Is it just me or does everyone and their brother start locking their doors around mid-summer because people are trying to sneak sacks of zucchini in peoples cars? I hear church parking lots are a prime spot for this sort of activity.
Brief description: Zucchini is a summer squash. It provides awesome yields and can be used in tons of different dishes or stand alone.
Where to Plant Zucchini: Plant in garden beds, raised beds and/or containers.
Planting Seeds: Plant seeds 1/2″-1″ deep 2-4 weeks after last frost. Make sure soil temperatures are above 60 degrees.
Growing Tips: Zucchini is a warm weather crop. It prefers full sun to partial shade. Plant with plenty of quality compost. When watering zucchini, be careful not to water the leaves, it will prevent a lot of potential problems down the road {i.e. powdery mildew and bacterial wilt}.
How to Harvest: Harvest when fruit is about 4″ or longer–though letting them get too big can cause them to taste a little woody and tough. Frequent harvesting will encourage new growth.
Are you ready to start your garden but you’re not sure when you should plant your seeds or set out your transplants? Head on over HERE and you’ll be taken to a handy dandy chart that is broken down into what vegetables should be planted {or transplanted} each month in your area.
Anyone can do this. Dirt + Seeds+ Water = Food!
~Mavis
Here are a few of my Favorite Zucchini recipes:
Fried Potatoes with Peppers and Zucchini
Vegan Zucchini Bread w/ Chocolate Chips
Fun Fact: A zucchini has more potassium than a banana.
myna lee johnstone says
there are many varietiies of zukes
i am trying some pepo round this year that you harvest when just 2 inches
Cindi Myers says
I love Zucchini. And I’m happy when people give it to me. I shred it up and put it in the freezer and use it all winter in everything — spaghetti sauce, soup, meatloaf — sneak a little zucchini in for fiber and vitamins and no one ever know. Plus I have a lot of good zucchini recipes.
Erika says
The first of my zucchinis should be ready to pick within the next week. I could pick them now, but want to let them get a bit bigger first. Yellow squash aren’t far behind. Yay for hot weather!
Margery H. says
I’m getting baby zucchini now in Atlanta.. For some reason I don’t have any male flowers yet. I had my first baby zuch in a stir-fry last night! Bring it on!
Gail says
Help! I cannot grow zuchinni to save my life. For the last three seasons the zuchinnis grow about two inches and then they die.
I have moved the plants around each season but it happens each year. I get plenty of flowers but they don’t grow any bigger than the two inches.
My garden is on a drip system and I can grow tomatoes, cukes, herbs, and peppers.
Any suggestions as to why I can’t grow these suckers?
PS I am in Southern California
Mavis says
You are the first person I know that cannot grow a zucchini. How odd. I don’t understand how you can grow tomatoes and not zucchinis. I’ll have to research this for you. Hang tight.
Emily says
I’m a stellar gardener in all other areas as well – I grow lots of vegetables, berries, and rhubarb, but my zucchini and summer squash never do well. I have smallish plants, and one or two zucchini or summer squash a summer. It’s horrible. I dig in home made compost, we get good rain (or I water), I practice faithful crop rotation, I’m not sure what’s going on. Everything else typically does well. Just wanted Gail to know she’s not alone in her lack-of-zucchini embarrassment. I live in northern VT.
– Emily
Gail says
Thanks Emily for letting me know I am not alone. I’m not giving up and next year will plant them again! I did have so so success though and harvested about 4 zucchinis.
Evan says
Do you have a lot of bees in your garden? You might be experiencing fruit abortion where the fruit start to grow and then dries or rots because they have an insufficient number of pollen grains.
Gail says
Thanks for helping me out on this gardening issue. While I do have bees in my yard I don’t think there are many in my vegetable garden.
Next year I will try again see if I can get the bees to come visit my vegetables.
Ruth says
Hi Gail:
I am an experienced gardener and can’t get much out my zucchini either and I live in Southern CA! I was just researching…Can it be too hot for zucchini when I found this site! What is up! It is now 2014 have you mastered zucchini?
Ruth
Gail says
Ruth, Thanks for your reply. I did try planting zucchini again this year with limited success. It started off great, I think I got 4 zucchinis this year and then the plant went to crap. I think it got mold an then it became infested with bugs. I planted cucumbers alongside and they also became infested with the bugs.
My eggplant did really well too an now it has bugs. Ughhhh.
How does your garden grow? Where in SoCal are you? I am in the west San Fernando Valley part of LA
Gail
Michelle says
I just discovered your blog about an hour ago through Homestead Survival’s blog…
Zucchini…..But what about bugs? I LOVE zucchini, but this year, we planted ZERO squash of any variety. The prior two years, I have planted zukes, yellow crook-necks and pumpkins and the squash bugs destroy every bit of it. This year we decided not to plant any and try again next year with some companion planting techniques. I’d love to know if there’s another way? Once my peas are in I could still plant some zukes for a later harvest if I can be confident that the bugs won’t destroy them. Any tips? Thanks!
Lisa says
I garden in Northern California’s wine country, and I have never been able to grow zucchini.