Zucchini, botanically known as Cucurbita pepo, is a vegetable belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family that has become very popular in recent years. The pioneers in the cultivation of this nutritious, delicious and low-calorie vegetable were the Arabs. The main zucchini producing countries in the world are currently North America, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. It is very versatile in the kitchen, it is used in tortillas, tempura, grilled, stuffed and more. Many people who start with the urban dead have doubts about when to plant zucchini.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to telling you when to plant zucchini, how to do it and the best tips for it.
When to plant zucchini?
Squashes in temperate regions should be planted in spring or early in the dry season in climates that have only cool, wet seasons and hot, dry seasons.
In severe winter climates, frosts can still occur in early spring, in which case it is best to wait until they have passed. It should be remembered that if they are to be grown outdoors, planting them too early and having to wait longer than transplant time will not produce any harvest.
Even if there is a warm place to keep the seedbed, it is not recommended to sow the seeds about 1 month before transplanting. They need high temperatures and good light to thrive. Therefore, it is recommended to sow in spring, preferably in April and May. Before sowing it in the seedbed.
It is a high climate crop with extremely low tolerance to low temperatures. They need 10 to 12 hours of light. The optimum soil temperature for germination is 20-25 ºC. Below 10°C, its development stops and above 40°C, an imbalance of plants and temperature begins.
How zucchini are planted
Growing zucchini is easy as it only needs warm weather to germinate. You can sow courgettes directly in the soil of your garden with two or three zucchini seeds per hole 2 cm deep.
The seeds are sown together from March to September so that when they germinate, they easily break through the soil crust. When placing them, cover them with 4 cm of soil. After germination, grow one seedling per well, select the strongest and discard the others.
Zucchini adapts to any type of soil, although it prefers deep, well-drained soils. On the other hand, simple fertilizers are the most used, soluble and liquid.
As for watering, if you are going to grow zucchini in your garden, know that the plant needs moisture, so you should water it frequently when the first fruits start to appear. However, excessive watering at the beginning of sowing is not recommended, since waterlogging does not promote the proper development of the plant.
When transplanting, water thoroughly, allowing it to root well, until the leaves look rotten, then another deep watering should be done. Repeat these steps until the flowers start to grow. Therefore, you want to keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged.
In zucchini, you need to remove secondary shoots as soon as possible. If the home garden has a good reception for zucchini, can be harvested 40 days after sowing and continue for another 40 days depending on plant growth. Harvest zucchini daily or every other day.
ground preparation
Zucchini is less demanding on the soil and adapts easily to all types of substrates, although it prefers those that are rich, deep and well drained. Also, the soil should contain enough organic matter as it has high nutrient requirements.
The optimum pH range is between 5.6 and 7.0 It is moderately tolerant of salt in soil and irrigation water, but plants may struggle to uptake water if the salt concentration is too high.
They pair well with corn, beans, cabbage, lettuce, radishes, Swiss chard, tomatoes and arugula. They do not get along well with potatoes and, in general, with vegetables of the family (vegetables-fruits) such as cucumbers, watermelons, melons, pumpkins or tomatoes, as they compete for light sun, water and nutrients.
How to grow zucchini step by step
You must remove weeds and residues from previous crops, as well as various debris to make sure your zucchini is getting the right amount of nutrients. All plants should be uprooted to prevent regrowth.
Remove the soil with a rake and leave it well aerated. Moisten the soil before planting zucchini to benefit from the zucchini root system. In addition, by moistening the soil, it reduces the risk of hydraulic seed detachment.
Fertilize the soil by mixing the fertilizer to a depth of 5 cm. To do this, form small mounds and plant 2-3 seeds 3-5 cm deep. When you’re done, cover them lightly.
As a plant that requires a lot of space, a minimum distance of 50 cm from each mound is recommended. Choose the healthiest and strongest seedlings. The seeds will germinate in a few days. If more than one seed has germinated in each hole, keep the strongest one. To do this, do not pull on the weaker ones as this will damage the leaves. A simple pruning on the ground will suffice.
One of the characteristics of the zucchini plant is that the same individual has mostly male and female flowers, so it takes at least two plants for pollination to form fruits.
Pruning is necessary to limit excessive growth of the shrub and promote fruit production.. Similarly, you should remove leaves in poor condition throughout their life cycle.
It is sometimes convenient to clean the flowers because once they have fulfilled their function, they fall and rot very easily, which is a source of disease. Again, regular fruit washing is recommended. This includes inhibiting fruit that has been damaged by disease, deformation or overgrowth.
Hopefully with this information you can learn more about when to plant zucchini and how to do it.