Plant and grow zucchini successfully

Zucchini are high-yielding vegetables that should not be missing in any kitchen garden. We give tips on growing zucchini and growing them successfully in the garden and in pots.

The zucchini (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo convar. giromontiina) is a low-maintenance, beginner-friendly vegetable that produces numerous and versatile fruits. Growing zucchini in the garden or on the terrace and balcony is therefore particularly rewarding. In this article you will learn everything about the cultivation and planting of zucchini seedlings.

Zucchini: origin and properties

The zucchini plant belongs to the pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae), which can be recognized by the typical orange-yellow flowers and later also by the fruits. They originally come from Central America and were brought to Europe hundreds of years ago. Zucchini are annuals and extremely sensitive to frost. A distinction is also made between climbing and bushy ones

Zucchini Varieties.

Plant zucchini

Zucchini are usually sown indoors or in a greenhouse so that they can be planted outside as young plants in mid-May. Pulling zucchini forward shortens the time until the first harvest: the first fruits are formed as early as June. We provide tips for successfully sowing, transplanting and planting courgettes.

Sow and grow zucchini

From mid-April, sow the large zucchini seeds in small pots or seed trays. The seeds bring their own supply of nutrients and should therefore be planted in nutrient-poor soil - like ours Plantura Organic Herb & Seed Soil - be placed. The sowing depth is 2 to 3 cm, the optimal temperature for germination is 18 to 20 °C. Always keep the potting soil well moist over the next few weeks. After 7 to 10 days, the first zucchini seedlings will appear. Direct sowing of zucchini outdoors is also possible from the middle/end of May, as soon as late frosts are no longer to be expected. Directly sown courgettes bear the first fruits after about 8 weeks.

Prick the zucchini

As soon as the seedlings get their first leaves after the cotyledons, they can be pricked out and transferred to a more nutrient-rich substrate. First fill pots with a diameter of at least 9 cm about half full with a high-quality potting soil, such as ours Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil. It contains essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that will nourish your zucchini seedlings until planting. When pricking out the zucchini plants, use a pricking stick, spoon or wooden popsicle stick to lift the seedlings along with the roots from the potting soil. You should hold the plant by the leaf to avoid injuries and bruises on the stem and roots. Now put the courgettes in the half-full pots, fill them up to the brim with potting soil and water them vigorously. In the next few weeks, the plants should be watered regularly and placed in a warm and bright place.

Plant zucchini: when can they go outside?

The planting season for zucchini outdoors begins in mid-May, after the ice saints. Approximately one square meter of planting is required per plant, so the planting distance of the zucchini is approx. one meter. With narrower, climbing varieties that are tied to a trellis, you should keep a distance of 60 to 80 cm. In general, a generous distance is recommended so that the plants can spread well and to prevent infections from fungi. It is worth working in compost before planting out, because zucchini plants are heavy consumers and require large amounts of nutrients. The young zucchini plants are planted in the ground almost to the base of the leaves. Be careful not to damage the stem of the plant. Then water vigorously. Spreading a layer of mulch from lawn clippings has proven itself as a maintenance measure: this keeps the soil around the zucchini plant moist and provides soil organisms with food. More tips about Care of zucchini can be found in our special article.

The right location for zucchini

Overall, zucchini plants are not very demanding when it comes to their location. The optimal location for zucchini is on permeable, medium-heavy, humus and nutrient-rich soil with good water storage. The high-yielding vegetable loves warm, sunny and sheltered locations. To grow zucchini on the balcony, the planting site should face south. Climbing zucchini varieties can be guided up balconies along a trellis. Zucchini can also be planted in raised beds. Here it is advisable to choose a space-saving, climbing variety that is used on the edge of the raised bed and can grow down it.

These tips will help you choose the right location for the zucchini:

• Nutrient-rich, well-drained soil or potting soil.
• Warm, sunny and wind-protected locations.
• Sufficient planting distance and space: 1 - 1.5 m² per plant.
• Grow zucchini on the balcony and raised bed: choose a south-facing and climbing, space-saving variety.

In a mixed culture, the most diverse vegetable plants benefit from each other by combining suitable species with each other. We provide the best Plant neighbors for zucchini in front.

Plant zucchini in a pot

In addition to growing outdoors, zucchini can also be planted in tubs and placed in a sunny, warm location. The pot size should hold at least 40 liters. Fill in a nutrient-rich soil for the zucchini and then place the young plants in the pot. The plants should be watered regularly, because the soil in pots threatens to dry out much faster. Potted courgettes also benefit from a protective layer of mulch.

multiply zucchini

With the right technique, you can propagate and seed your zucchini yourself. This only works on seeded zucchini, not on plants that have grown out hybrid seed. Pumpkin plants such as courgettes, pumpkins and the like are strict cross-pollinators that depend on insects to visit them. Only if there is no other, closely related pumpkin plant within a radius of three kilometers can one almost completely rule out cross-breeding by bee pollination. The plants form all-male flowers with a long flower stalk and pollen and all-female flowers with a clearly recognizable ovary and sticky stigma. The flowers only open for one day at a time. If you want to multiply zucchini from seed and prevent other varieties or even nearby pumpkins from crossing, you have to pollinate the flowers by hand.

For this you first need about 6 to 12 healthy plants of the same variety that flower at the same time. About three male flowers from another plant are expected per female flower for successful pollination without inbreeding. Close swollen flower buds just before they open carefully in the evening hours using masking tape. The zucchini blossoms cannot open like this. The next morning, the prepared male flowers are picked and the petals removed. In this way, the columnar anthers with pollen are exposed. Then carefully remove the ribbon from the female flower so that it unfolds. Then you dab the stigma of the flower with the pollen of the male flowers and then close the female one again with masking tape.

In the next few days, after successful pollination, the petals will die back and release a small fruit. Label the zucchini fruit so you know later which flower was the pollinated one. Leave the fruit on the plant until the seeds are ripe. It will grow large and hard on the surface until the stem dries out and seed ripening is complete. The pollinated fruit should be harvested in late autumn before the first frost. Now carefully cut open the zucchini and remove the seeds. Once dried at room temperature, these can be stored in a cool, dry, dark place for up to six years.

Zucchini seeds win at a glance:

• Plant several plants of the same hardy variety.
• Close three male and one female buds of different plants the evening before the flowers open.
• Pick the male flowers the next morning and expose the stamens.
• Open the female flower and dust it with pollen by hand.
• Close the flower again and mark the resulting fruit.
• Leave courgettes on the plant until the seeds are ripe, harvest before frost.
• Cut the fruit open, remove the seeds and let them dry.
• Store zucchini seeds in a cool, dry and dark place.

The zucchini harvest season begins in early summer and many fruits often form quickly. We give tips for Harvesting, storing and using zucchini.