A week before transplanting, harden off seedlings by cutting back on water and lowering the nighttime temperature to 65°F. New zucchini plants tend to produce a lot of male flowers at first. This can be frustrating for gardeners when they see a lot of flowers blooming but no fruits forming. I found out I need to pollinate my zucchini, and you showed exactly how to do it. Use a knife to cut fruits from the plants. deep. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Plant them about 2.5cm (1 inch) deep into the damp soil. of soil feels dry to the touch, then allow the top of the soil to dry before watering again. How to Plant Zucchini in Containers. Can you grow zucchini indoors. The easiest way to do that is getting a propagator. This article was co-authored by Andrew Carberry, MPH. You can also add row covers to prevent the adults from laying eggs on the zucchini, but you'll need to hand-pollinate the flowers. Never knew that. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Most zucchini plants seem to be able to withstand powdery mildew for quite a long time. Depending on where you live, you may plant your zucchini between late April and mid-June. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 564,033 times. Approved. 1. Seeds should be planted into trays of jiffy pots 4-6 weeks before planting time. Each zucchini plant (Cucurbita pepo) yields plentiful amounts of squash.But to get zucchini off to a good start, don't jump the season. Sow seeds in the ground about 1-inch deep and drop in 2 seeds. If you are going to allow your zucchini plants to naturally vine out across the ground, you need to plant them at three feet apart in rows that are about eight feet apart. All summer squash plants … Many thanks. If you do plant a little too early, use row covers to protect your plants at night if the temperature dips below 60 degrees. By using our site, you agree to our. Some have very mild stripes/spots, this is normal and should not be concerning. It may not be pollinated or it might be subject to too much moisture. To avoid squash vine borers you could outsmart them by not planting your zucchini until mid-July. I'm going to do it tomorrow morning! Plant zucchini in full sun in compost rich, well-drained soil. This will allow the healthier zucchini plant to grow to its full potential. Water the soil around and under the plants several times a week to keep it evenly moist. The reason this is important when growing zucchini is because its flowers need to be pollinated to form a viable fruit, and each female flower is only open for one day. This plant loves full sun, so you’ll need a sunny room. Yellow and green zucchini taste the same but the yellow are easier to find if you're growing a lot! In fact, it's one of my 5 Favorite Vegetables for Container Gardening. How to Plant Zucchini Zucchini grow best with a lot of direct sunlight. ", "Great help to first-time zucchini planter. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. Learned about spacing location and pollination. whether they should be separated or planted, as they were grouped about 3 or 4 in a pot. First-time planter and an avid eater of this delicious crop. ", "The pollination step was helpful. Direct seed ½ to 1 inch deep into hills (which warm and drain earlier in the season) or rows. ", handle this situation. Once zucchini fruit start to set, the time isn't far from harvesting, giving young gardeners a thrill. Make sure that you plant your zucchini when there is no chance of the temperature going below freezing, since these cold temperatures will likely kill your zucchini. You can remove the male flowers and dust their pollen onto the female flowers to help ensure good pollination takes place. Only female flowers set fruit. Zucchini (also called summer squash) is a great vegetable for small-space gardeners. Zucchini likes to get its start in the spot where it will grow, but if you want to get a jump on the season, start seed indoors 3 to 4 weeks before the last expected frost in 4-inch biodegradable pots (that can be set directly in the ground at planting time so that the roots are not disturbed). Growing zucchini indoors would be a great way to prolong your zucchini’s productivity. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Prepare the area for planting after all threat of frost has passed in the spring. How to Grow Zucchini and Summer Squash Start: Sow directly into fertile, warm soil after danger of frost has passed. We have an over abundance of bees and learned to, "My neighbor and I are trading plants. Make sure plants receive an inch of water per week. I plan to grow my own this year. Many gardeners do this second planting in mid-July or mid-August (or both). Zucchini plants like rich soil, and hilling gives the plants an extra boost of nutrients they'll appreciate. ", Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow, http://www.almanac.com/plant/squash-zucchini, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/zucchini-grow-40946.html, http://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/pubs/0403/zucchini.html, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/distinguish-between-male-female-zucchini-flowers-35392.html, http://www.hgtv.com/gardening/how-to-grow-zucchini-plants/page-2.html, http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/leaf/squash_vine_borer.htm, http://www.almanac.com/pest/squash-vine-borer, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a4\/Grow-Zucchini-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Grow-Zucchini-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a4\/Grow-Zucchini-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1224781-v4-728px-Grow-Zucchini-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"