A Compendious Guide For Zucchini Plant Care
Concerned about healthy eating? Or trying to create your own garden? If yes, why not begin with some easy to grow plant species like the ‘Zucchini.’ What makes Zucchini an even more amazing option is that the Zucchini plant care is easy and doesn’t require much effort.
However, like any other plant, it can also use a little help from your side. Thus we have prepared a perfunctory guide for Zucchini plant care that will help you with your zucchini plant.
How To Grow Zucchini?
This is the first thing that would come to your mind when trying to go for any plant. Many gardeners will tell you on the question of how to plant Zucchini that it practically grows all by itself.
It is a common conception that the zucchini plant grows by itself and can produce a good harvest. Otherwise, why would there be a National Sneak Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day?
While we agree that it doesn’t require much effort when it comes to growing Zucchini as it is a prolific grower, it doesn’t mean that it can’t use some help from you.
Some tips which you need to follow when searching for the answer to how to grow Zucchini are:
Plant In ‘Hills’
Those who know a little about gardening know that the ‘hill’ means a raised soil mound or platform. When trying to know how to plant Zucchini, the best thing to do is plant it in a raised platform garden. Although you can plant the Zucchini in rows, going for hill plantations has its own benefits.
When you go to a hill plantation, the need for the zucchini plant care reduces. This is because it provides better drainage, and the mounds warm up more easily and early comparatively.
These benefits of hill plantation will reduce the need for zucchini plant care and let you plant early. Early warming of the mounds let you go for zucchini plantation as soon as the frost season is over.
When the question of how to plant Zucchini arises, other than the above reason, there are also other benefits. Hill plantations of the zucchini plant also help in the easy pollination. In addition to this, remember that whether you sow seeds or seedlings of Zucchini, always plant a group of two-three plants together. This type of zucchini plant spacing is vital as it increases the chances of pollination making it easy.
Hill plantation also has its other benefits, like it lets you dig compost easily in the soil. This is essential as the zucchini plant loves the nutrient-rich soil. One thing to know when to water your plant. For this plant at least an inch of water per week is essential for the best results.
The reason why it is essential for Zucchini is that the flowers of this plant need to be pollinated for the formation of viable fruit. Another thing is that each female flower is open only for a day; thus, good pollination chances are vital. Thus when you group plants together, the chance of pollination increases greatly. This is the basic zucchini plant care which you need to follow for the best results.
Monitor The Zucchini Plant Pollination
In addition to knowing when to plant Zucchini and how to grow Zucchini, monitoring its pollination is also essential. This is vital to maintain as in its short blossom period, you need both male and female preflowers to open simultaneously.
It is also essential as only the female flowers set the fruit and male flowers are there for the only pollination. Thus same blossom timing is essential for a good harvest and result. One thing to know about the zucchini plant care is that it produces numerous male flowers in the beginning. This can be frustrating for new gardeners as they might see many flowers but no fruits.
You need to be patient as the plant matures a little, it starts producing the female flowers. This might look a little out of context, but it is actually beneficial as the early male flower production attracts insects. Thus when female flowers produce, there are insects to act as pollination agents.
The difference between male and female flowers is that the female flowers already have small fruits behind them.
However, if you are serious about your harvest, then you can also take the matter into your hand. For doing this, pluck the male flowers and dust the pollen onto female flowers. This ensures a great harvest as good pollination happens. If you don’t want to pluck male flowers, you can also use a small paintbrush to transfer pollen between the flowers. This is some zucchini plant care that you need to do for good results.
One good thing is that you can also use the early male flowers for treats. All you need to do is pluck them, batter dip them and fry, and your delicious treat is ready.
When To Plant Zucchini?
Like any other plant, knowing when to plant Zucchini is essential as there is a suitable season for every plant. The best time to plant Zucchini is after the cold season is over. This is vital as the zucchini plant doesn’t tolerate the cold temperature and frost. Thus if you plant early, there will be no gain.
Even if, in any case, the fruits develop in the winters, they will have chilling injuries; thus, a pitted skin. Thus you must wait for at least the middle of spring when the soil is warm. However, it depends on the climate of the region; thus, the only thing to consider is a little warm temperature. When planting, another thing to know is that the danger of frost must be completely gone. The temperature for best results must be well over 60 Fahrenheit.
If you go for early planting, then cover your plants using a row cover for protecting them from low temperatures. Knowing when to plant is an essential part of the zucchini plant care for best results.
Try Succession Planting
The zucchini plant is a quick grower and starts producing fruits in a period of 5- to 60 days from the plantation. However, the fruit production rate may reduce with the season.
So, if you like the steady supply of the fruit, try going for the succession planting. Depending on the regional climate, you can start new zucchini plants two to three times in a season. Luckily for you, zucchini plant care is extremely easy, and thus there is no need to go for indoor seed beginning. You can directly go to a garden plantation once the first round of plants is mature. This should be done when expecting to see germination soon.
This second round of the plantation is generally done in mid of July or August or both. The late plantation of the zucchini plant also increases the growth speeds in comparison to spring plantation.
Watch Out For Squash Vine Borer
Zucchini plants are the true love of squash vine borer. In late June or the starting of July, the adult squash vine borer comes out from their cold season hideout in the soil. Once they come out of the hideout, the first thing they do is lay eggs at the zucchini squash plant’s stem.
When these eggs hatch, the larva starts to feed on the zucchini squash plants. Thus it cuts off the water flow through the plant stems. This water cut soon kills the zucchini squash plant.
The best zucchini plant care tip you can use to avoid the squash vine borer is to not plant until the middle of July. Other than this, you can also break the cycle of breeding by not planting the zucchini plants for a year.
If you want an early harvest and can’t give a break, go for the addition of row covers. In this way, you can avoid the squash vine borer from laying eggs at the Zucchini. One thing to know is that this method is only effective if you already don’t have squash vine borer in your soil.
One more method to avoid harm to plants is to cover plants’ stems using aluminum foil paper. You only need to cover around two to four inches of the stem from the ground. If you do the wrapping properly, the larva will not be able to bore through the foil, thus preventing any harm to plants.
Bottom Line
Zucchini plants are one of the easiest you can grow in your garden. What makes this an amazing option is that zucchini plant care is very easy.
However, like any other plant, the Zucchini can also use a little assistance from a gardener. Thus knowing the zucchini plant spacing, plantation, season, and more are essential for the best results.
