How to grow large zucchini? Care basics: feeding, pinching, watering and harvesting! Zucchini cultivation and care in the open field: tips and tricks, videos and photos Pinching zucchini in the open field

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These piglets, so beloved by the people, are NOT zucchini.

Agrotechnics for growing hybrid zucchini

Agrotechnics for growing zucchini seedlings

is the correct formation of the plant. When forming a bush, zucchini is not pinched like a pumpkin, and at the beginning of flowering, several large leaves are removed from the middle of the bush: this way the plant is well lit by the sun, ventilated, rot is prevented, and access of pollinating insects to the opening flowers is facilitated.

Planting zucchini hybrids through seedlings is less common and is mainly used in the northern regions. Greenhouse or greenhouse cultivation of cucurbits is unproductive and unprofitable, as it requires forced pollination, tight humidity control, and regular shaping of bushes. What does the landowner expect from squash bushes? A high-quality and productive crop, the fruits of which are tasty, versatile in food consumption, suitable for storage and, of course, are slightly susceptible to fungal diseases and resistant to weather vagaries. Accordingly, only F1 hybrid zucchini meets such considerable requirements, the cultivation of which already halves the labor worries of the gardener, in comparison with the cultivation of ordinary varieties that have survived to this day from the selection of farmers of the USSR. Hello, dear friends

ayatskov1.ru

Formation of zucchini and pumpkin

Formation of zucchini and pumpkin

When to harvest zucchini in autumn

Mom Oh

And yet, if you do not want your zucchini to disappear in the garden, they must be harvested before the temperature drops below 1-2 degrees. because after that they are likely to rot during storage
To speed up the ripening of the pumpkin, all the leaves that make a shadow on the fruit are removed. The fruits are harvested 12-20 weeks after planting, provided that the pumpkin is fully ripe. The pumpkin is cut with the stalk because it lengthens the shelf life. The thick skin speaks of the maturity of the fruit, and the stem is easily broken off. The entire crop must be harvested before the onset of frost. Fruits selected for storage should be left in the sun to harden the skin - thanks to the hard skin, the pumpkin loses less moisture. At night, especially if frost occurs, the fruits should be brought indoors. Four days are enough at a temperature of 27-32 ° C. Pumpkin is stored for 4-6 months, depending on the variety, provided that it is kept in a ventilated room at t=10°C.​

sergey shishaev

Zucchini had to be harvested all summer, like cucumbers, while they were small. And in the fall it's time to eliminate them.

The experience of "treatment" of pumpkin by one summer resident is interesting. During transportation, she peeled off the skins of several pumpkins. In this case, they would have to be eaten immediately or they would have rotted. She smeared the wounds with a thick layer of brilliant green, as a result, the wounds of the pumpkins dried up, and these pumpkins ate all winter.

Some gardeners, having removed pumpkins and zucchini from the beds, transfer them to the vacated greenhouses, where they dry out and ripen for 10 days. This identifies diseased fruits that are not suitable for storage.

?

lazybones

Some gardeners advise cutting the petioles with a sharp knife from pumpkins intended for winter storage, and rub the cut point strongly with dry quicklime. And If during storage the tail of a pumpkin or zucchini begins to get wet, it is cut out to a healthy tissue, and the cut point is dried (burned in the flame of a burning candle).
In central Russia, with a lack of sun, unripe pumpkin fruits can rot during storage. To prevent this from happening, the pumpkin is allowed to ripen and get stronger in a warm and dry place, best of all in the kitchen, on the closet. There she will gradually gain ripeness and will be ready for the table on any winter day.
agricultural techniques for growing zucchini

In May or early June, seeds of zucchini hybrids are planted in prepared well-groomed soil no more than 3 pieces per square meter. m, deepening no more than 5 cm, watered and slightly compacted planting holes. After they are mulched with peat chips, hay cut or wood chips of neutral species. The seeds are not soaked, since the hybrids are always processed and covered with several layers of a nutrient-fungicidal shell, which to wash off outside the soil will only interfere with the initial development, normal vegetation and deprive the seed germ of nutrition with protection from fungal infections.

HIGH-YIELD TOMATO VARIETIES FOR GREENHOUSES: OVERVIEW OF GROUPS, HYBRIDS AND GROWING FEATURES Of the widest variety of tomato varieties offered to farmers and amateur vegetable growers, it is impossible to unequivocally recommend only one and ignore others, because the preferences of a particular person are subjective. And this is understandable: each of us has his own criteria for evaluating the grown tomato, but everyone always chooses the most productive tomatoes for greenhouses. In areas with different climates, the conditions for growing tomatoes (even in farm greenhouses) are different, therefore the most popular are the specified, zoned varieties that enjoy well-deserved attention from most gardeners. - Indeterminate varieties are ideal for greenhouses - vigorous bushes form into 1 stem. - Determinate tomatoes for greenhouses require constant pruning of shoots. Each hybrid is prone to one of these 2 types of development, so we need to correct the growth of plants in time, starting right from the seedlings. According to the type of growth, TOMATOES are divided into 2 GROUPS: - with vegetative, - with generative development. As a rule, well-known seed manufacturers give such starting information on the package: the main characteristics and individual characteristics of a particular variety. For low greenhouses for tomatoes with a standard (up to 2.5 m) ridge height, we will choose tall varieties of tomatoes with shortened internodes, while forming them into 2 stems. When the bushes grow to the trellis, there will already be 3 brushes on each shoot. We will release additional shoots on seedlings under the very first brush. Usually tall and large-fruited tomatoes show precisely the vegetative type of growth. We plant seedlings of hybrids and varieties with this vegetative type of development with the first two flowering brushes in order to prevent fattening of plants, which reduces the yield of tomatoes in the greenhouse. OVERVIEW OF GREENHOUSE VARIETIES ONLY MEDIUM AND HIGH YIELD VARIETIES 1. Intuition F1 - with 1 stalk and unlimited growth, a mid-season hybrid of cluster tomatoes: only 110 days pass from the first shoots to fruiting. Rounded, smooth fruits weighing over 100 g do not crumble even after ripening, do not crack, and their high sugar content is ideal for canning and fresh salads. 2. Kostroma F1 - a two-meter mid-early hybrid, already 106 after germination, we collect a friendly and plentiful crop of flat-round fruits weighing 150 g, and up to 5 kg per bush. This plant is resistant to viruses and changes in humidity and temperature. 3. Rosemary F1: 115 days after sprouting, large (400g), pink, smooth fruits ripen for delicious salads. Their pulp is juicy, tender, "melting" consistency. Productivity reaches 11 kg from 1 plant. 4. Chio-chio-san - with unlimited growth, a mid-season hybrid, hung with huge branched brushes, with 50 fruits on each. Pink, plum-shaped tomatoes weighing up to 40 g delight us with an excellent dessert taste and four kilograms of such fruits from a bush. The variety is not susceptible to tobacco mosaic disease. 5. Blagovest F1 - one and a half meter, early ripe hundred-day hybrid. One plant produces 5 kg of round fruits weighing over 100 g each. 6. Verlioka F1 - one and a half meter, early ripe stodnevka with round fruits up to 100 g each and 5 kg per bush. This tomato is great for canning and fresh salads. As the personal experience of gardeners proves, the most productive varieties of tomatoes for a greenhouse are numerous: their list can include dozens of other hybrids and varieties of tomatoes, even for one region. INTERESTING NEW VARIETIES 1. Siberian F1 - late-ripening, single-stemmed hybrid with unlimited growth yields up to 5 kg in 4.5 months. Its flat-round, smooth, fragrant tomatoes of a unique size - up to 2.8 kg, and their taste is harmonious, dessert. The plant is not susceptible to diseases of cladosporiosis, fusarium. 2. Ural F1: This indeterminate tomato with unlimited growth for the Ural region will produce the first tasty, sweet tomatoes for salads in just 4 months. Up to 25 flat-round fruits weighing 350 g grow on 1 bush. 3. Shaolin F1 - a plant of medium ripening: after 115 days, the first large (up to 400 g), pink, beautiful tomatoes, salad destination, ripen on powerful low bushes. Their pulp is tender, juicy, as if melting, with an abundance of provitamin A. The average yield is 10 kg per plant. Kamchatka F1 - one and a half meter mid-season (110 days before fruiting) variety with attractive and tasty round fruits weighing up to 150 g, stored up to 2 months. The hybrid is resistant to all pathogens of viruses that are dangerous for these plants. All of these listed productive varieties of tomatoes for greenhouses have already been evaluated by experienced vegetable growers and are leaders in the sale of seeds, especially since they are not very demanding for care. GREENHOUSE BRUSH TOMATOES (We collect their fruits with brushes, like grapes in clusters). This type is gaining well-deserved popularity. Breeders have successfully bred the following hybrids: Fatalist, Fanat, Vladimir and others. FEATURES: - A valuable feature of this species is high strength: we can transport the crop anywhere, but the tomatoes do not deteriorate or crack. - The fruits on the brush are often the same size: 100 - 200 g. - Such cluster greenhouse tomatoes are absolutely resistant to the diseases characteristic of these plants, so we do not have to spend money on the purchase of various preventive chemicals. THE MOST POPULAR Of course, it is almost impossible to list all the high-yielding varieties of tomatoes for the greenhouse - after all, breeders delight us with their new achievements. Among them stand out especially De Barao red, as well as the Ivanhoe F1 Hybrid. It is believed that these varieties in the greenhouse give more than 20 kg of fruit from 1 bush. DE BARAO - For De Barao, the norm is 30 kg from 1 plant, and the record is 70 kg. - Even outdoors, this variety, under normal conditions and proper care, gives 10 kilograms from 1 bush in a hot summer. - Its smooth fruits are of medium size with a mass of 150 g and are very tasty fresh and canned. - However, the hybrid is very demanding on the microclimate and grows poorly on infertile, heavy clay or loamy soils. - Breeders pleased gardeners with original early types of tomatoes for greenhouses, which are not inferior in yield. But they have a different color, indicated in their very name: De Barao yellow, pink or black. SEMKO-SINDBAD F1 One of the most popular early-ripening hybrids was Semko-Sinbad F1. - In terms of early maturity, it is not inferior to the Hurricane variety, in which the first tomatoes turn red already on the 80th day from spitting seedlings. - The ovaries on the plant are also formed without additional measures. In its inflorescence there are 8 red fruits weighing up to 100 g at once with an average yield of about 10 kg per 1 sq. m. AIVENGO HYBRID F1 The new lettuce tomato surprises with its yield: the fruits on its brushes are like on a well-groomed bunch of grapes. - All tomatoes are bright red, and do not shrink near the top of the bush, providing an excellent harvest without the use of growth stimulants. - To taste, the fruits of this hybrid are much better than other greenhouse counterparts, and the bush itself is large, with powerful thick stems. - Ivanhoe, with its high yield, practically does not get sick and is resistant to fungi, tomato mosaic, nematode, verticillium. - Especially valuable for lovers of natural farming: it gives an excellent harvest without the use of chemicals. - And this variety actually has no shortcomings, only the price of its seeds is higher. Yes, and we will not close the tomatoes in ordinary jars - they are very large. ALGAMBRA Its excellent productivity is successfully combined with another advantage - the brushes do not refract. - Taste qualities of tomatoes are excellent. - This variety in heated greenhouses bears maximum fruit from April to January, forming ten-meter lashes. CARE OF HIGH YIELD TOMATOES We monitor the load of plants directly with fruits and adjust it in a timely manner, taking into account the characteristics of the variety. FEEDING 1. It is advisable to carry out agrotechnical regulation of the development of bushes only with their balanced nutrition. 2. Pay attention! Experience has shown that it is better to limit nitrogen before the first cluster of fruits is formed, especially in plants with vegetative development. 3. 1 week before planting seedlings in a garden greenhouse, stop feeding it, and after planting, we will do the first feeding in 2 weeks. 4. During the growing season, we regularly add, as the instructions recommend, phosphorus and potassium (wood ash is well suited for this purpose, and in order to simplify the process of plant nutrition, it is best to pour 2 large handfuls of ash into each hole immediately when planting seedlings), when flowering it is advisable to pour the same wood ash around each tomato bush (this will also help protect the plants from verticillium wilt). Further, when the fruits are tied on the first two brushes, it is necessary to apply nitrogen liquid top dressing for the active growth of the fruits. During this period, we feed with a solution of mullein or bird droppings, and an infusion of weeds with an EM preparation is also good. 5. With excessive vegetation, we do root dressing with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate. 6. With accelerated generative development, we will make 2 top dressings with fermented weeds - this will accelerate the ripening of unexpectedly numerous fruits in cool weather. CARE OF SEEDS - Seedlings will appear in a week, and we will reduce the temperature to +18C. - Pour with warm settled water 1 time in 3 days. - To rid the sprouts of root rot, apply biological products. - When a real leaf appears, the seedlings are placed one at a time in plastic or peat pots. CARE OF PLANTS - We place seedlings in a row on the ground every 50 centimeters, and between their rows - 60 cm. - Pay attention! Seedlings of large-fruited tomatoes are placed in heated shelters 50 days after their germination, and in non-heated - in May. - We will add 0.5 kg of humus to the hole. - We will tie up the overgrown bushes with a trellis thrown over a 5 mm wire stretched along the rows. - Then we simply twist the trellis with our own hands as the bush grows, water it, and after flowering 2 times a month we feed it with ready-made balanced organic matter. - We will tie up large-fruited tomatoes - these high-yielding varieties need such support. - We regularly remove shoots from the leaf axil. - We collect the fruits brown, as their complete redness depletes the plant. CONCLUSION - Experienced gardeners are experimenting with several varieties of tomatoes at once, because there are high-yielding hybrids for a particular soil and area. - When choosing varieties, we take into account the characteristics of the greenhouse and growing conditions. - Traditional and tried greenhouse tomatoes are good, but new varieties are more hardy and productive with easy care. - We buy large packages of the selected variety and plant half of the seeds - if the result is successful, we sow the remaining seeds for the next year.

A plant from the family of ordinary pumpkins. Country of origin - Mexico.

Large sheets arranged on oblong petioles, have five pointed ends. The color is green, from pale to darker tones, sometimes with light "blots". Prickly to the touch.

Root system surface type, widely spread. Lateral and adnexal branches depart from the main root.

Flowers zucchini are heterosexual, but grow on a bush nearby. The color is yellow, the size is not small, the shape resembles a bell.

Fruit most often elongated, may be somewhat curved. You can grow different colors: green or yellow, sometimes black or striped. The pulp of young zucchini is tender, tasty and healthy, easily digestible.

Zucchini has a low calorie content (about 27 kcal per 100 g), rich in potassium, iron and a whole set of vitamins. Great for diets for weight loss, people recovering from illness. It is unforgivable to ignore such a vegetable when growing on your own plot.

For zucchini grown in open ground, it is worth choosing a well-lit slope without wind, preferably in the south or south-west of the land, away from groundwater.

Predecessors - good and bad

When planting zucchini in open ground, it is very important to consider what was grown in this place last season.

Any "brothers" - cucumbers, squash, pumpkins - are bad predecessors for zucchini. They took nutrients from the soil of the same level where they grow zucchini, which means it is already depleted. Pathogenic microbes remained in the same layer, which always gather by the end of the season after a certain culture. Therefore, with the new cultivation of pumpkin (zucchini) in the ground, there will be practically no useful substances for plants. But diseases will gladly switch to a plant species that is familiar to them.

Good predecessors of zucchini are: radishes, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, parsley. Best of all - legumes, cabbage, onions and garlic. Not bad to plant green manure before growing zucchini.

Preparation of seeds and planting material

Zucchini can be planted with seeds or seedlings. Both methods require the preparation of planting material.

Seed growing technology

Seed preparation before planting. Soak them in a solution of nitroammophoska, fertilizers "Kristallin" or "GROWTH - 1", you can take one percent potassium permanganate. Leave for 20 minutes and rinse. Put in wet gauze for pecking (usually 1-2 days is enough). As soon as this happens, sow the zucchini seeds. Before this, you can arrange hardening - for five days to hold most of the for and night at a temperature just below zero.

If the seeds are old. Before sowing in a container, check for germination: take a few seeds from all varieties of zucchini planned for planting, soak and put in a damp cloth until roots appear. If they appear, they can be sown in pots.

seedling preparation

Prepared, as previously mentioned, seeds are used. Grow in containers no smaller than 10 x 10 cm.

cultivation

Any containers or pots are filled with nutrient soil or earth, spilled with warm water or a half-percent solution of manganese. To a depth of 2-3 cm, zucchini seeds are planted - one for each container.

It is important that the sprouted sprout "look" towards the bottom of the pot.

This is done 20-30 days before the planned planting in the ground, usually in early May. Until the stem appears above the surface, the temperature is regulated within 18-25 degrees, later lowered to 15-20. Water once a week with warm water.

For growing, a lot of light is necessary so that the plants do not stretch much and grow strong.

soil fertilization

1. After 7-10 days after the “pecking” of the sprout above the surface. The first way: for 5 liters of water, half a large spoonful of urea and a whole spoonful of superphosphate. The second way: for a liter container of 2 g of the “Bud”, pour a glass for each sprout.
2. With a difference of a week or a little more from the first. For 5 liters of water, one large spoonful of any complex-type fertilizer, half a glass for one zucchini. Or, in 1 liter of water, mix one small spoonful of nitrophoska and Effekton. Pour a glass for each copy.
3. If the soil in the cups is good, you can fertilize once, 7 days before taking it out into the open ground.

Planting seedlings in the ground begins in early June.

Preparing the soil for planting

To grow a good crop of zucchini, the land where they will be planted must be prepared. It is dug up, weeds are removed and fertilizers are added. Their composition largely depends on the type of soil in a particular area.

• Humus with dry clay is introduced into peat soils, with the addition of potassium sulfate, as well as ash.
• Clay and loamy soils require peat, sawdust and humus with the addition of wood ash, dry river sand.
• Sandy soils are "fed" with dry clay interspersed with peat, humus and sawdust.

Superphosphate is added everywhere.

After adding nutrients to peat soils, the beds need to be dug up well, trimmed and filled with fertilizer heated to 40 degrees, 3 liters per square meter. Preferably "Rossa" or "Agricola-5" - 1 large spoon per bucket. Before planting zucchini, cover the soil with a film to accumulate heat.

If “fresh” areas of open ground are being developed for growing zucchini, they should be dug up qualitatively, freed from roots and larvae, and fertilized according to the peat type of soil.

When it is not possible to add fertilizer for digging, you can distribute it into the holes immediately before planting zucchini. Mixtures are added to each recess - in a liter of humus, a teaspoon of complex fertilizer and 1 large - ash.

If the soils are very poor, they prepare holes with diameters of 30-40 cm and a depth of 25-30, lay manure (or humus), top the soil 15 cm high and arrange zucchini on it.

Seeding and planting

Grow zucchini in warm, well-lit places. To form the soil, you can mix store soil with a high percentage of humus and neutral acidity. It is easier and cheaper to prepare a mixture for the soil with your own hands. For half of the peat, add 20% of sod land, the same amount of humus and 10% of sawdust. On lands with a high level of acidity, chalk or ash is added to grow full-fledged zucchini.

Zucchini should not be grown next to other cucurbits. Over-pollination can create unpredictable shapes and flavors of the vegetable and can be bad for the seeds.

seeds

Planting seeds in the ground is the easiest way, because the zucchini begins to bear fruit quickly. In the regions of the Volga region and to the south, squash seeds are planted in early May, in the European part of Russia and the regions of the Urals most often in the first half of June, in Siberia, respectively, later. But definitely covered. The main thing is that the soil warms up to 15-16 degrees. The cover is removed after about two weeks.

Recesses for planting zucchini are made at 6-7 cm, the distance between them is about a meter, the rows are spread up to one and a half meters. 2-3 seeds with a root are buried in the hole into the prepared soil by 3-4 cm. They are covered with earth and sprinkled with peat. When the first leaf grows, only the strongest sprout is left, the rest are plucked. In extreme cases, they are carefully transplanted along with the root ball of the earth.

Extra sprouts can not be pulled out so that the roots of the remaining planting do not suffer.

seedlings

When it is planned to plant seedlings, they calculate in what time it needs to be prepared at home. Sow in pots 35 days before planting in open ground. Accordingly, the transfer of seedlings to the ground should fall on days when cold weather is no longer expected.

Seedlings of zucchini are taken out to the beds in the absence of direct sunlight and on a warm day or in the early morning. They are seated together with the earth clod in which the seedlings sprouted. The next day, the soil is loosened.

How to grow zucchini?

On sunny summer days, zucchini blooms well and bears fruit. Caring for them is not difficult if you know the types of work that must be carried out.

Bush formation. During flowering, it is worth cutting 2-3 leaves in the center of the bush, so that light comes to the ovaries better, and insects can fly up to the flowers.

Hilling and loosening . Before the growth of 4-5 leaves, the stalk of the zucchini can be lightly hilled to stimulate the growth of lateral roots.

Temperature regime. The best temperature for growing zucchini is 18-24 degrees above zero. Does not tolerate frost at all. The minimum temperature for growing during a short-term cooling is not lower than 5 degrees Celsius.

Watering

Unpretentious in growing zucchini requires watering quite rarely. Until the flowers come out - once a week, 5 liters per square meter. When the fruits begin to appear, they are watered twice a week (or more often) with warm water, 8 and even 10 liters per the same area.

If you water the plants with cold water, there will be a general decay of the newly appeared ovaries.

With frequent watering of the soil, the roots are exposed and the tip of the fruit may rot. If there is not enough water, the taste of zucchini becomes bitter. The optimal soil moisture for growing with abundant fruits is 70-80%, air is slightly more, up to 85%.

Completely stop watering 7-10 days before the last harvest.

Pollination of squash

Normal pollination occurs with the help of insects. To attract them, plants in the morning can be sprayed with water and honey (1 teaspoon per glass) or sugar syrup.

In the absence of the sun, manual pollination can be carried out: with a male-type flower with torn petals (so as not to interfere), transfer pollen to the center of the female inflorescence, one male is enough for 3-4 female ones.

Fertilization

Caring for zucchini necessarily includes fertilizing the soil and plants. Most of all, when growing vegetables, they "love" nitrogen, a little less - potassium, do not perceive chlorine. Top dressing is done at the root or general.

root

• First. Until the plant blooms. Diluted with a ten-liter bucket of water, 2 tablespoons of Rossa fertilizer or a pound of mullein and one large spoonful of nitrophoska. A liter of the mixture is poured onto one zucchini.
• Second. When flowers bloom. For 10 liters, 2 large spoons of Effekton and wood-type ash. The consumption for one bush of zucchini is the same.
• Third. When the fruits of zucchini ripen. For one bush - 2 liters of the following mixture: Effekton-O diluted in a large bucket and wood ash, 2 large spoons each.

Foliar

Conducted twice with an interval of approximately two weeks. Types of mixtures: for a large bucket of water, 10 g of the Bud preparation or 1 tablespoon of liquid Rossa. For 10 sq. m is poured 2 liters.

For the successful cultivation of zucchini, the weekly addition of Mitlider's mixture No. 2, other fertilizers, taking into account the preference of zucchini, will not hurt.

Pest control

Like other pumpkins, during the cultivation of zucchini, pathogenic bacteria and pests also attack. The most common of these are anthracnose and white rot. The first is treated with Bordeaux mixture. Prevention of the second will be the correct turnover of plantings in the ground and optimal humidity. Pests are melon aphids and spider mites.

To prevent infection, zucchini is sprinkled with wood ash. It is possible to process with Narcissus, Zircon, Amulet and the like. Mixed plantings of zucchini with "friendly" plants are useful.

Collection of grown zucchini

Grown zucchini is harvested twice a week and more often, preventing the fruit from overripening. Frequent cutting promotes the maturation of new ovaries. The first fruiting occurs a month and a half after the strengthening of plantings in open ground.

The most delicious of the grown zucchini are no more than 25 cm. They are better suited for winter harvesting. To keep the fruits fresh - they are allowed to ripen completely, removed with a "tail" until frost comes.

Tasty and healthy fruits of zucchini, when properly collected and stored, can delight gardeners until the New Year holidays, and when frozen, they will “live” well until spring.

Chestnuts have blossomed, which means that it is time to sow heat-loving crops in open ground, including cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins. All these crops form an above-ground stem in the form of a liana, the growth and development of which do not always correspond to the amount of crop being formed. Forcing the culture to increase fruiting helps such an agricultural technique as pinching. It is not carried out on all varieties and hybrids. There must be an explanation on the bag with seeds or a leaflet with recommendations is attached separately.

Formed cucumber bush on a trellis. © HortChat

Pinching cucumbers in the open field

At home, cucumbers are best grown on a trellis or a special grid. For beginner gardeners, it is very important to know whether to pinch or not. On vertically located shoots, the need to perform the technique is better seen.

Rules for the formation of a bush of cucumbers:

The formation of 7-8 leaves on the central shoot without the appearance of side shoots indicates the need for pinching. Otherwise, the harvest will be minimal, and it is possible that the fruits will be bitter.

We examine the bush and determine the sex of the flowers. Male flowers are mainly located on the central shoot of 5-7 pieces. Their peduncle is thin (empty). Female flowers, depending on the variety, are located on the lateral and central shoots. Mostly female flowers are solitary or 2-3 in a group. They differ from male ones in a miniature ovary (thickening) at the stalk.

Empty flowers are removed on the central shoot and the top is pinched by 1.0-1.5 cm. Lateral branching will begin, on the shoots of which female flowers are located that form the crop.

Lateral shoots on the bush leave 2-3-4 no more. The rest are removed. In addition, if stepsons have formed in the leaf axil, they are also removed.

Lateral shoots are pinched on 4-5 leaves so that all the nutrients are used for fruit formation. If they are not pinched, the bush will take up a large area with vegetative shoots. On the left shoots, the main crop is formed. On the bush, all diseased leaves affected by pests are removed.

If there are many side shoots, it is quite possible that the variety or hybrid belongs to the group of early ones and does not need to be pinched. In this case, the thickened bush is clarified, that is, individual shoots growing inside the bush or leaves are removed, strongly shading the shoots with a second or third layer.

At the bottom of the bush, at the level of the first 2-3 true leaves, all side shoots are removed for better development of the root system of the culture.

pinching zucchini

Formation of bush and self-pollinated zucchini:

Zucchini, zucchini, bush and self-pollinated squash do not need pinching. They form fruits on the central stem.

Squash greens are harvested with a fruit length of 10-15 cm. Cleaning is best done 2 times a week. Frequent eating of fruits stimulates the formation of new ovaries. Patissons are ready for harvesting at the age of 7-8 days.

If the bushes have grown strongly and huge leaves obscure access to the sun's rays and pollinating insects (in the case of pollinated varieties), then during the fruiting period, 2-3 leaves can be removed in the places where the crop is formed. This technique will simultaneously protect the plant from the appearance of rot, which develops with excessively abundant watering in the humid microclimate of the bush.

Formation of climbing squash:

In climbing varieties of zucchini, pinch the top over 4-6 leaves. Some gardeners suggest removing part of the main stem at the beginning of budding. By this period, the zucchini already has several side shoots. Usually 3-4 are left 60-70 cm long. The main crop is formed on the side shoots and, in general, the bush will occupy a smaller area, with overgrown lashes.

Features of pinching a pumpkin

Like zucchini, pumpkins have 2 types of above-ground mass formation - bush and climbing. Long lashes of plants occupy an area of ​​several meters, so they are practically not planted in cultural circulation, but only in separate sunny places.

Formation of climbing pumpkin varieties

In the phase of 3-5 leaves, the culture forms rudimentary flowers and stepchildren. While the lashes are short and not intertwined, carefully direct their growth in one direction. You can even pin it to the ground with a wooden flyer, but freely, without pinching the whip. It is better to leave such lashes no more than 2-4. Remove all the rest and sprinkle the wound surface with ash.

The remaining lashes, when reaching 1.0-1.5 m, pinch. This provokes the best growth of lateral shoots, on which the bulk of the fruit is formed. To make them larger, we leave 1-2 ovaries on each lash, sometimes 3-4, and with their normal development we remove the extra 1-2. We leave a larger number of ovaries in case of disease of the fetus still in its infancy.

Throughout the growing season, we monitor the formation of new lateral lashes and remove those that do not form flowers. The entire period of growth and development of the lashes, we continue pinching the tops. It is also possible to carry out pinching, that is, remove all axillary vegetative shoots with a length of not more than 5 cm.

In August we form the harvest. On the lashes we leave the desired number of fruits for ripening. Better 1-3-4 fruits for the whole bush, no more. We remove all excess young pumpkins and use them fresh for cereals, baking in the oven and other dishes. We remove ripe fruits before the onset of cold weather. We store in a dry warm place. The kitchen is a great place to store them.

Formation of bush varieties of pumpkin

Bush forms also need to pinch and remove excess infertile side shoots to avoid thickening. An important event in bush pumpkin species is the normalization of the crop. Extra fruits (especially late-formed) have low keeping quality and taste, so they are removed. The fruits formed in the early period are left for ripening.

Zucchini (planting and care in the open field will be described in the article) - a plant of the Pumpkin family. With proper care, it can enrich the owners with a magnificent harvest. Squash crops, whose planting and care are unpretentious, are used to prepare various delicious dishes. True connoisseurs of culinary skills know what vegetables go with zucchini. Due to its useful composition, squash culture is used in medicine and cosmetology. How to grow such a magnificent culture? What day in 2018 is the most favorable according to the lunar calendar for planting zucchini in open ground?

When are seedlings planted

Beginners often wonder how to plant a zucchini for seedlings without outside help. And unlike experienced agricultural technicians, they do not know how to care for young vegetables. As a rule, it takes up to 30 days to grow a vegetable crop in an open field or greenhouse. Such periods are valid if there are no frosts for the entire period. In a zone with an average climate, agricultural technicians can observe such weather in the spring, at the end of May. Therefore, the planting of squash crops occurs in mid-April (in some regions at the beginning of the month).

Planting zucchini and care in the open field

When are the seeds planted?

Planting material in the form of seeds is considered the most popular. Every agrotechnician should know how to plant zucchini in open ground. In order for the seed to rise unhindered, you need to wait until the thermometer shows + 12 ... + 15 degrees. If spring is early, then seeds are planted already on May 5, if late - after 20 numbers.

Important! It is worth remembering that even mild frosts can destroy seedlings. Therefore, it is better to play it safe and cover the plant with a film, pressing it with plastic bottles filled with water so that the structure is not blown away by the wind.

At what distance to plant zucchini, how to plant and care - all these questions concern novice gardeners. Vegetables are sown into the soil in several stages. The interval should be equal to 2 weeks. This will allow you to have a guarantee that the squash crops will definitely sprout.

How to prepare planting material

Planting zucchini in the country is very simple. First you need to prepare planting material. The easiest way is if it is seeds. They thrive in warm soil. To do this, the soil must have time to warm up under the sun. But you can speed up the process yourself.

Using several methods, you can prepare the seeds for planting:

• Prepare water with a temperature of 50 degrees. Seeds fall into it for half a day. After that, the seed is dipped in cold water for a couple of minutes. This method will allow you to harden the vegetable crop.
• You can lower the planting material into a growth stimulator solution. 24 hours will be enough. Then the seed is washed, dried and planted in the ground.
• There is another option for processing squash seeds - the composition of nitrophoska. Planting material is lowered into it all night. Do not worry if the seeds are swollen, it should be.
• And the last, most popular way is to keep the seeds in wet gauze. The extra moisture will allow the seed to germinate faster.

zucchini seeds

How to choose the right seat

Heat and light are what zucchini love. Where is the best place to plant them? When choosing a place in the garden, it is worth considering the degree of illumination of the site.

• The hole for planting seeds should be well lit. There should not be drafts.
• Regardless of which type of squash crop you want to plant, any of them will grow well on a slope from the south or southwest side.
• The light function should be bright, because due to insufficient light, the fruits will ripen longer.

Important! Zucchini cannot be planted in the place where cultures belonging to the Pumpkin family (pumpkin, cucumber, melon, watermelon and squash crops) used to grow. It is important to take a break for at least 3 years.

For sowing zucchini, the soil must be quite nutritious. What should be the care of zucchini in the open field and watering:

• It is best to cultivate the soil for planting crops in the autumn. To the depth of the bayonet, the shovels dig up the place planned for landing. They bring in food. If the soil is acidic, add lime.
• You can also lay polycarbonate in the spring.
• If the land is peat, you should put 2 kilograms of humus or compost, a small spoonful of potassium sulfate, superphosphate and 2 large spoons of wood ash per square meter of land. Further, the earth is well leveled and watered with the composition of mineral fertilizers.
• In the chernozem soil for bush vegetables, they are prepared as follows: add 2 kg of sawdust, 2 tbsp. l. ash and 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate.
• Loamy soils are diluted with humus or peat.

Soil preparation

How to plant a crop

There is no fixed time for planting vegetables. Experienced agricultural technicians do this by eye, while inexperienced ones are guided by the temperature outside. If the thermometer is at 15 degrees, you can safely proceed to planting seeds. Usually this time comes at the beginning or middle of May.

Zucchini is very easy to plant under a chopper. A hole is made, a few seeds are placed and raked in the ground, lightly tamping. It is advisable to leave a gap between rows - 70 cm, and between bushes - 50 cm. Many gardeners use the old method. They simply rake a hole and plant 4-5 seeds there at a distance of 30 cm.

How to grow seedlings at home

Zucchini, which were planted with seedlings, begin to yield earlier.

• To harvest an early harvest, sowing seedlings should be carried out as early as April.
• If you need to get the fruits later to cork, then it is better to plant them at the end of May.

You can prepare the substrate yourself at home: take 5 parts of peat, 2 parts of soddy land and the same amount of humus, 1 part of sawdust. In the same composition, you need to add any fertilizer. It could be:

• superphosphate;
• potassium sulfide;
• urea;
• ammonium nitrate.

To grow seedlings at home, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. It is best to sow planting material in separate peat pots. This will allow you to easily transplant seedlings into the soil.
2. Warm water is poured into the container (the earth in the pot should be half filled). Seeds deepen a couple of cm.
3. The seed is laid out evenly, the hatched sprout should “look” down.
4. From above the pots are covered with a film. The temperature in the room should fluctuate within the normal range (18-22 degrees).
5. With the advent of seedlings, the temperature can be reduced by a couple of degrees. Coolness will slow down the growth of seedlings a little.
6. Make sure the lighting is bright.
7. There should be no dry places in the place of seed germination. Watering is carried out regularly.

2 weeks after germination, the plant can be fed. For 1 liter of water there are 5 g of superphosphate, 2 g of urea, mullein 1:10 and a growth stimulator. After 30 days, seedlings can be transplanted into open ground.

Superphosphate

planting seedlings

1. Holes are made and each is spilled with water.
2. Together with a peat pot, the plant is transplanted into the soil.
3. Deepens to the cotyledons.
4. The soil around the stems should be lightly pressed.
5. Under the spine you need to water the plant.

zucchini care

As soon as 4 leaves appear, the bushes will need to be hilled. This will give the plant and root system a fortress. It is necessary to regularly remove weeds and loosen the soil, which will allow the plant to receive air and moisture.

Watering should be carried out regularly. In the hot period - every other day, in cool weather - 2 times a week. In any case, the water should be warm. It should be applied under the spine before flowering. Each bush takes up to 5 liters of water. More during the flowering period.

You need to feed the plant during the period of budding and ovary. At the initial stage, nitrogen fertilizers are applied, and then they are replaced with potassium and phosphorus. Alternatively, mullein and bird droppings are allowed.

zucchini care

Diseases and pests of zucchini

In greenhouses and greenhouses, zucchini may encounter a well-known pest - a spider mite. Most often, this harmful insect is located in the lower part of the plant and braids them with cobwebs. Pale dots appear on the lower leaves. A little later, the color changes to marble, turns yellow and dries. Pests feed, which causes the flowers and ovaries to fall off, and therefore the yield decreases.

At home, you can overcome the spider mite. Take 10 liters of water and 250 ml of onion gruel (onions are passed through a meat grinder). To the resulting mass add 1 tbsp. teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tbsp. spoons of wood ash and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of liquid soap. The composition is well mixed, filtered and sprayed on the plants 2 times a week.

Also often in gardens, on squash beds you can see aphids. As a result, the leaves curl and the flowers fall off. Farmers regularly treat crops with karbofos. Strongly yellowed lashes and leaves are burned. Pollination is carried out with gray ground (300 g per 100 m).

Harvest can be obtained as early as 3 weeks after flowering. Early fruits allow you to get vitamins at the beginning of the summer season. Zucchini has a wide range of uses, which is why it attracts gardeners.