A guide to cultivate zucchini

Cultivate zucchini , a practical guide to complete the cultivation of zucchini in pots or in full vegetable garden. Sowing, planting and care to be dedicated to plants. How to counter the diseases of zucchini.

With the sun is high, it is a pleasure to grow zucchini in the vegetable garden or on the balcony. There are different varieties of zucchini , depending on that choice, we can have an early or late harvest and we can collect yellow, dark green or light green zucchini .

Cultivate zucchini:
the needs of plants

The zucchini plants prefer a soil tending to acid, with an optimum pH of between 5.8 and 6.8. The plants must be exposed in full sun and the soil must be fertile and compact.

For the cultivation of zucchini in the vegetable garden

For the preparation of the soil you can fertilize with organic fertilizer, in organic farming it is used of very mature manure to be buried with a deep digging.

The zucchini are grown in parallel rows with a distance of 60 cm from each other. Each plant, placed on the same row, must be distant from the other of about 3 feet.

For the cultivation of zucchini in pots

Those who want to grow the zucchini in pots, can choose containers at least 45 - 50 cm wide. Choose a universal fertile soil. The depth of the vase must be at least 45 cm. For growing in pots you can also choose the climbing courgette provided that you cultivate near a railing.

Irrigation of zucchini

The zucchini need a lot of water. To prevent any rotting, at the time of irrigation, avoid wetting the leaves or the fruit. If you are not sure of the quality of your land, a couple of days after planting, you can fertilize it with liquid fertilizer or granules, even better if based on nitrogen: the nitrogen-based granules fertilizer is also extra cheap and fits well with any kind of cultivation !

When to grow zucchini

If you intend to grow the zucchini starting from the seed, you can start to sprout the seeds from the beginning of May sowing directly in the open field. To germinate the seeds require from 5 to 10 days, at an optimal temperature between 18 and 28 ° C. To save yourself a little 'wait, you can start growing zucchini from plants or sowing in a protected environment.

The zucchini are very sensitive to frosts so depending on your geographical position, choose the ideal period for planting: must be passed any risk of late frost.

Courgettes prefer a warm and temperate climate with good ventilation. The optimum temperature for development is 20-28 ° C.

When and how to sow zucchini

To anticipate the themes, you can sow zucchini in a protected environment or in a greenhouse, since March.

For the sowing of zucchini in a protected environment, use 10 cm diameter vases by placing two seeds per pot. With the warmer climate typical of southern Italy, sowing can be done directly on the ground, in holes 5-7 cm deep, one meter apart from each other, along rows one meter apart. Place 2 seeds per hole but remember to wait until the end of the frosts.

**Diseases of zucchini:
how to cure courgette plants **

Courgettes are not immune to diseases. They are easier to infestations if grown in confined spaces or in areas with abundant vegetation. To minimize the risk of disease you can conveniently space the plants, aerate the area and practice mulching with straw.

The zucchini can be attacked by different parasites and pathogens, the most common are: mites, aphids, oidium, downy mildew, gray mold and sclerotinia.

In the case of aphids and mites we recommend pyrethrum-based products , perfect for the organic vegetable garden and for pot cultivations.

In case of gray mold, reduce the irrigations, perform a thinning of the vegetation immediately eliminating the residues. For growing zucchini in pots , move the plants to a more sunny place.

Cultivation of courgettes:
mulch

The zucchini mulch is not recommended with plastic sheets (even if organic) because they tend to scald the base of the plants. Plastic tends to overheat and can damage fruits and plants. You can mulch with plenty of straw to be placed on the ground. The fruits, developing on the plant, will avoid coming into contact with the soil so as to reduce the risk of rot. Mulching is always recommended but it is not so useful if you are cultivating climbing courgettes.

Variety of courgettes:
which to choose

The varieties of climbing zucchini , will need a support both if grown in pots and in the garden. Climbing varieties are particularly suitable for growing on the terrace if there is a railing or a wall exposed in full sun, you can use it to organize a series of supports.

Cultivate yellow courgette

Both in pot and in open field, you can grow yellow zucchini . The yellow zucchini are nice to bring to the table. The taste is almost identical to that of the classic green zucchini, but the skin is thinner than a different color.

The seeds of yellow zucchini can be purchased from the agricultural consortia or using the online purchase.