How to grow Zucchini

At a glance

🌱 Grow your Zucchini with GardenDex

• Reminders to water it, timed to your weather and whether it's in a pot
• Frost and disease alerts for your garden, the night before
• Follow it from seed to harvest, and see what your garden grew in $
• Point your camera at any plant or bug to identify it

🗓️ When to plant

Sow directly into the garden after the last frost when soil is warm (at least 15°C/60°F), or start indoors 3–4 weeks before the last frost and transplant once soil has warmed.

🌰 How to plant

1. Sow seeds 2–3 cm (1 in) deep directly into warm soil or seed-starting mix.
2. Space seeds or transplants 60–90 cm (24–36 in) apart in rows or mounds.
3. Water gently after planting and keep soil consistently moist until seedlings emerge.
4. Thin seedlings to strongest plant if direct sowing multiple seeds per spot.

💧 Care

• Mulch around plants to retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds.
• Feed with balanced fertilizer or compost every 2–3 weeks once flowering begins.
• Hand-pollinate flowers in the morning by brushing pollen between male and female blooms if pollinators are scarce.
• Remove any yellowing or diseased leaves to improve air circulation and prevent fungal issues.

🧺 Harvest

Pick zucchini when 15–20 cm (6–8 in) long for peak tenderness and flavor; harvest every 2–3 days to encourage continued production. Use a sharp knife to cut the stem cleanly.

🐛 Common problems

Powdery mildew: Improve air circulation, water at soil level only, and spray with sulfur or neem oil if needed.

Squash vine borers: Wrap the base of stems with foil, inspect for entry holes, and remove affected portions or inject Bt into stems.

Blossom-end rot: Maintain consistent soil moisture and mulch heavily to prevent calcium uptake issues.

Cucumber beetles: Use row covers on young plants, handpick beetles, or apply spinosad if infestations become severe.

🤝 Companion plants

💚 Good neighbours: Basil, Borage, Nasturtium, Radish

⚠️ Keep apart from: Fennel, Potatoes

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