Zucchini, although an unpretentious plant, but to get a good harvest, you still need to take care of choosing a site, preparing seeds, taking into account the planting dates. Having familiarized with the main stages of cultivation of this melon crop, even a novice gardener can plant and grow it.
Choosing a place for planting, preparing soil and beds
For the cultivation of zucchini, it is necessary to allocate a well-lit and sun-heated area, since the culture is heat and light-loving. In addition, it is important to observe crop rotation and not grow it in the same place every year. This type of melon grows well on light loams and chernozems with neutral acidity pH = 5.5-6.5. Soil preparation for planting is best done in the fall. For this, the earth is dug up to a depth of 30 cm, leaving the clods not broken. To saturate the soil with nutrients, 6-10 kg of manure, humus or compost for digging is applied per square meter. In addition to organics, complex mineral fertilizers are also added (50-70 g per 1 m²).
When preparing a site for planting zucchini, manure is used as organics
Far from always the land on the site meets the necessary requirements. Poor as well as acidic soils are not suitable for growing zucchini. Peaty, swampy and clayey, which are characterized by high humidity, are also not suitable. If in the place where it is planned to plant the culture, the land is acidic, liming is necessary. For these purposes, 200-500 g of lime per 1 m² are added. However, it should be borne in mind that it is impossible to use manure and lime at the same time. In this case, it is better to add organic matter in the spring.
In general, the soil can be fertilized in the spring, but then it is better to add nutrients to the planting pits in the following quantities:
- humus or compost 1-1.5 kg;
- ash 150-200 g.
In the spring, a surface loosening of the beds is carried out to retain moisture, after which 15-20 g of ammonium sulfate per 1 m² are made under digging to a depth of 20 cm. If the soil in the area is sandy or sandy, then zucchini can be planted on a flat surface. However, on loam and clay soil, plants can simply stand in water. Therefore, beds need to be made about 1 m wide and raised to a height of 25 cm.
In the spring, the soil is dug up to the depth of the bayonet of a shovel and 15–20 g of ammonium sulfate is added per 1 m²
Preparing seeds for planting
In order for the seeds to germinate faster, and the seedlings are friendly, they need to be properly prepared.
Germination test
First you need to prepare wood sawdust, which is preliminarily spilled several times with boiling water with a frequency of half an hour. After that, they are poured into a small box. Seeds are laid out in rows on top of the sawdust. Between them leave a distance of 1-1.5 cm, and between rows - 2-3 cm. Then, the tested planting material is sprinkled with sawdust and rammed with your hands. The box should be in a room with a temperature of + 23-27˚С. After emergence, the number of germinated seeds is counted. For the convenience of calculating the percentage of germination, germination is better to lay 10 seeds.
To test the germination of seeds, they are wrapped in wet gauze and placed in heat for germination
Soaking and Germination
To soak the seeds, you need a small container and a piece of gauze. Seeds are evenly laid out on a damp cloth and covered with another layer on top. Then they are poured with water at a temperature of no higher than + 35 ° C, after which they put the container in a dark place. During soaking, you need to monitor the condition of the water and periodically change it to fresh. The soaking period should last no more than 16-20 hours, which is quite enough to soften the shell and swell the seed material.
Water must be replaced as soon as its color changes from transparent to brown.
Zucchini seeds can be soaked not in ordinary water, but in special solutions that will help improve growth and stimulate yield. Nutrients and growth stimulants should be diluted in warm water at a temperature of about + 25 ° C. For germination, you can use one of the following solutions:
- in 1 liter of water dissolve 1 tsp. nitrofoski or nitroammofoski;
- dilute potassium permanganate in warm water to get a pink solution, and add half a tablet of any trace elements;
- in 1 liter of water dilute 1 tsp. funds Kristalin or Rost-1;
- in 1 liter of warm water add 1 tbsp. l wood ash.
To improve seed germination, it is soaked in growth stimulants.
Germination is carried out similarly to soaking: seeds in gauze are placed in a container and filled with a small amount of nutrient solution so that the liquid only covers the tissue. In this state, the seeds should be kept for 3-4 days before the appearance of sprouts.
Planting seeds in open ground
Zucchini, like any other culture, must be planted in the allotted time for this and according to a certain pattern.
Landing time
You can start planting when the soil warms up to + 12˚С. If the earth is not warm enough, then the seeds will not germinate, rot and die. In this case, wait for more suitable conditions. In general, planting with germinated seeds is carried out in the second half of May. If the weather allows you to do this earlier, it is better to use dry seeds.
Landing pattern
For the development of zucchini will require a lot of space. Therefore, when planting, it is better to adhere to the following scheme: between rows of 70 cm, between plants in a row of 50 cm. If you look at the experience of some gardeners, zucchini can be planted in a slightly different way: 4-5 seeds are put in one hole, a gap of 30 is made between the holes in a row -40 cm, between rows of 70-100 cm. As the plants develop, thickened plantings are formed, which during the summer heat allow moisture to remain in the soil.
Planting zucchini in the open ground is carried out according to the scheme, which provides the best access of nutrients and light to plants
How to plant seeds
When the time has come, the seeds are prepared, you can begin to plant, for which they perform the following steps:
- They dig holes in the bed 3-5 cm deep on heavy soils and 5-7 cm on sandy soils.
Under the zucchini, dig holes 3-5 cm deep and spill with water
- Planting pits shed with water of 1-1.5 liters each.
- After the water is absorbed, 2-3 seeds are laid flat in each hole, sprinkled with earth and lightly compacted.
After absorbing water, 2-3 seeds are placed in each well, sprinkled with earth and lightly compacted
- Plantings are mulched with peat, humus or simply dry soil.
To preserve moisture and prevent weed growth, the beds after planting the seeds are mulched with dry soil, humus, straw, peat
Do not neglect such an agricultural technique as mulching, because after watering or precipitation, a crust forms on the surface of the earth, which prevents the seedlings from breaking up.
Video: planting zucchini seeds in open ground
How to plant zucchini in a greenhouse
In most cases, the melon crop in question is grown in open ground. However, in greenhouse conditions, it also gives a good harvest, allowing you to collect about 30 zucchini from 1 m². Despite a similar agricultural technique, indoor planting has some features that are worth considering.
Temperature mode
In a greenhouse for cultivating zucchini, you need to create a rather high temperature: during the day + 23 ° C, at night no lower than + 14 ° C. The earth should also be warm enough - + 20-25˚С.
Soil preparation
Before planting zucchini in greenhouse conditions, you need to take care of fertilizing the soil. To do this, about 10 kg of rotted manure is made for digging on 1 m². As in the case of open ground, it is better to do land preparation in the fall. Minerals are used when planting plants. For these purposes, 30-40 g of nitrophoska is added to one landing hole, mixing it with the ground.
The soil in the greenhouse is fertilized with both organic and mineral substances
Landing time
In a greenhouse, zucchini can be cultivated almost all year round, but it is better to postpone the planting at the end of the winter period or the beginning of spring, since the autumn harvest of this vegetable has a good keeping quality and can be stored for 2-4 months. Given the experience of many gardeners, it is worth noting that the timing of planting this type of melon in closed ground directly depends on the region of cultivation:
- in the suburbs - May 5-10;
- in Siberia - May 15-20;
- in the Krasnodar Territory - April 10-15.
Growing and planting seedlings
In the open ground, this melon crop can be grown both by direct sowing of seeds and seedlings. In greenhouse conditions, cultivation through seedlings is more effective. It is advisable to grow seedlings in separate containers, which with subsequent transplantation into the greenhouse will reduce the likelihood of diseases. For planting seeds, the earth can be taken both from the greenhouse and purchased ready for melons. Planting tanks fill with soil mixture and moisturize well. Seeds are prepared in the same way as for open ground.
For growing seedlings of zucchini, they are planted in suitable containers or cassettes
In the soil make small indentations of 1.5 cm, lay the seeds and sprinkle with soil. Then cover the planting with glass or film. The emergence of seedlings should be expected in 3-5 days, for which it is necessary to ensure a temperature regime of + 26-28 ° C. In phase 3-4 of these leaves, the plants are transplanted into the greenhouse. The process of planting seedlings is quite simple and comes down to the following steps:
- On greenhouse beds make holes the size of an earthen coma.
On greenhouse beds make holes the size of an earthen coma
- Seedlings are removed from the planting containers and put into the planting hole by the method of transshipment.
When planting seedlings of zucchini in a greenhouse, the plants are removed from the planting capacity and placed in the hole (for example, seedlings of cucumbers)
- Sprinkle seedlings with soil and water.
After planting zucchini seedlings, beds are mulched and watered
Zucchini is planted in rows in the greenhouse with a distance between plants of 0.4-0.8 m, and in row spacing of 0.8-1.5 m, which depends on the particular variety.
How to plant zucchini
This variety of melon can be grown not only in the usual way for everyone. There are also non-standard cultivation options for zucchini, which are optimal for small areas.
In bags or barrels
Growing zucchini in bags is not a complicated procedure. For these purposes, bags made of polypropylene or polyethylene with a volume of about 120 liters are suitable. Compost, sawdust, organic residues are laid at the bottom, and then sprinkled with earth. Several holes are made in the bottom of the bag to prevent stagnation of water. Planting zucchini produce both seeds and seedlings, and then carry out watering. If cold weather is predicted, the plants are covered with plastic bottles, having previously cut the bottom. With this method of planting, the crop does not require special care and the introduction of nutrients.
For growing zucchini in bags, polypropylene or polyethylene products with a volume of about 120 l are used
In the same way, zucchini can be grown in barrels with a volume of 150-200 liters. In the center of the tank, a pipe with a diameter of about 30 cm with small holes is installed through which watering will be carried out. The bottom of the barrel is covered with a layer of cones for drainage. After that lay out layers of humus, hay, a mixture of peat and sawdust, and then a layer of soil into which the seeds will be planted.
Planting seeds or seedlings is carried out on both sides of the pipe.
Video: growing zucchini in a barrel
In the box
Zucchini can be planted in a wooden box about 1 m high, pre-wrapped in foil on the sides, which will prevent rotting of the boards. Then the box should be filled with plant debris, small branches, sawdust and manure. The rest of the landing process is similar to the previous method.
To grow zucchini in a box, it is necessary to fill the structure with plant residues, small branches, sawdust and manure
In the beds
This option is best suited for cultivating zucchini on clay, boggy or acidic soils. The method, in fact, is a raised bed. To do this, put together a wooden box, the length of which depends only on your wishes, and the width is not more than 0.7 m. After the preparation of the frame, it is filled with turfy earth with compost, humus is added at the rate of 1 bucket per 1.5 m of construction. Most of the box (about 60%) is filled with various organic waste. When the soil is prepared, make holes with a depth of 20 cm with a distance from each other of at least 80 cm. Pits are shed with warm water before planting the seeds. After laying the seeds, the soil is mulched using sawdust or leaves, which prevents the growth of weeds and retains moisture. With this method of growing zucchini, drip will be the best option for watering.
On the warm beds
Agricultural technology of warm beds is similar to growing in boxes. The difference between this method is that the amount of organic matter must be large, and the level of the beds does not have to be raised above the ground. To prepare the landing site, they dig a trench 50 cm deep and fill it with rough organics, which will rot for a long time (branches, wood waste, straw, reeds, etc.). Each layer is shed with water, and during the season they pay more attention to irrigation than on ordinary beds.
The result should be a loose layer about 40-45 cm high. Compost is poured on top of it, which is poured with nettle infusion and covered with earth. On the prepared bed planted seeds or seedlings of zucchini. As a result of the release of a large amount of heat in the soil, the crop can be obtained faster than with conventional planting methods. However, due to the complexity, this option is not suitable for every gardener.
To organize warm beds under zucchini, a wooden box is made, which is filled with organic matter, covered with earth, and then seeds are planted
On unripe compost
In this method, for the planting of zucchini, incompletely decomposed organic matter is used, which in the spring is transferred to the future garden. A layer of immature compost is poured with a height of 10-15 cm, and the holes are densely compacted for planting. Half a bucket of warm water is poured into each hole, and the next day, in the morning, vegetable marrows are planted under cut plastic bottles. To avoid choking seedlings, bottle caps should be unscrewed. After planting, the entire garden, except for planting pits, is mulched, for example, with straw. Watering can be either traditional or drip.
Video: zucchini on a compost heap
Under the film
The option of planting zucchini under a black film is perfect for farmers in the southern regions with the possibility of drip irrigation, as well as in regions with high humidity, for example, the North-West. In the future, a lot of plant waste (wood shavings, weeds, etc.) is poured on the future bed from the autumn, after which a heap of chopped egg shells is sprinkled with it and spilled with Fitosporin-M solution. Before the onset of winter, the bed is covered with polyethylene.
In the spring, holes are made crosswise in the film, future holes are shed with warm water (1 bucket each). After carry out the landing of zucchini. With this method, the culture does not need watering (in the North-West), top dressing and weeding.When cultivating this variety of melon in the south of the country, it will be necessary to add straw to reduce the heating of the film.
When growing zucchini under a film, it is recommended to organize drip irrigation, and in the southern regions sprinkle covering material with straw (pumpkin in the photo)
What can and cannot be planted next to zucchini
When it comes to growing zucchini, gardeners immediately imagine that a lot of land is necessary for this crop. Therefore, in small gardens, joint planting will be most welcome. The melon in question actually requires a lot of space, but the bush grows only in the middle of summer. Farmers with experience know that the vegetable marrow in the first half of summer can be used for other crops, which are characterized by early maturity. Consider neighboring plants that can get along next to zucchini:
- to save space, you can plant zucchini next to winter garlic or onions;
- before the melon goes into effect, you can have time to get a crop of dill, radish, lettuce, parsley;
- next to zucchini, you can plant peas or beans, which rise up the trellis and will not interfere with the growth and development of the crop in question;
- on adjacent to the vegetable marrow beds you can plant turnips, radishes, beets, onions;
- good neighbors are tall crops: corn and sunflower, which will serve as a protection for melons from the wind;
- black radish is an excellent neighbor for zucchini, because it repels spider mites with its volatile;
- Calendula and Nasturtium will be decoration and protection for squash beds.
When planning a site for planting zucchini, you need to consider neighboring plants (in the photo, early cabbage and zucchini)
However, there are plants that are recommended to be planted away from zucchini:
- cucumbers planted nearby feel depressing;
- should not be planted next to squash and pumpkin, because due to the possible pollination hybrids will grow not very tasty.
All this indicates the need for preliminary planning of the site so that garden crops do not interfere with each other.
Zucchini can be successfully grown both in open ground and in greenhouse conditions. In the latter case, the crop can be obtained much earlier. If your site does not have large sizes, then you can resort to non-standard methods of planting and subsequent cultivation of this gourd.
