The zucchini rewards cultivation in your own garden with a rich harvest. The right variety has been selected, now the small plants should be planted in the bed. The following answers provide instructions for planting.
How to properly plant zucchini in the garden?
To successfully plant zucchini in the garden, you should plant them in a sunny, wind-protected location on loose, humus-rich soil, with a planting distance of 80 to 100cm. The planting time is after the Ice Saints in May and the harvest time is from June to October.
Which plants are suitable for growing in the garden?
All zucchini varieties are easy to care for and very productive. You can easily choose the right variety based on your taste or the appearance of the fruit. You can choose between classic elongated or spherical, green, yellow or striped. A high-yielding variety is the early-ripening zucchini “Mastil F1” with a long harvest period and is also resistant to mildew.
Can you also grow zucchini on the balcony?
You can also grow zucchini on the balcony in a sufficiently large container with a capacity of at least 15 liters. Fill the bucket with potting soil and place it in a sunny place.
Suitable varieties are the compact “Patiostar F1” and “Maraîchère” as well as “Black Forest F1”, whose tendrils can be guided upwards with a trellis (€279.00 at Amazon).
Location
Zucchini are heat-loving plants. Its location in the garden or on the balcony should definitely be in the sun and protected from the wind. You can create a vegetable bed, use a raised bed or a free space in the flower bed. If the zucchini is planted near the compost, it will benefit from the nutrients it flushes out.
How can I grow zucchini plants myself?
- Choose seeds in the garden center or order from a garden mail order company
- Sowing about 2-3 weeks before planting out, so not before April
- Place two seeds each 2-3 cm deep in a small pot and cover with soil
- place the pot in the window sill, do not keep the soil too moist
- Germination time 1 – 2 weeks
- only leave the stronger of the two plants standing
- when two to four leaves have formed, you can plant the zucchini in the bed
Which soil is suitable for growing zucchini?
Zucchini cultivation works particularly well on loose, humus-rich soil. You can also mix in compost and spread a layer of mulch on the ground. This protects leaves and fruits from rotting and saves you having to pull out weeds.
When is planting time?
The zucchini is planted from May. You can use the Ice Saints as a guide. When these are over, the young plants should be safe from night frosts. If there are late frosts, cover the plants with a hat or a bucket.
Does a planting distance have to be maintained?
Absolutely. Zucchini plants need enough space because they develop large leaves. You should plan around 1.5 to 2m² of space per plant. The planting distance should be approx. 80 to 100cm.
Many varieties grow bushy and, given enough space, leaves and fruits can drain well. If you only have a little space available, you can choose a climbing variety and use a trellis to guide it upwards.
Putting plants in the bed
Purchased plants can be placed directly in the bed. You can plant early plants as soon as they have formed two to four leaves. Don't forget to water and fertilize, as the zucchini is a heavy feeder. Even if you are a zucchini lover, just one or two plants will give you a rich harvest.
Harvest time
The first zucchini can be harvested after just 6 to 8 weeks. The fruits taste best when they have reached a size of 15 to 20cm. With a regular harvest, the plant continually develops new flowers from which further fruits emerge. The harvest period is from June to October.
Good and bad neighbors
Zucchini are well suited for mixed cultivation. Good neighbors are leeks, onions, spinach, runner beans and nasturtiums. Bad neighbors are potatoes.
Tips & Tricks
Young zucchini plants are a treat for snails. You can prevent this if you put up snail fences or scatter slug pellets around the plants immediately after planting.
