cultivation under film conditions do not require special attention in care;
• seedlings are not attacked by pests and practically do not get sick;
• early varieties can be profitably grown for sale on an industrial scale.

Zucchini does not require special soil composition and temperature conditions, so growing them indoors is inexpensive.

Where to grow zucchini

Zucchini is not a fussy plant. It can be grown perfectly in any climate zone except the Far North. Summer residents get good yields from open ground and when growing this crop under film or in a greenhouse.

Advantages of growing zucchini in a greenhouse.

Zucchini farmers have one requirement - an annual change of growing areas. Otherwise, diseases and barren flowers cannot be avoided. Zucchini grows well with plenty of light and moisture. They do not need special soil, but they will have to provide drainage.

Zucchini is a pollinated plant. To attract insects, they need to be periodically sprayed with a sweet solution of honey or sugar.

Variety selection

For growing in a limited space, it is best to choose compact bush hybrids F1, since they simultaneously meet several important requirements - they take up minimal space, have high yields and a long fruiting period, and have excellent taste. If you also choose early hybrids, you can grow them in a greenhouse throughout the year.

For sale, small-fruited varieties with zucchini of a light or medium-saturated color are more preferable. It is important that the plant itself does not have growths on the petioles to make it easier and safer to harvest numerous crops.

Taking into account the listed requirements, it is best to cultivate the following varieties and hybrids indoors:

• Kuand F1. An early ripening variety bred at the Kuban Experimental Station of the All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Growing. Recommended for growing in protected ground under a small-sized film cover in the Northern, Volga-Vyatka, Lower Volga, Ural and West Siberian regions. Fruiting occurs 52-61 days after the appearance of full shoots. Productivity – 20-25 kg per 1 sq. m. Fruits weighing 1.1-1.5 kg and 21-28 cm long are excellent for processing and canning.

• Cavili. A hybrid of Dutch selection with a long fruiting period (more than 2 months). Typically, straight zucchini is harvested 45-50 days after emergence when they reach a length of 16-22 cm. For 10 sq. m of greenhouse, it is enough to plant only 8-12 plants. Productivity – 10-60 t/ha.

• Nemchinovsky. A hybrid variety of compact size that does not form long vines and bears fruit with pale green zucchini weighing 610-770 g. The plant is early ripening, so it begins to bear fruit on 38-48 days. Characterized by friendly yield of fruits.

• Aral F1. Replenishes the list of the fastest-growing early zucchini - the first fruits can be harvested already on the 35th day. When zucchini reaches technical ripeness, it weighs about 0.5 kg and reaches a length of 16-18 cm. The yield is high - more than 500 kg/ha. When grown in a greenhouse, fruits should be collected every 3-4 days, which will contribute to the formation of new ovaries.

• Daredevil. Another early ripening variety of zucchini, technical ripeness of which occurs in 35-50 days. On average, the fruits weigh from 0.5 to 1 kg and have excellent transportability.

Zucchini varieties recommended for greenhouses

Bush hybrids are best suited for greenhouses. They are not only characterized by increased yield and excellent taste, but also take up quite little space. The most common are:

Belogor

Zucchini Belogor
High-yielding variety of early ripening. Medium sized fruits. The pulp is quite dense with a delicate taste. Suitable for both preservation and fresh use.

Cavili

Zucchini Kavili
Belongs to early ripening varieties. It has oblong fruits of white-green color. The pulp is dense, without a bitter aftertaste. Used for making soup, stew, and canning.

Kaund

Zucchini Kaund
High-yielding, early-ripening variety. The fruits are medium sized, smooth. The pulp is greenish-white, tender, dense, juicy.

Greenhouse requirements

Zucchini grows well in polycarbonate greenhouses and in simple film shelters. In any case, to obtain a good harvest, it is worth taking into account a number of requirements for the greenhouse:

• Even to obtain a good harvest, the greenhouse area can be small - about 45-50 square meters. m. Its height is not particularly important, but for ease of caring for plants and harvesting, it is worth maintaining a wide passage between the bushes.
• If you plan to grow vegetables in the winter season, the greenhouse should be built on a foundation, and wooden or metal frames should be covered with glass or polycarbonate. Additionally, it must be equipped with vents for ventilation and a heating system using an electric boiler or wood stoves. If the greenhouse is simply covered with plastic, then you can use household air heaters. In expensive greenhouses, it is possible to provide a system of automatic drip irrigation and climate control.
• For zucchini, it is advisable to provide biofuel that will warm not so much the air, but rather the roots of the plants. Such a pillow is prepared by mixing equal amounts of straw with rotted manure (pork, goat or cow). The resulting pile must be folded, watered well and left under film for 3-4 days. Next, in the greenhouse you need to remove the top layer of soil, evenly distribute the biofuel and cover it with a layer of nutrient substrate.
  

  Such a pillow is also an excellent feed for seedlings during the period of active growth, since it emits carbon dioxide, which promotes the rapid ripening of fruits and improves their taste.

• For zucchini in a greenhouse, you need to prepare light, oxygen-filled soil with a slightly alkaline or neutral reaction. Before planting, it can be fertilized with ash or mineral fertilizers. It must be taken into account that vegetable crops do not like to grow in the same place year after year. It is best to alternate planting it with the following crops: onions;
• cabbage;
• garlic;
• legumes;
• carrots;
• tomatoes;
• potatoes.

To enrich and improve the soil structure, it is recommended to plant green manure.

Sowing zucchini in the garden

In the northern regions, it is practiced to transfer zucchini to open ground from home greenhouses. In Kuban and other southern regions, they are accustomed to sowing seeds directly into the garden bed. When to plant zucchini and pumpkin depends on weather conditions.

Preparing the beds and soil

Cultivating zucchini in open ground is somewhat different from greenhouse cultivation. The plant is sown by seed and in suitable weather conditions. The bed should be in a bright place, but it is advisable that it be shaded in the middle of the day. Plants do not like winds and drafts. This must be taken into account. For zucchini seedlings, proximity to fellow tribesmen is undesirable, so it is not recommended to place a pumpkin in the same bed.

It is necessary to plant plants after such vegetable crops as potatoes and cabbage, onions and carrots, beets and legumes. After squash or cucumbers, early zucchini are not placed in open ground. Representatives of the same family can be carriers of the same infections, which will affect the yield.

There is a clear algorithm for planting plants from seeds directly into the garden bed.

1. Seven days before sowing, the soil is abundantly watered with Baikal M-1. This helps saturate the soil with beneficial microbes.
2. Zucchini in the garden will feel much better if the soil is fluffed up first. Light soil allows air and moisture to pass through well to the roots.
3. Zucchini seedlings require warmth. To provide her with comfortable conditions, it is necessary to add manure to the soil. It is for these purposes that pumpkin is grown on compost. In cold spring, a cushion of manure or humus will provide good protection against frost.
4. To plant zucchini correctly, you need to sprinkle top dressing with garden soil.

Gardeners offer various ways to prepare garden beds. In the first year, tops are laid out on it and leveled. During the winter, the vegetation rots, it is spilled with Baikal M-1 and covered with ordinary garden soil. How to plant seeds in an improvised flowerbed. They must be placed in the holes and sprinkled with earth. Be sure to water the sowing area thoroughly. The sides of the flowerbed are covered with hay to prevent weeds from appearing.

When it’s time to plant zucchini seedlings, and the temperature outside is still low, you need to stock up on cellophane. The film will protect plants from late frosts and help maintain the required temperature conditions.

Features of sowing in the garden

We grow a large crop at the dacha in open ground conditions. This is not difficult if you follow all the sowing rules.

1. It is necessary to prepare a bed with the correct holes and seedlings, the timing for sowing of which is set differently for each region.
2. In the south, you can plant germinated zucchini seeds in open ground. In this region, spring frosts are very rare, so the planting material will not be damaged. In the north, it is not recommended to germinate seeds.
3. The depth of sowing zucchini in open ground is 3-4 centimeters. The distance between seeds should be at least 50 centimeters. Often several sprouts are placed in one hole in order to subsequently leave one, the strongest one.
4. To plant zucchini correctly, you need to stock up on small sawdust. They serve as mulch and prevent moisture from evaporating quickly.
5. When it’s time to plant zucchini seedlings, and the weather has not yet settled, you need to stock up on thick film. It helps maintain a comfortable temperature for plants during frosts.

Planting zucchini seedlings and in open ground requires abundant watering. It is necessary to moisten the soil before germination. Then watering should be plentiful, but not frequent. It is carried out as necessary when the top layer of the earth dries.

Features of care

Having figured out how to plant seeds, gardeners are wondering how to grow the emerging seedlings. They need watering and timely feeding. It is not recommended to use the sprinkling method when moistening. Water should flow to the root. It is enough to humidify at the rate of a bucket per square meter. Squash plants do not like the cold, so the water should be slightly warmed in the sun. Before harvesting, watering is stopped to prevent the fruits from rotting. Closed greenhouses are ventilated after humidification.

Owners know when to plant zucchini and pumpkin, but do not always feed them on time. Organic matter is great for plants; you can also use saltpeter or potassium supplements.

Be sure to weed and loosen the holes. As soon as five leaves are formed, hilling must be carried out. This will help strengthen the root system. In order for the fruits to appear accurately, it is necessary to attract bees to the site. A solution of sugar and boric acid with water will activate the action of insects. The mixture of sugar and yeast also has an effect. You can plant marigolds nearby.

When to plant seedlings so that the plants are strong. It is necessary to create warmth for them and then the timing will not matter. If the zucchini begins to rot some time after the fruit appears, then you need to understand the reasons. There may be several of them:

• lack of calcium;
• the flower fell off at the wrong time;
• thickening of the bed or bush;
• rainy and cloudy weather.

All these reasons can be eliminated with proper care, timely discharge and feeding. It is necessary to introduce fertilizing with calcium, boron, and iodine into the soil. If everything is done correctly, healthy and tasty fruits will appear two months after sowing.

Method and timing of planting

In open ground, zucchini can be grown both by seedlings and seeds, but in a greenhouse it is much more effective to use seedling technology. It can be used throughout the year, but it is best to do this at the end of winter - beginning of spring, since autumn zucchini have the best shelf life (they last 2-4 months). In addition, it is by spring that the body most needs vitamin support.

If you start growing seedlings at the end of February or early March, the first harvest can be harvested around the beginning of April.

Experienced gardeners have noticed that the exact timing of planting seedlings in a greenhouse depends on their location. In Moscow, its picking into the ground should be done on May 5-10, in Siberia - on May 15-20, and in the Krasnodar Territory - on April 10-15.

Growing seedlings

To get a good harvest of zucchini, you need to grow strong seedlings in early March. This procedure can be divided into several stages, each of which requires separate consideration.

Seed preparation

Seeds even after 6-8 years of storage germinate quite well. However, for this they need to be properly prepared, following these instructions:

1. Pour hot water (+45...52°C) over the seeds and leave for 5-7 hours. Specimens that float to the surface within the first few minutes are hollow and should be fished out and discarded.
2. To reduce the risk of developing fungal diseases, immerse the remaining seeds in ice water for 2 minutes.
3. Wrap the seed material in a damp cloth and keep it for 2 days in a room where the temperature is at least +23°C. During this time, keep the fabric damp.

Immediately before planting, the seeds can be soaked for several minutes in a solution of a stimulant or potassium permanganate.

Planting seeds

Zucchini seeds are large, so they should be grown in separate containers. Considering that the plant does not tolerate replanting well, it is better to use individual peat pots with a diameter of 10 cm or more for this. If there are none, you can use plastic or wooden analogues.

You can buy soil for seedlings at a garden store or prepare it yourself by mixing:

• 7 parts of garden soil;
• 5 parts peat;
• 3 parts mullein;
• 150-200 g of ash;
• 30-40 g of superphosphate;
• 25-40 g of ammonium nitrate.

You need to fill the pots halfway with this nutrient composition. It needs to be well moistened a day before sowing. When planting, the seeds need to be deepened into the soil by 1.5-3 cm. If they have sprouts, then they need to be planted with the hatched sprouts facing down. It is worth dropping 2 seeds into each hole. After sowing, the soil should be lightly watered and then covered with film or glass.

In 3-5 days, most of the seeds will germinate, but only the strongest sprouts should be left in the pots. The rest must be carefully cut above ground level. Under no circumstances should they be pulled out, as this can damage the entire root system of the plant.

Seedling care

After sowing the seeds, all that remains is to provide proper care for the seedlings, which involves observing the following rules:

• Until the first shoots appear, keep the pots at a temperature of +26...+28°C. When the first shoots appear, lower it to +17-18°C during the day, and to +12...+14°C at night. This regime must be maintained for 4 days, and in the future it must be adjusted depending on weather conditions and time of day. So, on cloudy days the optimal temperature is +21-22°C, and on sunny days – +26...+28°C. At night it should be maintained at +17-18°C.
• Excessive watering should not be allowed, as well as the formation of a crust on the surface of the soil. All this can lead to the development of stem and root rot. To prevent this, seedlings need to be irrigated with warm water as the soil dries out.
• When growing seedlings on a south-facing windowsill, the sprouts do not require additional lighting. On the east or west side there is at least 11 hours of daylight, so there is also no need for incandescent lamps. However, they will be required if seedlings are grown on a windowsill on the north side.

At the age of 20-25 days, the seedlings will acquire 3-4 true leaves. At this stage, it can be transplanted to a permanent location.

How to select and prepare zucchini seeds

To plant zucchini, it is better to take seeds collected 2 - 3 years ago. If they are from last year, the yield will decrease due to the denser and more abundant formation of male flowers. Old seeds, more than four years old, have poor germination and are therefore not used.

If there is not much space for seedlings and you don’t want to waste it, the seeds are pre-sorted. To do this, make a strong saline solution (30 g/1 liter) and immerse the planting material for an hour. As a result, empty seeds will float, while those suitable for sowing will sink to the bottom. They need to be collected and dried.

To stimulate germination, it is a good idea to warm up the zucchini seeds. To do this, they can be placed on the windowsill for 2–3 days (the window should face the sunny side) or placed on a radiator overnight. This treatment gives more friendly shoots.

Some gardeners use soaking, which can help you gain a couple more days. To do this, the heated seeds are placed in layers in thick cotton fabric and soaked in warm water. Leave until small sprouts appear. In this method, you cannot use gauze or cotton wool: the smallest roots will become entangled and damaged during sowing.

If you maintain a temperature of 24 °C, then you can sow the seeds within 2–3 days after the start of soaking.

Planting seedlings in a greenhouse

The soil in the greenhouse in which zucchini will be planted must be well prepared. To do this, it is advisable to add rotted manure to it in the fall at the rate of 10 kg per 1 sq. m. m and dig it well. Mineral fertilizers can be applied directly to the holes before sowing at the rate of 30-40 g of nitrophoska per plant. After application, they need to be mixed with the soil in the hole.

Seedlings are often transplanted to a permanent location in early May or a little earlier. Before this, you need to warm up the soil using a stove or electric boiler. To maintain a normal level of humidity in it and ensure rapid maturation of the crop, it is worth mulching with sawdust, sunflower husks or other organic matter.

Picking should be done in the morning, evening or on a cloudy day. This should be done using the square-cluster method according to the following scheme:

• distance between holes – 0.7-0.8 m;
• row spacing – from 0.8 to 1.5 m.

The seedlings need to be planted into the holes together with a lump of earth and deepened into the soil by 5 cm, and then sprinkled with earth to the first leaves, lightly tamped and watered. At this stage, the temperature in the greenhouse should be +14-15°C. It is necessary to ventilate the room in such a way as not to lower it too much. The plantings can be covered with film, in which holes can be made for each plant. In the future, watering should be carried out into these holes.

Caring for zucchini in a greenhouse

This vegetable crop is unpretentious even in open ground, so it is quite easy to care for it, especially if you know the secrets of carrying out the necessary agrotechnical measures:

• Creating an optimal microclimate . The plant does not grow well in conditions that are too hot and humid in greenhouses. The ideal temperature for the full development of seedlings during the day is +24°C, and at night – +18°C. Zucchini does not tolerate stuffiness well, so the greenhouse must be ventilated daily to maintain humidity at 60-70%. At the end of April - beginning of May, the frequency of ventilation should be increased.
• Watering and loosening. Seedlings should be watered with warm, settled water (+19…+24°C) not often, but abundantly. With the appearance of the first ovary on the bushes, the amount of watering should be increased to 3 times a week. During this period, it is worth pouring 4 liters of water under each bush. A few hours after moistening, the soil should be slightly loosened and at the same time all weeds should be removed. To reduce moisture evaporation, the soil surface can be mulched with sawdust or peat. Before flowering begins, it is worth eliminating watering and slightly drying the greenhouse air. Such manipulation will contribute to the formation of more female-type buds.
  

  Watering must be completely interrupted 7 days before harvest, otherwise the fruits will be excessively watery.

• Feeding . Zucchini is characterized by an intensive rate of development, so additional application of the nutrient mixture can lead to rapid growth of shoots and leaves. In turn, this will negatively affect the formation of ovaries and fruit growth. Thus, zucchini does not need to be additionally fed during the development period - they only need fertilizer applied before planting.
• Bush formation . The zucchini does not need to be pinched and shaped, however, when planting densely in a bushy plant, it is worth removing the lower central leaves to improve air circulation and increase light exposure to the fruit. It is important that at least 15 leaves remain on one bush. In a neat plant, female and male flowers are easier to see. The first of them have a slight expansion at the base, and the petiole is quite short. Male flowers have a longer and more even petiole.
• Pollination . On warm spring and summer days, the greenhouse needs to be ventilated to speed up the ripening of zucchini and attract insects for pollination - bees or bumblebees. To do this, the plant can also be sprayed with sugar syrup dissolved in water. If possible, it is worth placing a hive in a greenhouse at the rate of 1 hive per 500 sq. m. m. It is advisable to plant a small number of honey plants between the bushes. If it is not possible to attract pollinating insects, then this procedure must be performed manually using a male flower with stamens. It is enough to pollinate 5-6 female flowers.

If zucchini is grown in winter, then pollination will have to be done only with the help of male buds. They ripen 7-10 days later than the female ones, so in order not to lose a whole week, experienced gardeners plant the seeds for seedlings in 2 stages: one part of them (10%) is sown 10 days earlier than the main one.

Pollination of crop

How to pollinate this crop if the pollinating insect does not get into the greenhouse? And where can he get it in winter? In this case, use the experience of experienced gardeners.

As you know, pollination occurs with the help of male buds, and they bloom exactly 10 days later than female flowers.

And in order not to wait for the male buds to open, you can go the following way: plant the seedlings in two stages. One part is 10 days earlier, and the second part is 10 days later. With this method you can easily harvest early.

Harvesting

During the period of active fruiting, zucchini should be harvested every other day and at least 3 times a week, since overripening will lead to a deterioration in the taste of the fruit and a slowdown in the formation of other ovaries, which will negatively affect the yield of the variety. In this case, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

• It is worth harvesting zucchini that has reached 10 to 25 cm in length and 8-10 cm in diameter. Many of them reach such parameters 45-50 days after planting the seedlings. There is no need to wait for the fruits to become too large, as they will be tasteless, and their peel will lose its softness and glossiness.
• To check whether the fruit is ripe, just tap it lightly. If there is a dull sound, then it can be torn off.
• It is better to cut the fruits with scissors along with part of the tail, since in the future it will become a good barrier to pests and infectious diseases. Collected zucchini must be transferred carefully, since mechanical damage will degrade their presentation and shorten their shelf life.
• Zucchini must be removed carefully so as not to damage the tops of the bushes and the resulting lashes. Injured plants recover poorly and may stop forming new ovaries.
• When harvesting, remove both beautiful and full-fledged fruits and deformed ones. If you leave them on the branches of the plant, they will delay the development of new ovaries and reduce the yield of the bush.
• If the zucchini are intended for long-term storage in the cellar, they do not need to be pre-washed after harvesting.

Even an amateur gardener can grow zucchini in a greenhouse, since this vegetable does not require special conditions or high costs. Meanwhile, to get a good harvest, it is necessary to properly prepare strong seedlings, which require proper care after planting in closed ground. Mastering this technology will allow the grower to grow zucchini under film all year round and successfully launch it for sale.

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