How to Plant Zucchini Plants
Zucchini is one of the most popular and easy to grow of all the summer vegetables. It came from Central America by way of Italy, where it was developed for the consumer market in the late 19th century. It’s nutritious, with beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, potassium and iron, all wrapped up in a low-calorie vegetable. It lends itself to countless dishes, from spaghetti sauce to ratatouille to zucchini bread. And it’s so easy to grow that many gardeners find they have a huge surplus of this squash in its productive summer season.
Start with seeds instead of starter plants, because zucchini does not transplant well. Choose one of the many varieties of zucchini from a seed catalog or online (see Resources).
- Zucchini is one of the most popular and easy to grow of all the summer vegetables.
- Choose one of the many varieties of zucchini from a seed catalog or online (see Resources).
Prepare your planting area in spring by digging one or two shovelfuls of compost into an area about 3 feet round. Then shovel out 4 to 6 inches of soil all around a central circle and dump the soil onto the top of the circle to form a mound.
Rake the top of the central mound flat, leaving a “moat” around it. This helps to get the most water to your plants when you irrigate them.
Plant your zucchini seeds 1 inch deep and about 3 or 4 inches apart around the outside edge of the central mound.
Thin out the weaker seedlings when they are several inches tall, leaving three to four evenly spaced plants in your mound.
Plant Zucchini Plants
Prepare the area for planting after all threat of frost has passed in the spring. Mix it thoroughly into the planting space. Use the hand rake to smooth and slightly flatten the top of the mound, leaving the moat intact around it. Plant the zucchini seeds 1 inch deep around the outer edge of each mound, about 3 to 4 inches apart. Water the soil around and under the plants several times a week to keep it evenly moist. If the soil quality in your area is poor, use nutrient-rich organic mulch around the plants to help them retain water and nutrients. Harvest the young fruit when it is 6 to 8 inches long and the skin is slightly tender to the touch.
- Prepare your planting area in spring by digging one or two shovelfuls of compost into an area about 3 feet round.
- Use the hand rake to smooth and slightly flatten the top of the mound, leaving the moat intact around it.
Tip
If your soil is rich, you won’t need to apply any fertilizer to your zucchini. Snip off spent leaves when they begin to turn yellow.
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Writer Bio
Barbara Fahs lives on Hawaii island, where she has created Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden. Fahs wrote "Super Simple Guide to Creating Hawaiian Gardens" and has been a professional writer since 1984. She contributes to "Big Island Weekly," "Ke Ola" magazine and various websites. She earned her Bachelor of Arts at University of California, Santa Barbara and her Master of Arts from San Jose State University.
