How To Grow Zucchini at Home – Beginner’s Guide

It has become quite popular to grow zucchini at home. This is because it is so easy to plant zucchini. Also, zucchini plants could produce a large amount of delicious squash. So, let’s see how to grow zucchini from seeds in your garden.

Usually, zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) emerges on a sprawling, big plants, which need a big garden space. However, with seeds bred specifically for container growing and a large container, space-challenged home gardeners can grow healthy zucchini with only a balcony or patio. Some of the compact zucchini varieties include Geode, Raven, Jackpot Hybrid, and Eight Ball. Gardeners can plant zucchini seeds in April, when temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit consistently.

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How to Grow Zucchini

While planting zucchinis, gardeners can either plant them as grouped on hills or individual plants. So, it depends on how you want to grow zucchini depending on how much space you actually have to grow zucchini and how many plants you like to grow. But, does zucchini have seeds? Yes, it does. Now, let’s see how to grow zucchini from zucchini seeds:

Fill a large container with a high-quality commercial potting mixture, containing ingredients like peat moss, compost, perlite, and soil. Always opt for a container having a drainage hole because your zucchini plants will rot without good drainage.
Water the mixture for settling the soil.
Now, read the instructions on the seed package for determining whether the squash requires skating. Vining varieties need support, whereas bush-type zucchini does not require staking. Before planting, install support like a tomato cage.
Place this container in a place receiving sunlight throughout the day.
Plant 5-6 zucchini seeds in the container’s center and cover them with ½-inch of the soil.
Once planted, water them. Thereafter, you have to water for keeping the soil moist. Examine this container regularly, especially during hot weather. Do not allow soil to become dry, particularly during the first 3-4 weeks.
You have to fertilize zucchini throughout the summer every other week. Go for a water-soluble fertilizer with 20-20-20 ration as per the label’s specifications. Before fertilizers, always water your plants.
Thin the seedlings once the zucchini seeds germinate. Now, cut smaller seedlings and let other large seedlings intact. You also have to cut the weaker seedlings off. Do not pull them off as it may damage the seedlings’ roots. Instead, cut them using scissors.
When your fruits reach about 6 inches, you can harvest them. Based on the zucchini variety, your harvest starts within 45-60 days after the germination of seeds.

Important Tips Related to Growing Zucchini

Instead of sowing zucchini seeds, gardeners can plant small plants. You can find these starter plants at various garden centers.
When trimming or harvesting zucchini, wear gloves as the stems feature prickles.
You need to sterilize your scissors in-between trims. For this, dip scissors into Pine-Sol, Lysol, rubbing alcohol, or another household cleaner.

Watch this video on growing zucchini!

When and Where to Grow Zucchini

Zucchini likes warm weather. You have to wait for planting seeds or transplanting until the soil temperature reaches 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit. In warm growing zones, gardeners could plant two zucchini crops, one in the fall and the other one in the spring. In zones 6 or more temperate zones, people grow zucchini as a summer crop in May.

Zucchini requires full sun and moist soil having more organic matter consistently. Some varieties of zucchini are vining kinds, which need some space for sprawling or a trellis. Also, there are bush varieties, which are best for small-space gardening and container gardening. For effective results, go for the zucchini type depending on the space where you like to grow them.

Individual Plants

Once the possibility of frost passed, plant 2-3 seeds about 36 inches apart. The seeds need to be planted around an inch deep. Thin seedlings to a single plant per spot after the seeds sprout and grow their leaves for the first time.

Plants on a Hill

Once the possibility of frost passed, mound the soil up by around 12-24 inches wide and 6-12 inches high. On the hill’s top, place 4-5 zucchini seeds in a circle. Thin seedlings to 2-3 each hill after the seedlings feature their true leaves. Gardeners can even plant zucchini indoors 4-6 weeks before the frost and transplant them in their gardens once the possibility of frost passed away.

More Information on Planting Zucchini

After the seedlings establish, mulch around the zucchini plants. Mulching helps in keeping the soil temperature stable. It even helps in retaining water. These two things help the plants have a larger and earlier crop. Ensure that your plants receive about 2 inches of water every week. If you do not get enough waterfall, it is better to go for manual watering. You can employ a soaker hose or a sprinkler for watering the plants below the leaves to have powdery mildew. When the zucchini fruits are small, harvest the squash. This results in a more flavorful and tender squash.

Control Zucchini Diseases and Pests

Zucchini is vulnerable to various diseases and pests, including squash vine borers, squash bugs, powdery mildew, bacterial wilt, and striped cucumber beetles. To prevent such problems, you need to plant zucchini once the soil is warmed and with row covers if the plants are young. Additionally, this helps to keep the vines off the soil by adding a mulch layer or trellising.

Gardeners can also employ a disease and insect control spray to protect the zucchini plants. Dig out and throw away the plants, which has succumbed to the disease. Do not compost them.

Conclusion

Growing zucchini at home is pretty easy and fun. Now, you know how to grow zucchini in your garden and other important aspects related to growing zucchini as well. So, grow zucchini squash with ease in your garden now. If you are still struggling with growing zucchini, then post your queries in the comment section below. Do not forget to share this article with your other gardening friends who will find it helpful.

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