Nano Verde

Cultivation Break

Season Overview

Description

Origin The zucchini (Cucurbita pepo var. giromontiina) belongs to the pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae) and originally comes from southern Europe. Translated, zucchini means "small pumpkin", which indicates its close relationship to the real pumpkin (Italian: "zuccho"). However, most zucchini varieties do not stay small. As they grow quickly, garden owners have to hurry to harvest and use them. The largest selection of varieties can be found in Italy and France, but it is hard to imagine our gardens without these tirelessly fruiting summer squashes. Appearance and growth The fruiting vegetable is an annual. From a strong main stem, densely packed leaf stalks and flowering shoots grow into a spreading, bushy plant. Large, usually heart-shaped lobed leaves sit on the long, hollow and hairy stems. The large yellow flowers open into star-shaped pods. Zucchinis are monoecious, which means that both male and female flowers appear on one plant. The male flowers sit on a thin, long stem. Female flowers only have short stalks and in many varieties remain firmly attached to the ripening fruit for some time. The cucumber-like, watery fruits are green, yellow or white striped and can weigh up to five kilograms. There are also round zucchinis called "rondini". Elongated, yellow zucchinis usually have the most tender flesh.

Growing tips

Location and soil Zucchinis prefer a sunny to semi-shady location and require a nutrient-rich, loose and humus-rich soil. Frost-sensitive locations should be avoided, as these fruiting vegetables are very thermophilic. Crop rotation and mixed cultivation Broad beans are a good preceding crop for zucchinis, as are radishes and lettuce. A cultivation break of at least four years should be observed between zucchinis and other pumpkins. Good neighbors for zucchinis include peas and runner beans. Sowing zucchinis Zucchini plants can be easily pre-cultivated. To do this, place one seed at a time in a four to eight centimeter pot of potting compost in April. The seeds will germinate within a week at 20 degrees Celsius. Zucchinis can also be sown directly outdoors, but preferably after the Ice Saints. Planting zucchinis From mid-May, you can plant young zucchinis in the bed at a distance of 80 x 80 or 100 x 100 centimeters. The large planting distance is relative in that you only need a few plants to cover the zucchini needs of a family of four. You can also sow directly outdoors at the end of May to the beginning of June. If there is not enough space, you can simply transplant part of the crop into pots. A zucchini in a pot is ideal for growing on the patio or balcony, which also makes the vegetable an ideal part of the balcony design. Be sure to choose large pots and always plant at least two plants so that they can fertilize each other. Care Zucchinis are heavy eaters and therefore need a good supply of nutrients. When preparing the bed, you should rake three to five liters of mature compost per square meter shallowly into the topsoil. A weekly dose of nettle slurry in the irrigation water (mixing ratio 1:10) strengthens the leaves and ensures a supply of nutrients - especially during the growth phase. It is also important to water the pumpkin plants regularly - preferably in the morning hours - as a lack of water can lead to deformation of the fruit and a bitter taste. You should loosen the soil regularly until the plants are shaded. A mulch layer of grass cuttings has also proven to be effective. Fertilization Poor fertilization is one of the most common problems when growing zucchinis. In the beginning, male flowers usually predominate, only when the plants have developed enough leaves to feed the fruit and the temperatures rise do more female flowers appear. However, the plants shed the female flowers after a short time. Young fruits suddenly constrict at the tip, turn yellow and also fall off. At higher temperatures, the male pollen loses its ability to fertilize. On humid or rainy days, the pollen sticks together due to the high humidity. The plants produce female flowers, but drop them after a short time. It then helps to cut off one to three male flowers, remove the petals and dab the stigma in the middle of the female flowers with a pollen brush. Harvesting and utilization Six to eight weeks after planting, up to five fruits a week are ripe. It is best to harvest zucchinis as soon as they are 10 to 15 centimetres long. Larger and longer fruits are often spongy and watery on the inside. In the case of rondini and patisson, this corresponds to a diameter of five to six centimetres. Rondini taste best when they are about the size of a tangerine. To avoid oversizing, you should inspect the plants every two to three days. Cut the fruit with a knife about one centimeter from the stem. In Italy, special varieties such as 'Zucchino da Fiori' are grown, which mainly produce male flowers, because: The zucchini flowers can also be eaten! They can be enjoyed finely sliced in salads, fried in olive oil or roasted in the oven with a delicious filling. It is possible to store zucchinis, but you should not keep them in the vegetable drawer of the fridge for longer than a week. It is better to take advantage of the versatility of the vegetable and enjoy it in different variations - if you want to prepare zucchinis, you have many options: Sliced, they taste particularly good in a salad or steamed in olive oil. You can grill the zucchinis, but they are also delicious stuffed or gratinated. And not only do they taste delicious, they are also healthy: zucchinis contain few calories and lots of nutrients. Incidentally, it is not absolutely necessary to peel zucchinis. Not least because the skin contains lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber. What few people know: Zucchinis can also be eaten raw. If you have been able to harvest a particularly large amount of fruit, you can ferment zucchinis to preserve them for up to six months. Propagating zucchinis If selected fruits are allowed to ripen for seed production, they develop an impressive size. A test will show whether the seeds inside are ripe: if the skin of the fruit can no longer be scratched with a thumbnail, the time has come. The seeds remain germinable for four to five years if stored in a cool, dry place. If you want to obtain your own seeds, for example from particularly high-yielding or traditional varieties that are worth preserving, you should only cultivate one seed-resistant variety each year. Like all pumpkin plants, zucchinis also readily hybridize and then lose their typical varietal characteristics. Avoid growing pumpkins and especially ornamental pumpkins if you want to harvest seeds from your zucchinis: When they cross-pollinate with pumpkins, they often produce zucchinis that are bitter and inedible. In addition, the bitter substance is highly toxic and has even led to deaths in isolated cases. Diseases and pests Powdery mildew occurs in hot and dry locations. It often attacks older or heavily shaded leaves. As a preventative measure, you can use organic agents such as horsetail manure. Environmentally friendly net sulphur preparations also have a preventive effect. Virus diseases such as the cucumber mosaic virus, the zucchini yellow mosaic virus or the watermelon mosaic virus can be seen on sharply defined, bubble-like bulging leaf areas. The mosaic virus is usually transmitted by aphids. The best way to protect your zucchinis from infestation is to use close-meshed vegetable netting.

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Wet

Soil

Light (sandy)

Nutrient requirement

High

Plant distance

90 cm

Row spacing

90 cm

Seeding depth

3 cm