Many vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers are now suitable for potting or balconies. But will this also work with zucchini? After all, the plant requires a lot of space due to the formation of large flowers and leaves.
Can you successfully grow zucchini in a pot?
Zucchini in pots can be grown successfully by choosing space-saving varieties such as Black Forest F1 or Summer Ball F1, using a container of at least 15 liters, providing nutrient-rich soil for good plant growth and a sunny position on the balcony or terrace.
Zucchini is also very productive - a single plant produces a large number of fruits. And with a length of 15 – 20 cm. So zucchini in the pot?
I tried it
I've been a hobby gardener on balconies for four years. In addition to flowers, balcony tomatoes and strawberries have also been introduced. Now I want to try growing zucchini. After all, as the owner of a south-facing balcony, I have the ideal conditions for the sun-hungry zucchini.
Which varieties
First I inquired about suitable varieties. It is important that the plant does not get too big. Varieties that tend upwards or grow compactly are well suited. The varieties Black Forest F1, Patiostar F1, Summer Ball F1 and the mini zucchini Piccolo are available for the pot.
I chose the Black Forest F1 variety with large yellow flowers and classic green fruits. I got the seeds to grow from the garden store (€2.00 on Amazon). Online shipping also offers a large selection.
Flower box or bucket?
I had to pay attention to the pot size. It should be at least 15 liters in size to provide the plant with good support and the pot should not be too heavy after watering. So I got a paint bucket with a 40 cm diameter from the hardware store. I drilled a small drainage hole in the ground for the irrigation water and covered it with a piece of pottery.
I filled the bucket with a mixture of nutrient-rich soil (also from the hardware store) and some compost (from my parents' garden). This ensured sufficient fertilizer.
It started with growing the zucchini plant
The seed bag contained seven grains. At the end of April I put 2 seeds in each of two small pots filled with soil. Placed on the kitchen windowsill, the seeds had enough light to germinate, which only took ten days. Instead of using the watering can, I kept the soil moist with the spray bottle.
I was lucky, all the seeds sprouted. But I only left the stronger of the two seedlings standing. At the end of May the Ice Saints were over and I was able to repot one of the plants in the prepared pot on the sunny balcony. I gave the second plant away.
Since the “Black Forest F1” is a climbing variety, I pulled ropes up along the balcony wall as a climbing aid. Now all I had to do was water, admire the yellow flowers and watch the fruits grow. My plant was spared from voracious mildew.
8 weeks after planting out the time had come
I was able to harvest my first two zucchini - 15 cm large, dark green and elongated fruits with tender flesh. They were immediately processed into delicious, steamed vegetables. More fruits are growing and the plant is busy developing new flowers, which promises me a rich harvest.
The zucchini in the pot experiment was worth it
and almost no work was done. I already know what will become of the rest of the harvest: grilled zucchini, stuffed zucchini, salad. Fried or stuffed zucchini flowers are said to be a real delicacy. Maybe I'll try that out. Welcome to the next balcony party.
