mulch the soil surface and water with diluted seaweed
extract every three weeks. They shouldn’t need any other
feeding but if leaves start to yellow, add some complete
liquid fertiliser for extra nitrogen. But don’t overdo the
nitrogen, or you will have masses of leaves and few
flowers. If your soil is heavy, then plant seeds or seedlings
into a raised mound to keep the leaves and fruit off
potentially soggy soil, or plant into a raised bed or pot.
Watering
Always water around the roots, not on the leaves.
Leaves will often wilt during hot weather but will
usually revive again once the sun is off them. If they
don’t revive then you will need to water, but it’s better
not to water at night unless you have too, as it sets
up humid overnight conditions that are perfect for
powdery mildew growth.
Flowers and pollination
Zucchinis produce male and female flowers, with the
male flower on a long, slender stem, and the female
flower occurring with the tiny developing fruit behind. If
the female flower is not fertilised, this fruit will collapse
and fall off the plant. If it is fertilised, then the fruit will
start to grow. When the weather is very hot or wet, or
there are no bees or other pollinators around, then
sometimes there will be no fruit. In very hot weather you
may only get male flowers, so no zucchini will grow. If
needed though, you can do the pollinating yourself.
Detach a male flower and break off the petals so that
the central stamens are exposed; these are covered in
pollen. Poke this into the female flower so that the
stamen touches the central stigma and the pollen is
transferred. One male flower can be used to pollinate
Climate: Tropical,
Subtropical, Arid/Semi-arid, Warm
temperate, Cold temperate
height: BUSH 80cm OR CLIMBING
Spacing: 70cm
Position: Full sun
PLANT: Spring, SUMMER
HARVEST: 40–70 DAYSFACT FILE:
ZUCCHINI
Cucurbita pepoTop left: Lebanese growing in a planter bag.
Above left: A cut off plastic bottle allows
slow water infiltration.
Left: Plant two seeds in each position. PHOTOS: FROM TOP: PENNY WOODWARD/GAP PHOTOS/FHF GREENMEDIA/PENNY WOODWARD.