Have you ever heard of the so-called climbing zucchini and now you're wondering how does zucchini actually grow? Well, there is no such thing as a climbing or vining variety of zucchini, even though some are labeled as such. If you are now disappointed because you were planning to grow your plants vertically, we can reassure you: all zucchini varieties are suitable for vertical cultivation. Not only that, it even comes with some benefits. Today we would like to explain to you why it is worth it and how exactly you can tie up zucchini.
Tie up zucchini: That's why it's worth it
Aside from the fact that vertical cultivation simply looks cool, it also has a number of advantages. So if you are still not sure, we might convince you with the following reasons:
- You save space. It's no secret that zucchini plants, like pumpkin plants, take up a lot of space on the ground (one to two square meters per plant) and the number of plants is limited accordingly. If you use the height instead, you can plant more zucchini plants in the same area. So this is perfect for small gardens or even on the balcony.
- The risk of illness is reduced, especially for fungal diseases that love moisture and warmth. If the plants grow upwards, they enjoy much better ventilation so that damp heat does not build up under the leaves.
- Stronger growthdue to better lighting. Because the plant grows upwards, it receives plenty of sunlight from all sides and can grow more luxuriantly.
- The zucchini flowers are fertilized better. On the ground it is often the case that some of the flowers do not even reach the surface, so that insects cannot reach them for fertilization. If you tie up zucchini, this is not the case because the flowers are more visible and bees and the like are guaranteed to take advantage of that.
Growing vertically – this is what you should keep in mind
In order for the whole thing to really work well, you not only have to offer the plants the right location, but also give them stability, because these fast-growing plants can become quite heavy.
- For container cultivationThis means a sufficiently large vessel and a stable support.
- Zucchini also need climbing support in the garden bed.
- The plants stand solitary in the pot. In the bed, these should have a planting distance of 80 cm from each other.
If you want to know what are the best planting partners for zucchini, take a lookhere again.
What should the climbing aid look like for climbing zucchini?
Are there special scaffolds that need to be used? In principle, as with tomatoes, a simple stick is sufficient. It doesn't matter whether it is made of metal or wood. It should just be stable and therefore slightly thicker (approx. 2 cm). A height of one and a half meters should be enough. Also make sure to stick it deep enough into the ground so that it doesn't get knocked over in strong winds.
Wire mesh, wooden trellises, and rope are also suitable options.
You then have to guide the zucchini plant upwards by tying it with string at intervals. Do not tie them too tightly around the post and stem, as the latter can become a little thicker and then become constricted.
This is how you proceed if you want to tie up zucchini
It is advisable to insert the supports into this soil before planting. Since these should be as close as possible to the main shoot, the risk of injuring the roots would be higher. So it's best to start with this first. If you would like to grow zucchini to save space, proceed as follows:
- Initially, if the young plant is still too small, it can initially remain on the ground. Once it has grown long enough to be tied down for the first time, start by removing a few of the lowest leaves. To do this, focus on the fruit bases/flowers: Anything that grows under the first fruit can go. Cut these side shoots and leaf stems as close to the main stem as possible so that no stubs remain. This reduction in leaves has the advantage that the plant can then put more energy into the upper parts of the plant and thus also into fruit development, instead of into the unnecessary lower leaves.
- Then always tie the plant at a distance of 10 to 30 centimeters to give it sufficient support. In terms of time, that means you'll need to retie about once a week or every two weeks.
- Harvest the zucchini fruits regularly (just before they are ripe) as this will stimulate the formation of new fruits. Whenever you harvest fruit, you can remove the leaves that are between the harvested and unharvested ones and tie them back a little further up the stem.
- If you grow zucchini in a raised bed, follow the same procedure.
Avoidthese planting partnerswhen planting zucchini.
