How to grow zucchini outdoors from seeds?

Zucchini seedlings growing planting dates

Zucchini seedlings growing planting dates.

Zucchini belongs to the pumpkin family. They are popular on garden beds and on tables in various dishes. It is not too difficult to remove zucchini in the garden, but you should adhere to some rules.

Correct agricultural technology always helps amateur gardeners to achieve maximum results.

Despite all its unpretentiousness, it is much more convenient to grow zucchini through seedlings. Especially if you want an early harvest. We will talk about growing and planting zucchini through seedlings in our article.

Growing marrow seedlings

To grow squash seedlings, you can buy soil at the store or mix 1 part sawdust, 2 parts turf, 2 parts compost and 6 parts peat. Some do not philosophize and use a mixture of sand and peat in a 1: 1 ratio for sowing seeds.

It is important to place the seed pots on a sunny windowsill, otherwise the seedlings may grow weak.

Before the first shoots appear, it is desirable to maintain the room temperature at 18-25 ° C.

After about a week, the first shoots hatch, and after 25-30 days the plants are planted in open ground.

Zucchini must be planted directly into the open ground with an earthen clod, since the roots of this plant do not like unnecessary anxiety. That is why many gardeners use peat pots when growing marrow seedlings.

There are early-growing zucchini, as well as varieties and hybrids of medium and late ripening. So that your table is not empty until autumn, you can choose several varieties for planting, or plant seeds of one variety every 10 days. After all, you can plant zucchini in June.

Choosing a site for planting zucchini

Zucchini seedlings growing planting dates.

Allocate a sunny and wind-protected area for zucchini.

All varieties of zucchini grow well on chernozem soils and light loams. Avoid clay and peat soils.

Agronomists recommend often changing the place of planting zucchini and every two years to allocate new beds for them in your garden.

Growing zucchini outdoors requires that you pay attention to the "predecessors" - the plants grown in the previous season. The places where potatoes, root vegetables, cabbage and peas grew are suitable.

Planting zucchini seedlings in open ground

You can plant seedlings in a greenhouse or greenhouse in early May. For planting in open ground, it is important to take into account the date of late spring frosts in your region.

In open ground, marrow seedlings are planted at the age of 20-25 days.

Before planting, the seedlings should have 2-3 true dark green leaves with a short stumpy stem, and the root system of young plants should tightly cover the entire volume of the cube, the roots should be white, intact. Such seedlings will painlessly take root in the new conditions of open ground.

More mature zucchini seedlings take root much worse. It is necessary to plant seedlings in cloudy weather or in the afternoon, in the late afternoon.

If the weather is sunny, then the planting should be shaded so that the plants do not wilt, this is especially important if the sunny weather is accompanied by a strong dry wind.

If your seedlings are stretched out during cultivation, then it can be buried to the cotyledonous leaves by slightly tilting the stem.

After planting, the plants must be watered abundantly with warm water, preventing it from drying out in the future.

In the phase of 3-4 true leaves, and then every 3 weeks, it is advisable to add humus, soil or peat under the plants, and not to rake the soil from the surface, exposing and damaging the roots.

Zucchini grows quickly, especially when the weather is favorable. Within a week after planting, the plants bloom. Ideally, when the male and female flowers bloom at the same time.

Outdoor zucchini care

When planting, the distance between individual plants is kept within 1 m, and between rows - 1.5 m.

This will provide them with enough living space and easier access for weeding and watering.

Knowing when to plant zucchini seeds in open ground and seedlings, the issues of caring for the plant will not cause any difficulties for you either.

The whole cultivation process consists in timely weeding, loosening of the soil, watering and feeding. The soil should be easy to allow moisture and air to pass through, therefore it is necessary to prevent crusting after rains.

Experts also advise, during the period of the most active flowering, early in the morning to spray the zucchini with a weak solution of honey in order to attract pollinators. To prevent the appearance of pests, pollination with wood ash will help, as well as the timely removal of dry or damaged leaves.

Pinching zucchini

This technique allows you to increase yields. It should be noted that bush zucchini and zucchini do not need pinching. All fruits in such forms are formed on the central shoot. In climbing zucchini, pinch the top of the shoot above the fourth or fifth leaf.

The formation of ovaries mainly occurs on the lateral shoots, therefore, at the beginning of budding, part of the main stem can be removed.

Diseases and pests of zucchini

Zucchini grown at their summer cottage can infect various diseases.

They not only reduce the yield of this crop, but also worsen the presentation and quality of the fruit. With a strong infection, zucchini may die.

These vegetables also damage dangerous pests that inhibit plant development and transmit infectious diseases.

When they appear in the country, measures should be taken immediately to combat them.

As a prevention of diseases and pests of squash, it is necessary to follow the rules of crop rotation and not place these vegetables in one place every year (after them it is good to grow cabbage, it has completely different difficulties in life).

Zucchini harvest time

The ripening of zucchini is easy to determine. It all depends on what kind of zucchini you need: green (young), or overripe (white or yellow). Today, there are many varieties of zucchini that bear fruit before the first fall frost. The main signs of zucchini maturity include:

If the zucchini has reached a length of 15 cm and a thickness of 5-7 cm, then they have already reached consumer maturity.

The ripeness of the zucchini is determined by touch. If the zucchini rind is hard enough and there is a noticeable dull sound when tapped on the zucchini, then it is ripe.

In green zucchini, the root should be soft enough.

In ripe zucchini that will be used to collect seeds, the rind should be yellow or white, the skin is hard, and the grains are firm with a formed filling.

Zucchini harvested on time have a much better taste. Therefore, in the summer, you need to harvest zucchini every 5 days. In the fall, the zucchini crop should be harvested in 1-2 weeks, since during this period the fruiting intensity is already decreasing.

With regular harvesting, you need to leave zucchini for seeds on one bush. Such zucchini should ripen on the bush until autumn. After that, they can be stored until spring.

Zucchini seedlings growing planting dates.

Knowing everything about zucchini (growing from seeds, when to plant and how to care), you will always have fresh vegetables on your table, and not only in summer, but also in autumn, and even in winter. The culture has a high keeping quality. For storage, select even, ripe, undamaged fruits.

Zucchini seedlings growing planting dates video

Zucchini seedlings growing planting dates.

Where to buy seeds and seedlings with delivery

The Scientific and Production Association "Sady Rossii" has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the wide practice of amateur gardening for 30 years.

In the work of the association, the most modern technologies are used, a unique laboratory for microclonal reproduction of plants has been created.

The main task of NPO Sady Rossii is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material for popular varieties of various garden plants and novelties of world selection. Delivery of planting material (seeds, bulbs, seedlings) is carried out by Russian post.

We are waiting for you for shopping.

Rules for planting zucchini and caring for them in the open field

This early ripening crop bears fruit throughout the summer. The plant is unpretentious, but requires care.

Planting and cultivation is carried out in open beds; for an early harvest, seedlings are planted in greenhouses.

In this article, we will look at how to properly plant a zucchini in open ground, as well as how to care for it at home and what to feed it during the entire growing season.

Start planting seeds in the ground when the soil warms up to +12 degrees, not earlier than mid-May. In cold ground, seeds will not germinate, will rot and die.

Therefore, disembarkation is left until warmer weather. With late night frosts, tender sprouts will freeze.

Planting zucchini seeds for seedlings is carried out at will, since the fruits have time to ripen and are planted immediately with seeds to the depth of the soil.

You can do this at the beginning of May (for the middle lane), after spilling the hole with warm water.

The sowing site is covered with a plastic 5-liter transparent canister with a cut-off neck. It turns out a mini greenhouse for each plant.

Do not forget that planting vegetables in the ground and in a greenhouse or greenhouse is significantly different.

After the onset of stable heat and the absence of night frosts, the canister is removed and the seeds can be grown further.

The best way to prepare the ridges is in the fall. When digging, they add rotted manure or compost, a full range of fertilizers - superphosphate, potassium salt, ammonium nitrate. If necessary, they are preliminarily limed.

Where and which side to plant seeds? Zucchini can also be sown on compost heaps. Loose, humus-rich soil is a good place for this culture.

Do not plant zucchini next to the pumpkin. Over-pollination will reduce the yield of both crops.

It is enough to loosen a bed prepared in autumn in the spring and make holes in it. The zucchini bush is voluminous, planted at a distance of 0.5-0.8 meters.

The seeds are treated with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, ash or nitroammofoska, holding for 20 minutes. Then washed with water.

This will protect the seeds from diseases and ensure friendly germination.

Place 2-3 seeds in the hole, in case one does not come up. When shoots appear, leave one seedling, pinch off the rest.

Planting zucchini seeds in open ground in soil with ash

Zucchini loves warmth and moisture. In dry weather, watered once a week with water, no colder than +22 degrees.

With massive growth of fruits - every three days. Up to two liters of water are poured under each plant. Do not watered before harvesting so that the taste is not affected.

The culture does not tolerate moisture on the leaves. Watered under the root from a watering can without a spray. After that, they spud and mulch.

A large bush and large fruits require a lot of nutrition. Top dressing begins after the appearance of true leaves and continues the entire period of fruiting.

Fertilizers are well applied in liquid form. Most of all he loves organic. Foliar dressing has a positive effect on the development of a vegetable.

Spraying the bush every 10 days with a fertilizer solution can significantly increase the yield.

Weeds are only dangerous until they grow in the future, they simply will not be able to develop under a spreading crown.

Watering a newly risen zucchini

What fertilizers are used for the plant, we list them:

• Mineral.
• Organic.
• Fertilizers from improvised means.

Mineral fertilizers

For the development of this culture, a complete complex fertilizer is used in the following composition: 1 tbsp. spoon of potassium sulfate, double superphosphate, urea dissolves in 10 liters of water. After complete dissolution, watered under the root system by 1.5 liters per plant.

Nitrogen cause the growth of the green mass of the plant. Used in spring and summer. Closer to autumn, their use is undesirable. These are urea, ammonium, calcium and sodium nitrate, ammonium sulfate.

Phosphoric help fruits ripen faster, reduce the growing season. These are superphosphate, double superphosphate, phosphoric flour.

Superphosphate granular fertilizers for feeding zucchini Granular superphosphate for adding to the soil Soil scheme before and after adding fertilizers

Potash increase the resistance of plants to lack of moisture and heat. Increases resistance to diseases and pests. Distinguish between potassium sulfate, potassium chloride, potassium salts.

Magnesium and iron-containing ones include magnesium oxides, boron, and iron. They increase the yield of fruits and their quality. Magnesium contributes to soil deoxidation. It is better to fertilize in the fall according to a certain scheme, as indicated in the instructions.

It is very convenient to use ready-made complex fertilizers. They contain the necessary chemical elements as a percentage.Azofoska, nitrophoska, diammophos include phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium in a state of easy assimilation for plants.

Microadditives are very important for the development of plants: boric, molybdenum, manganese, copper. They require a small amount, they are added to the complex.

Urea is a mineral fertilizer used for feeding zucchini

Organic - an important component in the nutrition of zucchini. They include the main elements - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, trace elements, vitamins. All this is easy to digest. So you can feed the zucchini at any time.

Manure. Organics of animal origin. Not very nutritious feeding. Improves soil structure. The simultaneous application of mineral fertilizers and manure improves the assimilation of mineral fertilizers.

Humus. Rotted manure. Improves the condition and composition of the soil. Assimilated after application under the bush in a short time.

Compost. It is obtained after the decomposition of vegetable and kitchen waste. Its ripening lasts at least three years. Used for feeding, mulching.

Bird droppings... Contains all the necessary ingredients, the most valuable manure fertilizer. It takes time to be ready for application under crops. When fresh, it is caustic and can burn roots and leaves.

Peat... Makes the soil lighter, nourishes. Not all peat is healthy. Sour peat is used in composts.

Bird droppings for soil fertilization

Other organic fertilizers and fertilizing

Grass and leaves, yeast, ash, food waste are used for nutrition.

Green grass, nettle is especially good, is soaked in a barrel of water, kept for 10-15 days, and get herbal infusion. Strain it and get a fertilizer that is easily absorbed in a short time.

Green herbal dressing is obtained by digging and embedding in the ground grown in a garden bed.

Stimulates the growth and development of zucchini, yeast additives. Yeast can be added to herbal infusion or diluted in warm water with sugar.

Folk infusion of wood ash contains many trace elements, reduces the acidity of the soil. Does not contain nitrogen, it must be added additionally.

Zucchini are subject to the following diseases:

• White rot
• Gray rot.
• Powdery mildew.
• Fusarium wilting.

White and gray rot covers leaves, stems and ovaries with bloom, they soften and dry out. It's a fungus.

Appears in cold, wet weather in dense plantings. Spores persist in the ground. To destroy the disease, spray with copper sulfate, sulfuric zinc, urea solution.

Do not thicken the planting, water with warm water.

Powdery mildew. The leaves are affected first, then the disease damages the whole plant. Absorbs plant nutrition, reduces yield. It spreads with temperature fluctuations, excess nitrogen. It is treated by spraying with colloidal sulfur, manure infusion, potassium permanganate solution.

Fusarium wilting affects the roots. With further development, it passes to the stem, and it dies. It can only be destroyed by completely replacing the soil.

All these diseases persist on plant debris and in the soil. Their appearance can be prevented by careful preparation of the ridges, burning plant residues, post-harvest processing, and observing crop rotation.

White rot Powdery mildew Gray rot Fusarium

Insect pests for squash:

• Melon aphid.
• Spider mite.
• Whitefly.

Larvae melon aphid hibernate on plant debris, multiply rapidly in spring. They damage stems and leaves, after which they dry out.

Autumn cleaning of ridges, burning of plant debris will help to prevent the invasion of insects.

In summer, plants are sprayed with infusion of hot peppers, onions, potato tops, and powdered with tobacco dust.

Spider mite small invisible pest. Occurs in the lower part of the leaf. Causes leaf spotting and drying out. Control measures are the same as with aphids.

Whitefly forms a sticky sugar coating on the back of the leaves. This is the environment for the formation of various fungi and plant diseases.

The pest can be washed off with water, not allowing them to remain on the ground after that.

In case of a large number of insects, treat the soil after harvesting with the Komandor insecticide.

The most delicious and healthy are green fruits up to 25 cm long. They have a thin skin and small unripe seeds. By removing zucchini on time, we help the formation and growth of new ovaries.

In this case, we will have fresh greens all summer. From the end of August, we begin to make a blank for storage for the winter. We harvest fruits with hard skin and a long stalk for better storage.

We collect the harvest until the frost.

Well-ripe zucchini can be stored in a cool room for 4-5 months until March.

Zucchini is an early ripening culture, we get the first harvest 20 days after flowering. An early harvest allows you to get fresh vitamins already at the beginning of summer. Their wide range of uses makes zucchini a popular crop among gardeners.

Planting zucchini seeds in open ground: how and when to plant, care features

Zucchini is a plant belonging to the Pumpkin family, a bushy variety of hard-bore gourd. The vegetable has oblong fruits, they can be black, yellow, green, white, black-green; inside - tender pulp.

Zucchini is eaten raw, stewed, fried, and canned and marinated. Their homeland is Mexico, it was from there that vegetables came to the European continent along with other unknown products in the 16th century.

At first, they were grown only in greenhouses, and only a hundred years later they began to be eaten.

Low calorie content, easy digestibility and great taste have made zucchini an integral part of Russian cuisine, a component of children's and dietary menus. They are used in salads, hot dishes, preparations for the winter.

How to grow zucchini from seeds

If you grow seedlings and plant them, then ripe fruits can be obtained faster than when planting seeds in open ground, but there is one significant drawback: vegetables grown using seedlings cannot be left for long-term storage - the entire crop will have to be processed in a short time ...

If you want to preserve the fruits for the winter, planting zucchini with seeds in the ground should take place in early May-June, when the ground has already warmed up to 12 degrees at a depth of 10 centimeters.

Before planting in the ground seeds should be prepared: soak in a liter of warm water, adding a tablespoon of ash (solutions with trace elements, Zircon, Epin, potassium humate are also suitable) or warm in the sun for seven days, you can soak for a day in warm water, wrap in a damp piece of cloth and hold for several days at temperatures up to 25 degrees. But the most reliable way is to harden the planting materials: alternately move them into the refrigerator (for 14-16 hours), and then keep them at room temperature for 8-10 hours. Repeat the procedure several times.

The soil must also be prepared in advance: in the fall, it is imperative to dig up the soil, adding compost, superphosphate and wood ash.

In the spring, the soil is leveled, holes are made, the depth of which should not exceed 10 centimeters, put in each tablespoon of ash and humus, kneaded, watered with water, put 2-3 seeds and covered with soil.

If all crops have sprouted, leave only one plant in the hole.

How to grow seedlings

If you want to get a quick harvest, you will not do without seedling method of seed propagation.

Presowing treatment is carried out the same as when planting in open ground, the main thing is the swelling of the seed and the appearance of tiny shoots. The soil in which you are going to plant seedlings should not be too sour.

Ash or chalk is added to lower the acidity. The stores can offer ready-made mixture "Exo" - it is great for seedlings.

The mixture is laid out in separate small pots, poured over them with hot water for disinfection, then they put the seeds, sprinkle them with a substrate.The containers are covered using film or glass. Planting seedlings is carried out no later than a month before transplanting into the ground.

Until the seeds have germinated, the room temperature should be maintained at 22 degrees.

With the appearance of the first shoots, the protective coating is removed and access to bright diffused light in a cooler room (glazed balconies, loggias) is provided, during the day the temperature should be kept within 16-18 degrees and drop by 3-5 degrees at night. After a week, take the seedlings back to a warm room. This helps to prevent the seedlings from pulling out, for this purpose it is also important provide sufficient light access... Water as needed with cold filtered water, making sure that the top layer is constantly slightly damp.

Caring for the seedlings, you need to feed it with mineral fertilizers. To do this, take a teaspoon of nitrophosphate, dissolve it in a liter of water (one glass per plant). An important point: choose fertilizers carefully, they should not contain chlorine!

Planting zucchini in open ground

When to plant zucchini in the ground? Plants are planted in the ground about a month after the first shoots appear.

As a rule, this is the end of May or the beginning of June, when the threat of frost disappears. The place must be chosen as sunny as possible (southern, south-western side), protected from the winds.

You should not plant zucchini on the site, where did any pumpkin plants grow?, at least three years, otherwise there is a high probability of contracting diseases typical of this family.

The best predecessors: potatoes, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, garlic, cabbage, radishes, carrots, parsley.

The planting process will be something like this:

1. The holes for planting seedlings are made at such a distance that three plants are located on each square meter of the allotted area, the distance between the rows is at least one meter.
2. Before planting, a little ash and humus should be put in each of the holes, mixed with the soil.
3. Then the seedlings are planted together with a lump of earth, deepened into the ground until the cotyledon leaves, a sufficient amount of soil is added, tamped and watered.
4. The weather should be warm and cloudy.
5. If you are afraid of a return of cold weather, cover each of the seedlings with a cut plastic bottle, or install several metal arcs around the perimeter of the site and make a plastic cover.
6. One day after landing loosening the soil.

Growing in greenhouse conditions

Seedlings are planted in film greenhouses two weeks earlier than in open ground, respectively, the seeds are also sown earlier.

Fertilizers are added to the holes, watered with water, seedlings are planted, covered with earth and watered again.

During the daytime, the temperature inside the greenhouse should be kept at the level of 22-24 degrees, in the dark - not fall below 15 degrees.

Care for seedlings in the greenhouse after planting zucchini includes regular ventilation, moderate regular watering, timely loosening of the soil, weeding and feeding.

If the leaves begin to grow too intensively in the plants, the air humidity can rise greatly and the zucchini will drop the ovary.

To prevent this, pluck 2-3 leaves at the bottom or in the middle of the stems, and also constantly ventilate the greenhouse.

How to care for zucchini outdoors

Outdoor zucchini care includes:

• regular watering;
• timely loosening and weeding;
• plant feeding;
• control of diseases and pests, if necessary;
• in some cases, they help plants to pollinate (if the plants begin to bloom, and there are no bees nearby).

Watered in the evenings with waterwell warmed up in the daytime sun. In the heat, before the leaves close, it is necessary to water the beds every day.

When the leaves begin to cover the soil, you can water less often, once every 5 days if it's cool, and every 2-3 days if it's hot.Water should flow under the roots.

If the leaves wither from the heat, water in the evenings using a nozzle with very small holes.

Zucchini are very fond of organic fertilizers. Planting and caring for them in the open field requires several additional fertilizing. Humus and wood ash are the best feeding solution and should be done 2-3 times per season. The beds are pre-watered.

To avoid unpleasant surprises in the form of diseases and pests, gardeners do preventive treatments of plants using drugs that help prevent their occurrence.

So, care against fungi means that seven days after planting the plant you can grout (1%) Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride.

Karbofos, a pest control agent, is also used.

How to harvest and preserve crops

Root crops are harvested as they ripen. The first zucchini, suitable for consumption, will ripen within one and a half to two months after planting.

They are harvested not fully ripe, while the seeds inside are still small and tender. Harvesting unripe fruits will stimulate the growth of new zucchini.

But if you want to store the crop in winter, you will have to wait until it is fully ripe until a hard and thick crust forms.

The fruits are carefully cut along the stalks. Young zucchini, which will go for conservation or will be immediately consumed, are cut off at the bases. They can be stored for no longer than two weeks.

After this time, they begin to lose their taste, wither, coarse and rot. Fully ripe vegetables can be stored for five months in dry, cool and ventilated rooms.

The cellar is not the best place for storage, since high humidity provokes putrefactive processes. Keep the fruits in a box, but so that they are in minimum contact with each other. Line the bottom with sawdust or straw.

The stalks of each zucchini can be soaked in molten paraffin - this method helps to preserve them for a longer period.

When there is no separate storage room, you can leave them in the apartment, but in a dry and dark place, for example, under a bed or near a balcony door.

If you know how to plant zucchini correctly, what kind of care they need, you can get an excellent harvest and enjoy delicious fruits even in winter.

Growing zucchini from seeds in the open field | Beauties of the earth

Zucchini is one of the easiest vegetable crops to grow. Even with minimal plant care, it is difficult to remain without a crop. Zucchini is a close relative of pumpkin, but unlike pumpkin, it ripens much earlier.

It does not need much time to ripen, since the fruits that have reached the stage of technical maturity are eaten.

Harvesting is carried out throughout the growing season, so you can preserve and prepare dishes from fresh zucchini all summer long.

What varieties of zucchini to plant

The assortment of zucchini is constantly replenished with new foreign and domestic cultivars.

When choosing seeds for growing in open ground, one should focus on how adapted a particular variety is to the weather conditions of the region.

In order not to be mistaken and to get a guaranteed harvest, many buy zoned zucchini varieties, that is, adapted to the climate of a certain region.

For the central regions of Russia, zucchini of domestic selection are ideal: mushroom, green bush, white-fruited, waterfall.

It takes only 1.5-2 months from the emergence of seedlings to harvesting, which is very important for regions with a short summer.

They also have a pleasant, delicate taste, suitable for preservation, including the preparation of caviar.

In the southern regions, it is better to plant zucchini with a long growing season, which bear fruit before the autumn cold snap. In most cases, these are hybrids with a thin skin and long ripening periods: belogor, kavili, sangrum, sote, tivoli and others.

Zucchini are a type of zucchini.They are more hygrophilous and thermophilic, smaller than ordinary zucchini, bright yellow or dark green in color. The most popular varieties of zucchini: gold, black, aeronaut, yellow-fruited, jade, zucchini.

Features of growing zucchini

The predecessors of zucchini can be any garden crops, except for pumpkin crops, for example, squash, cucumbers, watermelons.

The garden bed should be well lit by the sun, but protected from the wind by trees, shrubs, a house wall or fence. In an open place, you can make an impromptu screen by planting corn on the windward side.

Ideal if the plot has a south or southwest slope, as this is the best place to grow squash.

The soil is preferable with a neutral reaction, fertile.

Sand and humus are introduced into heavy clay and loamy soils during digging, and during planting seedlings or sowing seeds, peat, 100 ml of wood ash and several superphosphate granules are added to each hole. Sandy soils are improved by adding rotted compost and sod land.

Growing zucchini from seeds

It is possible to sow seeds in open ground from the end of April to the end of May, depending on the climatic characteristics of the area and the weather conditions of the current year.

With early sowing, the seeds can not be soaked, but if the sowing time is delayed, it is better to pre-place the seed in a damp cloth for 2 days.

During this time, the seeds will swell, and possibly even bite.

In the watered holes, 3 seeds are placed, each at a different depth. To do this, a hole is dug 8 cm deep, and seeds are placed on its slope: one at the very bottom, the second in the middle, and the third closer to the surface.

Then, carefully, trying not to move the seeds, the hole is covered with earth and watered. The sprouts will appear with a time interval, and with a sudden cold snap, only the first or second sprout will die, and the last one will survive.

If all three plants can be saved, the strongest sprout is left, and the rest are pulled out.

Zucchini care

In order to avoid damage to shoots that have not yet emerged from the soil, the first loosening is carried out only after they appear.

The grass around the holes is pulled out, and inside it is carefully pulled out with your hands.

When the plants grow, their wide leaves will drown out the weeds, and the need for weeding will disappear by itself.

Zucchini bushes should be watered at the root, being careful not to wet the leaves.

On the second day after watering (or after rain), the crust formed around the stem is broken with a flat cutter or other garden tool.

Watering should be done late in the evening, when the soil has cooled down after a hot day, or early in the morning, 2 times a week. On the hottest days, their number increases up to 3 times, that is, every other day.

Fertilizers are applied every two weeks, from the budding period to the end of July. For the first feeding, organic matter is used (slurry, solution of bird droppings), and when the first ovary appears, complex fertilizers can be applied with the addition of wood ash.

The crop is harvested as the zucchini ripens, preventing them from overripening, since overgrown zucchini inhibits the formation of new fruits.

Five easy steps to growing zucchini

Correct agricultural technology always helps amateur gardeners to achieve maximum results. Growing zucchini, like many other vegetables, can be done in five successive steps:

• choose a site;
• process the soil and apply fertilizers;
• select seeds and prepare planting material;
• sowing and / or growing seedlings;
• organize the care of plants and soil.

The sixth stage will be harvesting and storing zucchini. Below we will look at the nuances of each of these stages.

Modern agricultural techniques relieve from hard work to pain in the joints and lower back. The first steps towards the future harvest are taken in the fall.

Site selection

Allocate a sunny and wind-protected area for zucchini.All varieties of zucchini grow well on chernozem soils and light loams. Avoid clay and peaty soils.

Agronomists recommend often changing the place of planting zucchini and every two years to allocate new beds for them in your garden. Growing zucchini outdoors requires that you pay attention to the "predecessors" - the plants grown in the previous season.

The places where potatoes, root vegetables, cabbage and peas grew are suitable.

Tillage

In agricultural technology, it is important not only how to plant zucchini, but also when and in what soil. An important factor in obtaining a future good harvest is autumn fall plowing or digging of soil.

Soil maintenance is also possible in spring, but autumn plowing significantly increases yields: moisture is better retained in the soil and weeds freeze out.

And with favorable spring weather, this will allow for early sowing.

Loose soil makes life easier for the roots

The soil is dug up to a depth of 22–27 cm and organic fertilizers are introduced into it, at the rate of 30–50 kg 10 sq. M. In the absence of manure or compost, mineral fertilizers are applied 500–800 grams / 10 sq. M.

In spring, soil care is not so difficult, the soil is simply loosened to a depth of 10-15 cm. If it was not possible to apply top dressing in the fall, and planting zucchini is planned in a week, apply organic fertilizers immediately.

Organics require 10–20 kg / 10 sq. m; mineral fertilizers - superphosphate 150 g, potassium salt 70 g, ammonium sulfate 70 g per 10 sq.m.

Before sowing, the soil is harrowed with a rake - such care will help break the soil into small fractions and the soil will warm up better.

Seed material

Those who sow seeds from self-grown fruits should check their germination 1-2 months before sowing. The technique is simple and effective.

It is necessary to germinate several dozen seeds, and if 8-9 out of 10 have hatched, there is no reason to worry about the future harvest, and if less, it is better to buy other seeds or, on the eve of planting, use two simple options for increasing germination that are offered by applied agricultural technology:

• soaking in warm water for a day - nutrients come out of dormancy and seeds germinate faster in the soil;
• germination for 3-4 days at + 20 ... 25 C under a moist cloth also accelerates the emergence of seedlings.

At least 8 seeds should sprout out of a dozen

It is better for beginner gardeners to buy seeds in specialized stores.

Insufficiently experienced vegetable growers who use seeds from their own zucchini can get poor-quality material, since some flowers are sometimes fertilized with pollen from other cucurbits, which affects the biological characteristics of the next generation.

Seedling

Agrotechnology for growing seedlings helps to harvest in the open field in the early stages. Zucchini seedlings are grown in an apartment or greenhouse at a constant temperature of + 18 ... 25 C and air humidity in the range of 60-70%.

The soil mixture is formed from the same parts of sod soil, peat with neutral acidity and river sand. Two seeds are immersed in the soil of the seedling pot no more than 3 cm and moisten the mixture. Future seedlings are placed in a place inaccessible to direct sunlight.

Powerful seedlings give a great start to future vegetables

Seedling care begins five days after seed germination. Then the plants are transferred to a place with abundant sunlight.

A week after germination, the seedlings can be fed.

To avoid chemical burns, the plant is first watered with warm water, and then fed with potassium permanganate (2g / 1l of water) or urea (3g / 1l of water).

Top dressing rate: 80–100 ml per plant. After a week, you should repeat the feeding with nitrophos (3g / 1l of water). Top dressing rate: 150 ml per bush or lash.

Weak, undeveloped shoots are removed, only plants with two well-developed leaves remain.The rules of care require not only watering every day, but also periodically loosen the soil where the seedlings develop.

Transfer to open ground

Transplanting zucchini with formed leaves on the garden bed is carried out when the threat of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up to + 16 ... 18 C. Sowing with seeds is possible at lower temperatures from + 9 ... 13 C.

A planted sprout develops better in an already warmed-up ground.

Seeds are placed in holes, in the amount of 2-3 pieces. The seeding depth depends on the density of the soil: in heavy soils - a maximum of 5 cm, in light soils - up to 7 cm. The planting site is covered with foil or straw in case of a sharp drop in external temperatures.

The step between the holes depends on the morphological characteristics of the variety, therefore the area allocated for one zucchini bush can vary from 60x60 cm to 100x70 cm.

Pronounced bush forms are given less area, and climbing varieties take up more space.

Seedlings are also planted in the holes. Together with a lump of earth, it is lowered into the hole, deepening to the cotyledon leaves. To accelerate the growth of seedlings in the hole, you can first put a handful of well-rotted organic fertilizers.

Care

These beautiful flowers will soon become the ovaries of large fruits.

Climate has always been an important condition for high yields, but soil and plant care plays an important role in achieving good results even in harsh zucchini conditions.

For the strength and health of the squash, it is important to organize regular maintenance of the soil. For this, the aisles are processed, and the zucchini bush is spud. The first loosening is performed two days after planting the seedlings.

Periodic loosening of the row spacings, where the seeds are sown, begins after the appearance of the first cotyledon leaves and thin out the shoots when the first true leaf appears, leaving one of the strongest plants in the hole.

In total, at the stage of growth of the bushes, 2-4 soil cultivation can be carried out.

The first feeding with a solution of a fresh mullein (4 parts of water and 1 part of a mullein) is done on the 14th day after disembarkation.

Seed shoots can be fed with mineral fertilizers on the 10th day from the moment of their appearance: ammonium sulfate, superphosphate and potassium salt.

Fertilizers are applied as dry powder.

The second feeding is carried out in the budding and flowering phases.

The most effective fertilizer at this stage is chicken manure (1 part manure and 10 parts water).

The use of wood ash is encouraged and, as always, it is appropriate to fertilize in reasonable amounts with the mineral fertilizers mentioned above.

As for the irrigation of the soil when growing zucchini, the first time the plants are watered before flowering and then several more times when the fruits are formed.

Most often, when growing, zucchini is affected by powdery mildew. In this case, remove the affected leaves and treat the leaves with Bayleton fungicide (25%).

Harvest

Harvesting of zucchini lasts 45 ... 90 days. Depending on the variety, every week it is necessary to collect 4-6 young ovaries, which have reached a mass of 300-700 grams. The fruits are cut with a knife along with the stalk.

If you leave a ripe zucchini on a bush, then after a short time the process of seed formation begins and the taste of the product will decrease.

Regular collection of ovaries increases the yield of zucchini and significantly increases the yield of each individual plant, helping to collect from 6 to 15 kg / 10 sq. M. From one bush.

So, growing zucchini is a multi-step process, but not burdensome and allows even beginners to successfully get to the pleasant harvesting stage.

Zucchini is a plant of the Pumpkin family. Easy to plant, unpretentious in care, gives a rich harvest of useful vegetables. They are used to prepare a variety of dishes, from pancakes to jam, they go well with other vegetables, mushrooms, fish, meat, cereals, zucchini are suitable for salting. Low-calorie fruits are appreciated by nutritionists.Due to its rich chemical composition, zucchini is used in medicine and cosmetology.

The timing of planting zucchini for seedlings

It will take 20-30 days to grow a full-fledged marrow seedlings, the timing of planting in the ground is at night temperatures above 12 ° C and the absence of night frosts. In the middle lane, this weather occurs in the second or third decade of May. Therefore, sowing zucchini for seedlings is carried out in early to mid-April. Read about growing seedlings below.

The timing of planting zucchini in open ground

Seedless planting of zucchini in open ground is the easiest and most popular growing method. For successful germination of zucchini seeds, a temperature of at least +12 - + 15 ° C is required, therefore, the culture is planted with seeds in the ground after May 5-6, and in cold weather after May 15-20. Remember that even a slight frost will kill seedlings, so if you planted risky early plantings, be prepared to cover the seedlings with plastic wrap or plastic bottles.

Zucchini can be sown in the ground in 2-3 stages with an interval of 1-2 weeks, until the bottom of the beginning of June. This way you will get the maximum guarantee that the zucchini will sprout and give a bountiful harvest. For the needs of a family of 5 people, a few zucchini bushes (up to 10) are quite enough: enough to eat in the summer and prepare for the winter. How to plant zucchini in open ground, read below.

How to prepare zucchini seeds for planting

How to prepare zucchini seeds for planting

Quite frankly, zucchini seeds sprout quickly in warm soil, even without preliminary preparation. But to accelerate germination, many gardeners pre-treat the seeds.

There are several ways to prepare zucchini seeds for sowing:

• Soak the seeds in water with a temperature of 50 ° C for 4-6 hours, then immediately place them in cold water for 1-2 minutes - this will harden the plants and speed up the yield.
• For a day, hold it in a growth stimulant solution, rinse the seeds, dry slightly and plant immediately - this accelerates and improves seed germination.
• Soak in nitrophosphate solution for 10-12 hours: the seeds should swell well - this is additional nutrition for future sprouts.
• Keep the seeds in a damp cloth until they swell - extra moisture to the seeds to speed up germination.

Choose your own way of preparing the seeds, or do nothing with them at all: you will definitely not be left without a crop.

Choosing a place for planting zucchini

How to plant zucchini seeds in the ground photo shoots

This culture loves warmth and light.

Illumination

• The site should be well lit, without drafts and cold winds.
• Any kind of zucchini will grow wonderfully on a slope on the south or southwest side.
• Lighting is required bright: from a lack of light, less ovary is formed, the fruits will ripen for a long time.

Predecessors

They should not be planted in an area where other representatives of this family previously grew (zucchini themselves, pumpkins, cucumbers, squash, melons, watermelons). Take a break for about 3 years. After growing the rest of the garden crops, it grows well.

Fertilizer for zucchini when planting

The soil needs a nutritious, neutral reaction.

• Ideally, the preparation of the site is carried out in the fall: they dig up the site to the depth of the bayonet of the shovel, add organic matter, if the soil is acidic, add lime.
• Soil enrichment with organic matter and nutrients can be carried out in the spring.
• If the soil is peaty, add 2 kg of humus or compost for digging, 1 tsp each. potassium sulfate, superphosphate, 2 tbsp. l. wood ash per 1 m² plot. Level the soil, spill it with a solution of complex mineral fertilizers (for 1 bucket of warm water, 1 tbsp. L. Dressing). Consumption: for 1 m² 3 liters of mortar.
• Add 2 kg of sawdust to black soil, 2 tbsp. l. wood ash and 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate per 1 m².
• Chernozem soil for zucchini is prepared by introducing sawdust (2 kg), wood ash (2 tbsp. L.) And superphosphate (1 tbsp. L.) Into it.
• Light loam, clay soil should be diluted with humus, peat.Add similar additives as for chernozem in the same proportions.
• Dilute the sandy soil with turf soil (1 bucket per 1 m²), add the components recommended for clay soil.

Planting zucchini seeds in open ground

How to determine the time of planting zucchini in open ground? Sowing seeds in the garden is started when the air temperature is set in the range of 12-15 ° C, and the threat of recurrent frosts has passed. This is usually early to mid-May.

It is recommended to sow in 2-4 doses with an interval of 7-14 days in order to harvest at different times.

Distance between zucchini when planting

Planting zucchini in the open field

They plant zucchini under a hoe, like corn: they rake off a little earth, put 1-2 seeds and rake them with their feet, slightly pressing them. The distance between the rows is 70 cm, between the bushes in a row is 40-50 cm.

Some housewives prefer to plant zucchini in the holes, like cucumbers: they make a round deepened hole, and plant 4-5 seeds in it at a distance of 30-40 cm. Between the holes there is a distance of 70-100 cm. preservation of moisture in the ground, which is especially important when growing such a moisture-loving culture as zucchini.

An interesting way of planting zucchini in the ground, we look at the video:

Growing marrow seedlings and planting dates

Zucchini grown through seedlings begin to bear fruit earlier, give more fruits per season.

• For the earliest harvest, sow seedlings in early April.
• If you want to get the harvest later (fruits for conservation and long-term storage), sow in the ground at the end of May.

You can use a universal substrate or prepare a soil mixture: 5 parts of peat soil, 2 parts of sod and humus soil, 1 part of sawdust, add fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium sulfate, urea, ammonium nitrate).

Planting zucchini for seedlings

• It is best to sow zucchini seeds in separate peat pots - then it will be easier to transplant them into open ground.
• Fill the container with soil in half, pour warm water, deepen the seeds by 1-2 cm.
• You need to place the seed flat, direct the hatched sprout down.
• Cover crops with foil, maintain air temperature within 18-22 ° C.
• With the emergence of seedlings, maintain the daytime air temperature in the range of 15-18 ° C, lower the night temperature to 13-15 ° C. Coolness is needed so that the sprouts do not stretch out.
• In 5-7 days after germination, the air temperature should be raised again to 20-22 ° C.
• Lighting is required bright, but diffused.
• Water regularly as the substrate dries. The water should be warm (about 25 ° C).

Feed the zucchini seedlings 10-12 days after the shoots appear. For 1 liter of water, take: 5-7 g of superphosphate, 2-3 g of urea, mullein in a ratio of 1 to 10, growth stimulant solution (prepared according to the instructions). If the soil for growing seedlings is not very fertile, repeat the procedure 7 days after the first feeding.

Growing seedlings takes about 30 days, after hardening, they are ready for transplanting into open ground. The seedlings should have 3 true leaves. A week before planting in open ground, harden: for the daytime, take the seedlings outside, but shade from direct sunlight.

Planting zucchini seedlings in open ground

How to plant zucchini seedlings in the ground photo and diagram

• Make holes, pour warm water (35-40 ° C).
• Place the plant in a hole along with a peat pot, or transfer it with an earthen ball if grown in a plastic container.
• In order for the glass to be easily removed from the earthen coma, the seedlings need to be well watered a day before planting.
• Deepen to the cotyledons.
• Press the soil around the stems lightly with your fingers.
• Water (for 1 plant 1 liter of water), add water under the root - it should not get on the leaves or stem.

Space will be required for normal growth and development: use a 70x40 planting pattern. There should be no more than 3 plants per 1 m² of area.

How to care for zucchini outdoors

Hilling and loosening the soil

With the appearance of 4-5 true leaves, young plants should be piled up (by about 5 cm) - this way the roots of the plant will strengthen well, the bushes will become more stable.

In the early stages of development, remove weeds and loosen the soil by hand. When a dense canopy of leaves appears, the plants are able to fight the weeds on their own, but remove the weeds as soon as they are found.

For normal growth, it is necessary to provide air and moisture access to the roots - loosen the soil regularly. On loams, a hard crust forms very quickly, you can fight this trouble by mulching: pour a layer of humus or lay cut grass around.

Watering

Water regularly (every other day in hot summer, 1-2 times a week in cool weather). Water for irrigation should be warm (25-30 ° C), apply it at the root. Before flowering, add 5 liters of water under each bush. During the period of budding, flowering and the beginning of the formation of the ovary, water abundantly. Watering is not stopped until the end of the fruiting period.

Top dressing

Many gardeners advise feeding the zucchini twice a season: during the budding period and the mass appearance of the ovary. At the beginning of flowering, focus on nitrogen-containing fertilizers, and potassium and phosphorus are needed for setting ovaries and abundant fruiting. You can add potassium nitrate, superphosphate, mullein, bird droppings.

However, zucchini is such an over-yielding crop that it will provide fruits for the whole season even without top dressing on any soil, if only there is sufficient watering.

How to get an early harvest of zucchini a month earlier, look at the video:

Zucchini varieties

Choosing the best zucchini for planting is not difficult: just read the description of the variety and compare with your preferences. Zucchini comes in a dark green crust, completely white and striped. Modern varieties, especially bush, are very productive, do not require special care or bush formation. Zucchini is also divided into 3 groups:

1. Early ripe: Tsukesha, Zebra, Anna, White Swan, Zolotinka, Beloplodny, etc.
2. Mid-season: Kuand, Jade, Black Beauty, Spaghetti.
3. Late ripening - ripening period is about 3 months, they are great for long-term fresh storage. Varieties: Walnut, Long-fruited, Tivoli F1.

Zucchini is a special group of zucchini with a high yield and early maturity.

Zucchini is a subspecies of pumpkin with elongated fruits of white, green, dark green, yellow color, growing in a bush way. It is consumed fresh, processed, used for preparations for the winter.

Site preparation

Zucchini are very demanding on soil fertility: they prefer loose, light, nutritious soils with a neutral pH. Heavy clay or poor sandy soils are not suitable for zucchini, they will require the introduction of humus, compost, ash, fertilizers.

Sunny warm places, not thickened by other plantings, are preferable for these pumpkins. With a lack of heat and light, fruiting will come later and will be less abundant.

There is a way to grow crops directly on the compost heap. For this, organic residues are covered with a film or spunbond with slots in the places of sowing of seeds, and are well moistened.

Variety selection, preparation for sowing

In order to sow seeds, you need to decide on the type of squash. They differ among themselves by:

• yield and fruit size - there are plants that produce several large fruits (up to 10 kg), there are others that give many fruits of milk ripeness;
• fruit color - yellow, green, white, dark green;
• ripening period - medium, late, early;
• for food purposes - for processing, for storage, for fresh consumption, for freezing.

Having chosen the variety you like, let's start preparing the seeds for sowing.

Recommended sequence of planting material preparation:

Stage 1... Warming up the seeds in the warmth - on the battery, for 12 hours.

Stage 2... Pre-soaking for 4-5 days - for this, the seeds are spread on wet wipes in a small container in 1 row and wait for the sprouts to appear.

Now you can plant seeds in the ground.

Sowing seeds

Sowing of seeds is carried out depending on the climatic zone and weather conditions, in May-June. The main thing is that the soil warms up to 18-20 degrees.

How to plant zucchini with seeds in open ground?

In each prepared hole to a depth of 5-7 cm, germinated seeds are sown, 3 pcs. Later, the weakest seedlings are pinched, leaving the strongest plant. Planting scheme 50x70cm - density 3 pcs. by 1 square meter.

Organic substances are added - ash, humus, humus.

Sowing is preferable in cloudy weather.

Agrotechnics

Further care involves timely watering - the culture is very hygrophilous, with a lack of moisture, the leaves noticeably wither, lose turgor. It is better to moisturize under the root, with extremely warm water. Cold water can cause cracking of the stem and death of the plant, at best, its growth will be stopped.

Fertilizers are applied according to the usual scheme of alternating mineral and organic elements once every couple of weeks.

Mulching has a beneficial effect on the plant: this way the moisture in the ground will remain longer, preventing the formation of a crust on the ground. It is not recommended to loosen the soil under the plant in order to avoid injury to the root system lying in the surface layers of the earth.

All modern varieties of zucchini are self-pollinated, however, it is recommended that once a decade be treated with preparations to stimulate fruit formation. It will not be superfluous to lightly sprinkle the flowers with honey diluted in water to attract bees.

Plant protection

Like any garden crop, zucchini is affected by diseases and pests. Among the diseases, powdery mildew is more common, from pests - whitefly, spider mites, aphids. Due to the extended harvesting period of the vegetable marrow, it is recommended to process it before flowering or during fruiting - with folk safe means.

Seedlings of zucchini are very fragile, they do not relate well to transplanting with damage to the clod of earth, therefore, it is most often customary to plant zucchini with seeds directly in open ground. This will relieve the plant from stress, and the gardener from unnecessary work.

There is a legend very similar to the truth. Once, in ancient times, the coast of the Indian Ocean was inhabited by fishermen, and the only source of food for them was the fish they caught. They spent many days at sea, fighting bad weather and storms. The women prayed tirelessly for the safe return of their husbands. Once women's patience ran out and they turned to the gods with a request to give them a gift of fruit, the pulp of which would be as tender and delicious as fish meat. The gods heard them and gave the people zucchini. Indeed, zucchini is not only a unique dietary product, but also has a very delicate taste. Today you can find this vegetable in almost any garden. But is it that easy to grow this food of the gods?

How to plant zucchini

Despite the fact that you can find zucchini in almost any garden, not every summer resident can grow them successfully. Planting this vegetable requires taking into account some of the features of site selection, soil and seed preparation, and the choice of various planting methods.

Choosing a site for planting

The place for growing zucchini is of particular importance. Considering that this vegetable is warm and light-loving, the site for planting it must be protected from winds from the north and be sufficiently illuminated.

You can not grow zucchini annually in the same place, as well as after cucumbers, pumpkins and squash (at least 3 years). The best predecessors in this case are cabbage, beets, carrots, peas, tomatoes, potatoes, green and spicy crops.

Zucchini are demanding on soil fertility. Therefore, in the fall, the site is subject to deep digging (25–35 cm) without breaking clods, as well as refueling with organic matter. If the soil is acidic, it is lime. In the spring, the soil is loosened with a rake, and organic and mineral fertilizers are applied, taking into account its composition.

Zucchini can be grown both outdoors and indoors... But it must be borne in mind that this vegetable requires a lot of space - the distance between rows and in a row is 70 cm (although 40-50 cm is allowed for some varieties).

In the open field, it is recommended to use the so-called warm bed. It is made high, and the leaves of raspberries, Jerusalem artichoke, carrot tops, beets, last year's grass, compost or humus are laid down for digging. At the same time, it is recommended to cover a bed with planted plants until mid-June (depending on climatic conditions) with a film or non-woven shelters. During the day, in good weather, the garden must be ventilated.

Preparing plant seeds for sowing

You can plant zucchini with dry seeds or seedlings.... It is not difficult to decide on the choice of the landing method. If your goal is to get the harvest as quickly as possible, then the seedling method will be optimal. But the fruits grown by seedlings have one drawback - they cannot be stored for a long time. Therefore, if you need to store these vegetables, then it is preferable to choose planting seeds in the ground. In both cases, pre-sowing seed preparation is important.

Healthy zucchini seeds are flat, oval, milky white or cream in color

Freezing, heating and dressing of seeds is recommended as preparatory procedures.... These measures help to increase the resistance of plants to cold and disease. However, nowadays, on packages with seeds, you can find a warning from the manufacturer that they have already undergone such training, therefore, it does not need to be repeated.

Be sure to soak the seeds before planting in the ground, which is carried out in several stages:

1. Warm up the package with seeds on the battery, this will increase their germination. Discard empty and visually ugly seeds.
2. Soak the seeds in warm water. When they swell, place between layers of fabric (using gauze can break the delicate roots). The optimum temperature for germinating seeds is 25 C.
3. When the shoots are a few centimeters long (usually after 4–5 days), plant them in the soil.

The timing of planting germinated seeds directly into the ground can vary depending on climatic conditions. On average, these are the last days of May or early June. The optimum soil temperature is 10–12 C.

Before planting, the soil must be watered. In an earthen hole (depth 10-12 cm) lay 0.5 kg of humus and 2-3 seeds, then sprinkle with earth 3-4 cm and mulch on top with peat (2-3 cm). Then the excess plants are thinned out.

Seedlings of this vegetable are prepared in late April - early May.... The hatched seeds are traditionally placed in individual paper cups or peat pots filled with substrate. Alternative methods of obtaining seedlings in so-called snails or rolls are also of interest.

Video: Planting zucchini seeds in a snail

After the sprouts appear, the first feeding of the seedlings is carried out (0.5 tablespoons of superphosphate and urea per 1 liter of water). Moreover, each plant should receive no more than 1.5 tbsp. tablespoons of this solution. The second one is performed in 10-12 days. The composition of the solution is somewhat different - for 1 liter of water, 0.5 tbsp. tablespoons of ash and nitrophoska (1.5 tbsp. spoons for each bush). Only warm water is used for irrigation - 100 ml for each plant every 4–5 days.

Transplanting seedlings into the ground is carried out in 25-30 days, when at least three leaves are formed.It is deepened into the ground to cotyledon leaves. Before the onset of stable heat, the planted seedlings are recommended to be covered with a film or non-woven materials.

Unconventional planting and growing methods

Summer residents, who were faced with the problem of lack of free space on their site, invented rather original ways of growing zucchini. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that zucchini are planted not in the ground in the garden, but in various devices: bags, barrels, compost heaps. And also there is a vertical landing method.

Growing zucchini in bags is not difficult. To do this, use polyethylene (large garbage bags) or polypropylene bags (such as sell sugar, cereals) with a volume of 100-120 liters. Organic residues, compost, sawdust are laid at the bottom and then covered with earth. Several small holes are made in the bottom of the bag to avoid stagnant water. Zucchini is planted with seeds or seedlings, watered. In cold weather, cover with a cut plastic bottle. At the same time, the plant does not require special care and a significant amount of fertilizers.

Zucchini in bags allows you to save space at the summer cottage

Zucchini can be grown in the same way in 150-200 liter barrels.... A pipe (with a diameter of no more than 0.3 m) with small holes is vertically installed in the center in the barrel. Drainage in the form of cones or brushwood is laid at the bottom of the barrel. Then layers of humus, hay, earth, a mixture of sawdust and peat and, finally, the soil on which the zucchini will grow are laid out sequentially. Plants are planted in holes on both sides of the irrigation pipe, through which the plants are subsequently watered.

Zucchini growing in a barrel can be a decoration of your site

Zucchini can even be grown in place of the compost heapcontaining the remains of last year's hay, vegetable tops, husks from grain. The decomposition of these products can be accelerated using special microbiological solutions.

Video: Growing on a compost heap

The vertical zucchini planting method is suitable for climbing zucchini varieties (for example, Profit F1, Ambassador F1). It consists in the fact that the whips of the plant are launched along the trellis attached to the ground or wall.

Zucchini on a trellis look very aesthetically pleasing

The planting methods described above have several advantages. First of all, plants are much easier to care for. And the risk of damage to the plant by diseases and pests is also reduced. In addition to saving space on the site, these "beds" are mobile - they can be moved from place to place. At the same time, the greenhouse effect, which occurs inside the bags, barrels and compost heaps in the process of decay of organic residues, contributes to the harvest at an earlier date. Another plus of these planting methods is that the fruits of the zucchini always look attractive, since they do not come into contact with the surface of the earth.

We grow zucchini on the balcony

Growing a vegetable marrow at home is difficult, but possible. For this, it is necessary that the balcony or loggia have a southern exposure and be protected from frost, since the zucchini is photophilous and is afraid of frost. The best temperature for growing is above 16 C.

Zucchini on the balcony is an outlet for lovers of this vegetable

A separate pot is allocated for each plant, with a volume of 10-15 liters of soil. The capacity for planting should be chosen high - 35–40 cm, since when the taproot reaches the barrier, the growth of the aboveground part of the plant slows down. Humus can be used as a soil, but be sure to provide drainage to avoid stagnant water (for example, expanded clay or gravel). It is necessary to position the pot so that no objects and structures create a shadow. It is also worth taking care of the support to which the zucchini will be tied in the future.

Not all varieties of zucchini are suitable for growing on the balcony. It is better to give preference to bush early-maturing hybrids (Kavili).You can sow seeds immediately in a container, but it is better to pre-soak them in water for 3-4 days and plant the already hatched seed.

If the selected variety is not self-pollinating, you need to provide insects access to the balcony, and sprinkle the sprouts with a solution of honey. If there is no opportunity for this, then the plant can be pollinated manually - with a brush, transfer pollen from male flowers to female flowers.

It is necessary to water the plant regularly, at the root. During fruiting, watering is increased. And regular loosening of the soil will provide a sufficient supply of oxygen. You can feed zucchini with complex water-soluble fertilizers.

You can harvest the fruits when they reach a length of 20-25 cm. It is important not to overexpose the fruits on the plant. This leads to a decrease in its productivity and early aging.

What varieties to choose for planting

There are two varieties of this vegetable: white-fruited zucchini and zucchini.having a more varied color of fruits (yellow, green, variegated, striped). It is believed that zucchinis are more resistant to disease and enter the fruiting stage much earlier. They have a special yield due to the predominance of female flowers.

By the timing of ripening, zucchini varieties are divided into:

• Early maturing (very early). The fruits ripen 30-50 days after planting. Such varieties are suitable for growing in the Urals and Siberia.
• Mid-season. Fruits are formed on the 50-60th day.
• Late ripening. The fruits of these varieties are harvested in late August or autumn (more than 60 days after planting).

Giving preference to one or another variety of this vegetable, it should be borne in mind that the difference in ripening time between varieties is insignificant, but it is strongly manifested in the yield of this vegetable. The most popular high-yielding varieties and hybrids are briefly described below.

Table: Most popular high-yielding varieties

Photo gallery: The most productive varieties of zucchini

When choosing a variety of zucchini, do not forget about the influence of such factors as:

• resistance to low temperatures;
• disease resistance;
• the ability to self-pollinate;
• peculiarities of transportation and storage;
• the purpose of the fruit;
• taste of fruits.

Growing and care rules

In the cultivation and care of zucchini are not too whimsical. You just need to follow some rules.

1. Watering is one of the determining factors for the full development of a plant and its fruits.... The watering regime depends on the stage of development of the squash. Before flowering, the sprouts are watered once every 5-7 days at the rate of 5 liters of water for each bush. At the fruiting stage, the intensity of watering increases up to twice a week using the same volumes of water.It is important to remember that you cannot water the zucchini with cold water. The optimum water temperature for irrigation is 22-25 C.
2. Fertilizing zucchini is carried out 2-3 times during the summer: the first - in the phase of 4–5 leaves with a solution of slurry or poultry droppings; the second - at the stage of flowering and fruit formation with mineral fertilizers. It is important to remember that zucchini cannot tolerate chlorine. Read carefully the composition of the fertilizers used.
3. Bush care. In climbing zucchini species, the main trunk is pinched when the buds appear, and the side trunks when they reach a length of 40 cm. In order to improve ventilation and illumination, it is recommended to remove the lower leaves of the plant.
4. Caring for the soil consists in loosening it and removing weeds. The first loosening is carried out immediately after planting seeds or seedlings. Subsequent loosening is carried out after rain or watering to prevent the formation of a soil crust. They help to retain moisture and provide soil ventilation.
5. Harvesting. The timing of fruit ripening depends on the variety of zucchini you have chosen. Harvesting is necessary regularly at intervals of 2-3 days. It is important to remember that if you skip harvesting, the fruits outgrow and coarse, and the growth of young ovaries is also delayed. This negatively affects the yield level.

What vegetables are sick with

Like other representatives of pumpkin crops, zucchini can be affected by pests and various diseases. This can negatively affect the degree of yield, the appearance of the fruit, or lead to the death of the plant. Therefore, it is very important to recognize the disease in time and take measures to eliminate it.

Consider what symptoms of disease you may encounter when growing zucchini:

Table: Signs and methods of dealing with major diseases

These vegetables can also be attacked by dangerous pests: sprout fly, spider mite, melon aphid, wireworms, bear. The methods of dealing with these insects are quite diverse:

• spraying the affected plant with water and special solutions;
• creation of deterrent structures with specific odors;
• creation of special baits that allow insects to accumulate in one place, and then destroy them.

Photo gallery: The main pests of zucchini

Thus, when planting zucchini in your garden, remember about the methods of preventing diseases and pests:

• follow the rules of crop rotation (do not place zucchini annually in the same place and where cucumbers or pumpkin used to grow);
• follow the watering rules (water the plant regularly under the root with warm water (22-25 C));
• remove weeds and plant debris in a timely manner.

As you know, it is better to prevent any disease than to cure it later.

So, armed with the knowledge gained about the rules for growing zucchini, make a decision on the choice of varieties and method of planting this vegetable, demonstrate your hard work and patience, and you can enjoy the rich results of your labor, tasting the delicate pulp of the food of the gods.

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