“One zucchini plant will feed an entire family, two plants will ensure leftovers for additional family and friends and three plants will cover your street” ~ old proverb. Weather you call it Zucchini or Courgette, it is a must have in the summer garden. Zucchini is very versatile and is used in many different cuisines. Spiralize it into pasta, grill it, turn it into a cake or a fritter, or you can even eat the flower.
Planting Calendar
September-February
Prepare
Position
Being subtropical Zucchini are best planted in a sunny position with warm temperatures and lots of direct sun and space to grow.
Soil
When planted into the ground Zucchini likes a free draining soil that is rich in organic matter. To improve the organic content in your soil, break up the soil and add Kings Compost or for an organic option use Living Earth Organic Vegetable Mix and Kings Sheep Pellets then mix together well. When growing in containers, plant into Kings Container mix. This mix contains added water storage crystals and Saturaid, two products that help maintain moisture in the soil.
Pollination
Zucchini plants are monoecious, that is they have separate male and female flowers. Male flowers appear first followed by the female flowers which turn into zucchinis (the flowers with a fatter stem). Pollen is transferred from male to female flowers by bees and other insects. Encourage bees to your garden with extra bee-friendly plants, like lavender and borage, to get better pollination. The female flower is a golden blossom on the end of each emergent zucchini. The male flower grows directly on the stem of the zucchini plant in the leaf axils, on a long stalk, and is slightly smaller than the female.
Care
Expert Tip
It is not uncommon for the first few fruit to go yellow and rot off at the end. (Blossom end rot)This is usually due to lack of calcium or inadequate watering. Water well and deeply every third day in dry periods. To add calcium to the soil apply a dressing of Lime 2 weeks prior to planting.
What you need to grow well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still Zucchini when they get big?
Yes, you can still eat Marrows. Though they are less tasty and have harder flesh, they can still be used to bulk up soups, or roasted without the skins. They taste great when stuffed.
The leaves on my Zucchini have all gone white, what is it and how do I fix it?
The white on the top of the leaves is called Powdery Mildew and is very typical when growing Zucchini. When watering try not to get water on the leaves and water in the morning. Spraying for prevention is always better than spraying for cure with Mildew. Spray with Free Flo copper as per the instructions on the label.
Why are the baby Zucchini going brown and falling off?
There are two reasons why this can happen. Firstly poor pollination can cause flower drop. Plants some borage and and other bees loving plants to attract pollinators to the garden. Secondly Blossom End Rot is very common with Zucchini in the early stages of fruit production. Ensure that you are watering deeply and don't allow the soil to dry out. Before planting apply an application of Lime to the soil 4 weeks before planting. Usually the plant rectifies itself and will start to grow good Zucchini.
