Zucchini is a popular vegetable to grow in the garden for several reasons. They are prolific, relatively easy to grow, and their taste quality as well as their central place on the table in summer is unsurpassed. However, you can make some typical wrong decisions when planting and pay a bitter price for them. However, this danger no longer exists once you have come across this article. Growing zucchini - mistakes that are often made and how you can avoid them can be found here!
Growing zucchini - mistakes you shouldn't make
If you're looking forward to growing healthy zucchini in your next garden, here are some mistakes you'll want to avoid.
Choosing the wrong type of zucchini
As with many other garden plants, there are a variety of varieties of zucchini that you can grow, but that doesn't mean they are all suitable for your garden. Your choice of variety should be based on:
- the growing area
- the microclimate
- the space you have available
Growing area: When choosing a zucchini variety, it is very important to know how much time it needs to reach maturity and relate this to the growing season you have.
- Notice: The growing season is the part of the year when local conditions (i.e. rainfall, temperature, daylight) allow for normal plant growth.
For example, if your growing season is short, it wouldn't make sense to select varieties that need more time to reach maturity.
Microclimate: If you live in an area with a colder climate, you should consider that growing zucchini in a greenhouse is a better option for you as they are mainly heat-loving plants. However, there are also varieties that can withstand lower temperatures better.
The available space: Another factor you need to consider is the space you have on hand for planting. Zucchini plants are large, but there are varieties that are better suited to compact growing than others. This means that if you want to grow zucchini to save space, you should choose a variety that produces smaller fruits. These include “Floridor F1” – a variety of zucchini that is even ideal for growing in pots, and “Patio Star F1”, which grows very compactly and can therefore be grown on balconies without any problems.
Another option for growing zucchini in a space-saving manner is to plant them vertically. Not taking advantage of this opportunity is another common mistake that we will address in a moment in this article.
Too little light and poor drainage
Growing zucchini - mistakes you should avoid: Like many other plants, zucchini also have certain location requirements. One of them is that they need a lot of sunlight to grow well. It would therefore be a big mistake to plant them in a shady place.
- Tipp: Make sure the location where you plant the zucchini plants receives at least six to eight hours of sunlight per day.
You also need to make sure that you grow your zucchini plants in a location with good drainage. Otherwise, waterlogging becomes a serious problem for your plants and makes them susceptible to problems such as root rot.
Planting with bad neighbors or as a monoculture
Growing zucchini – mistakes to avoid: Planting in a monoculture is a wrong step!
- Notice: Monoculture is the cultivation of a single type of plant over several years on the same area.
In order for your plants to grow and thrive healthily, you must create the right mixed culture in your garden.
- Notice: Mixed cultivation is the joint cultivation of different plant species that positively influence and support each other in terms of growth, yield and health.
One of the most common growing methods for zucchini plants is in combination with corn and beans – the so-called “Three Sisters”. The Indians planted the three crops together for the following reasons: The zucchini casts shade on the soil, reducing its moisture loss. The corn, in turn, helps the beans grow, and the beans add nitrogen to the soil, which is needed by corn and zucchini. You can see how the three cultures interact positively, and that is exactly the idea behind intercropping.
- Notice: Avoid planting zucchini near potatoes as they require many of the same nutrients as zucchini and will starve your plants. What other plants are bad neighbors for zucchini,find out here!
Even if you don't benefit from companion planting in the first year or two, learning the benefits of intercropping will prove extremely beneficial in the long run.
Which are the good neighbors for zucchini,you can find out here!
Lack of nutrients in the soil is a wrong step
Growing Zucchini – Mistakes to Avoid: Not understanding that they are hungry plants that need fertile soil and lots of nutrients to bear fruit throughout the growing season.
When amateur gardeners do not understand this, they tend to plant zucchini plants in unprepared soil and then are disappointed with the meager harvest. You need to make sure your soil is filled with nutrients and organic fertilizer! And don't forget to add compost to your garden beds before planting zucchini.
Fertilize zucchini with natural means – when, how often and with what,find out here!
However, this is only the first step in getting your zucchini plants to grow properly. If you forget to feed your plants during the growing season, your harvest will not be as impressive as it should be because the nutrients will disappear after the plants first absorb everything from the compost.
You can feed zucchini plants in a variety of ways. On the one hand, you can put organic mulch around the plants, which decomposes and adds nutrients back to the soil. Another option is to use liquid fertilizer, which adds nutrients to the soil immediately, as opposed to granular fertilizer, which takes time to release the nutrients.
Growing zucchini – The mistake is to plant the plants too close together
Have you ever seen a fully grown zucchini plant? Only a few of them are small. These plants spread across the garden beds and take up all the space. So putting them too close together will lead to the next zucchini growing mistake.
Zucchini, as already mentioned, are not only large plants, but also very hungry ones. Precisely because they are so hungry, you are making a mistake if you grow them close together because then they will suck each other's nutrients. As a result, they will not achieve their normal growth.
The ideal planting distance for zucchini plants is at least 100 cm. Some varieties need more space, others less - it is important that you always stick to the distances recommended on the packaging. Additionally, it is best to harvest zucchini when they are 4 to 6 inches tall.
It can be inconvenient not to plant zucchini vertically
Growing Zucchini Mistakes to Avoid: If you have a huge garden, a few zucchini plants spreading everywhere won't matter, but if you only have a small backyard, this spreading is a big problem. And here comes the next big mistake you can make. Namely, not taking advantage of the opportunity to grow zucchini vertically to save space.
Many home gardeners have no idea that zucchini plants can easily be grown vertically using appropriate supports and trellises. However, those who do know even grow zucchini over arches with the right support to keep the vines from breaking fruit!
Cutting zucchini plants: Why and when should you cut back the leaves?You can find out here!
Mistake to avoid is incorrect watering
Improperly watering your zucchini plants can cause a lot of damage.
The first mistake you can make is not watering them enough. In this case, the plants will wilt quickly, but once they get water, they will soon recover.
The other mistake you can make is overwatering. Remember that too much water pooling at the base of the plant can cause rot.
The third mistake you can make is using incorrect watering techniques, which can lead to diseases like powdery mildew. This fungal disease is widespread in zucchini. So make sure you water close to the base of the plants without splashing soil on the leaves.
- Tipp: Add organic mulch around the base of zucchini plants to prevent soil splashes from getting on the leaves.
Water zucchini correctly - tips on how to water the plants correctly without causing damage,can be found here!
