Tips To Growing Zucchini At Home

Growing zucchini (Curcurbita) is fairly simple to do, and each plant will yield a large number of vegetables. By planting only a few plants you will produce more than enough squash to feed your family. You will in fact have plenty to share with family and friends in the neighborhood.

When planting them, they should be kept separate from pumpkins, cantaloupe, and cucumbers as they will cross pollinate. This squash is planted in mounds with each mound approximately three feet from the next. Each mound should have four or five seeds planted in it. The seeds should be planted approximately one inch deep.

After the seeds sprout and the plants are approximately three inches tall, thin each mound so that there are only two or three plants in each hill. Do not pull the plants because you may disturb the root system of the other plants. Instead pinch off the plants that you do not want to keep. By carefully pinching off each plant you will not disturb the remaining plant.

One little known fact is that this squash produces both male and female flowers. Often people think that their plants are not producing any squash. The male flowers will die after they provide the necessary pollen for the female flowers. While the male flowers will not provide any squash, the female flowers will provide abundance.

Squash thrive in warm soil. Do not hurry to plant in early spring but instead wait until all threats of frost have passed. They are sensitive to frost so it is advised to wait for at least two weeks after the last frost before planting them.

For early crops, squash may be started inside three or four weeks before being transplanted outside. Place three or four seeds into each pot and, once they reach a height of three inches, snip the plants off as you would do if they had been started outside, removing the weakest plants from the group. After all threats of frost have passed, transplant them outside in mounds that have been prepared.

Growing zucchini is very easy to do and can provide an abundance of squash that is useful in recipes such as bread and casseroles. This squash is also enjoyed fried, steamed with butter, or added to tomato sauces. To be canned or frozen, it must be cooked and will not store for a long period of time if it is left raw.

If you’re interested in checking out more info on vegetable gardening, be sure to visit www.vegetablegardensmadeeasy.com.