Zucchini - Agricultural Technology And Varieties

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

How to grow a vegetable marrow near St. Petersburg

Planting zucchini

Zucchini are very similar in appearance to a pumpkin, which is not surprising, since both of these plants are varieties of the same botanical species. But, unlike pumpkin, internodes on above-ground shoots of zucchini are shorter, so the zucchini does not form long lashes, but grows in a bush.

Like pumpkin, squash is of American origin. Nowadays, it is widely cultivated all over the world. In Russia, it is grown almost everywhere, but due to its early maturity and cold resistance, it is most common in the Non-Chernozem zone. In the southern regions, the zucchini culture is less successful due to the high summer temperatures, which are undesirable for him.

Zucchini can be grown by any gardener, if he knows some points of their agricultural technology.

Gardener's guide

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In our northern climate, it is best to grow zucchini through seedlings. In this case, the harvest can be obtained at an earlier date, as well as lengthen the period of consumption of the squash. We sow zucchini seeds in 1-2 decades of May. It is advisable to place them in a fertile mixture of humus and sod land (3: 1). Seedlings can be sown not at the same time, but at intervals of a week and a half, which will extend the fruiting period.

We grow seedlings in well-lit windows. The optimum temperature regime before the emergence of seedlings is + 18 … + 25 ° C, after their emergence at night + 12 … + 15 ° C, during the day + 15 … + 20 ° C.

We plant zucchini seedlings in the prepared area when the frost has passed (in early June). At the same time, it is important not to outgrow it and plant it in the phase of 1-2 true leaves; at a later age, the plants get sick for a long time, it is difficult to take root. We plant the seedlings in pits with a diameter of 30-40 cm, a depth of 25-30 cm. Previously, we put rotted manure or humus in the planting pits - zucchini are very fond of organic matter, we can say about them: how much you put in fertilizer, you will get the same harvest. Therefore, under each bush, you can safely lay half a bucket of manure, mixing it with the ground.

In a dry summer, planting zucchini should be watered abundantly, especially during the period of mass flowering and fruiting. It is better to do this in the afternoon.

Zucchini is an early ripening culture, the fruits reach technical ripeness 40-60 days after germination. Zucchini fruits are usually harvested not at once, but selectively, when they reach a length of 15-20 cm. Later, when the zucchini fruits reach biological ripeness, their pulp becomes less juicy and tough, but such fruits are stored longer. Particularly stable varieties can be used for food even in winter (varieties Negritenok, Fazan). Although it is better to put the zucchini fruits into action right away, especially since you can cook many delicious dishes from the pulp of the zucchini fruits: zucchini caviar, sauces, soups, pancakes, or you can preserve them for the winter.

Young squash is rich in fiber, which is easily absorbed by the body, as it contains soft dietary fiber that stimulates intestinal function. Zucchini fiber has the ability to absorb toxic substances, excess water and cholesterol, and then remove them from the body. Zucchini are rich in trace elements and vitamins: they contain 5.2% carbohydrates, 0.6% protein, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), carotene, pectin substances and mineral salts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron. Potassium salts in zucchini are one and a half times more than in white cabbage.

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Zucchini varieties

Aral zucchini in early July

They are divided into white, yellow and green zucchini. From green-fruited I can recommend the hybrid Hobby F1 - early maturing, from germination to the first collection of 40-45 days. Fruits are cylindrical, 12-14 cm long, 4-4.5 cm in diameter, weighing 0.3-0.6 kg, they are light green in color.

Zucchini Diamant F1 is also an early ripe hybrid, the fruits are dark green, shiny. The pulp is white, tender, sweet with few seeds. Fruit weight is about 1 kg.

Arlika zucchini is very productive and has a long fruiting period. Lazy. The fruits are light green.

Once we were recommended to grow two varieties of Sukha and Aral from white-fruited zucchini - early ripening high-yielding hybrids. We have never been disappointed in them.

Of the yellow-fruited varieties, we successfully cultivated the yellow-fruited variety with elongated-cylindrical fruits weighing 0.7-1.8 kg of yellow color. The variety is early maturing, the period from germination to fruiting is 45-60 days. Also Yellow-fruited is the Golda variety, which is distinguished by abundant fruiting of golden-orange fruits weighing up to 2.5-3 kg.

In the garden bed after zucchini, other crops grow well (with the exception of the pumpkin family), since the soil is very fertilized. But if you apply the appropriate doses of fertilizers under the zucchini each time, then this crop can be grown in one place for more than one year.

Read the next part. Zucchini recipes →