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Relatively recently - 25-30 years ago, only the white-fruited variety of squash was grown in domestic gardens and vegetable gardens. But now they have been seriously supplanted by another - zucchini. This vegetable also belongs to the pumpkin family, it is a zucchini, but somewhat improved, first of all, by Italian breeders, and later by scientists and gardeners in those countries where it was actively grown. Zucchini is rapidly gaining popularity due to its original properties and qualities. Among them there are extremely useful and remarkable ones, most of which will be discussed in detail below.
Zucchini squash - description and properties
Zucchini squash is a variety of ordinary pumpkin, has a bushy structure and relatively large cylindrical fruits, usually green or various shades of green. Zucchini squash is an annual plant, quite unpretentious when grown, however, a little more demanding than ordinary zucchini.
The name of the vegetable comes from the Italian "zucchini", which loosely translated literally means "small or small pumpkin".Zucchini received its properties precisely in Italy, although it originally came, like all zucchini, from Central America, and specifically from Mexico.
Zucchini squash has many of the same properties as traditional zucchini, but it also has distinct differences that make it an “improved” version of zucchini:
- a more compact plant form that takes up less space in the garden or vegetable garden;
- a more delicate taste, allowing the fruits to be consumed even raw without heat treatment, which is impossible in the case of zucchini;
- as a rule, the bright color of the fruits ranges from a distinct dark green to golden, as well as variants with striped coloring;
- earlier, in comparison with ordinary zucchini, fruiting dates and significantly higher yield (2-4 times);
- low calorie content and high taste of zucchini fruits, making them one of the essential components of many different diets.
Differences white zucchini and zucchini squash, the above examples are far from exhaustive, but a general conclusion can be drawn now: zucchini squash is one of the most attractive varieties of this vegetable, their rapid spread and growing popularity among domestic gardeners is by no means accidental.
Features of growing zucchini
Zucchini squash is a little more demanding than regular squash. For their cultivation it is necessary to select the following areas:
- well lit or with diffused sunlight;
- with loose sandy loam soil, which has a normal acidity level (such soils are preferable for all pumpkin soils).
Soil preparation and planting
When preparing the soil and planting, the following important agrotechnical points should be taken into account:
- It is better to start preparing the soil for zucchini in the fall by digging up the area planned for spring planting with the addition of organic (rotted manure) and mineral (superphosphate) fertilizers. If necessary, wood ash is added to reduce the acidity of the soil;
- Zucchini squash is usually planted after its predecessors, the best of which are legumes, nightshades (primarily tomatoes) and cabbage. Planting after pumpkin plants is not recommended to avoid various diseases;
- before planting, the soil is dug up again, additional fertilizers can be applied and the soil can be disinfected (ammonium nitrate and potassium permanganate solution, respectively);
- zucchini seeds are planted directly into the ground, even in central Russia. Existing varieties have enough time to ripen. Planting takes place in mid-May. It is possible to plant film coverings in closed conditions;
The process of planting seeds is as follows:
- a hole is dug in which a small amount of soil, wood ash and humus are mixed;
- pre-treated hatched seeds (two or three) are placed in the prepared hole. After germination, weak shoots are removed, leaving only one, the strongest and most developed. This is necessary because the vegetable needs sufficient space;
- for the same reason, the next hole is made at a distance of at least 0.5 m;
- seed planting depth – approximately 7 cm, in heavy and dense soils – 4 cm;
- After leveling the soil, mulching is performed.
In the case of using the seedling method, 25-30-day-old seedlings are used for planting.In this case, cups are used to protect the roots as much as possible for optimal rooting of sprouts. In this case, planting is carried out at the end of May - the first ten days of June;
Most gardeners prefer to plant zucchini squash on raised beds, which allows them to receive more heat and accelerates development processes.
Caring for zucchini squash
Despite the fact that zucchini is more demanding on growing conditions than ordinary zucchini, caring for them is quite simple and not burdensome.
It mainly consists of weeding, slight loosening of the soil and watering of the plant, which is carried out primarily during flowering and during fruit formation.
Also at this time, it is quite possible to fertilize with a small amount of liquid mineral fertilizers (phosphorus-potassium), and a little earlier - before flowering - add liquid mullein. This is not a mandatory step, but will slightly increase the yield of the vegetable.
One of the ways to grow pumpkin crops, in particular zucchini, is shown in the video:
Collection and storage of fruits
There are several stages of maturity of the fruits of the vegetable in question.
If consumed fresh, the fruits are picked approximately when they reach a weight of no more than 0.5 kg at the stage of “milk” maturity. The next stage - technical maturity - occurs when the fruits are ripe, but the seeds are not fully ripened. In this case, zucchini is suitable for culinary processing, as well as further storage.
If you need to get seeds, the fruit must be fully ripe. This usually happens when the vines turn yellow and the stem dries out.
The best varieties
A variety of varieties of zucchini squash are suitable for growing in domestic conditions.
Aeronaut
Like most of its relatives, it has a compact bush structure with a small number of developing lashes. Aeronaut is an early ripening variety and can be grown in any type of soil, both closed and open. A fairly productive (7 kg/sq. m) variety, it is universal, as it is suitable for food in any form. The fruits have a characteristic dark green color, sometimes they have a pattern in the form of small light green dots. The size of the fruit is quite large, it can reach a weight of 1.3 kg. The variety is rightfully considered one of the most popular in Russia, which is achieved by a combination of taste characteristics, yield and unpretentiousness during cultivation.
Tsukesha
In addition to its remarkable and funny name, the variety has several undoubted advantages. These include:
- high yield (12 kg per bush);
- versatility (can be consumed fresh, after heat treatment, suitable for pickling and canning);
- the ability to retain taste and not become rough if overgrown (convenient for gardeners who visit the site only on weekends);
- ability for long-term storage.
In addition, Tsukesha is an early-ripening variety, adapted for cultivation in open ground, but can also be grown indoors; the fruit weight rarely exceeds 1 kg.
Zebra
Thanks to its extremely original fruit colors, the Zebra variety is one of the most famous among gardeners. But the advantages of the variety are far from being limited to color. It is quite productive (9 kg/sq. m), early ripening (the first harvest is already after 38 days), has fruits of a classic cylindrical shape, with a slightly ribbed surface structure.The fruits themselves rarely exceed 0.6-0.7 kg in weight and are remembered by everyone, of course, for the characteristic pattern inherent in this variety, which consists of alternating stripes of dark and light green.
Sir
The zucchini variety has gained popularity due to its high yield. In addition, it is an early ripening plant (harvest on the 35th day), has a compact bush structure, as well as a small fruit size, which rarely exceeds a weight of 0.6-0.7 kg. The variety has an original color and ribbed surface structure of the fruit.
Golden
The name of the variety perfectly reflects its main external feature - a wonderful, pronounced golden color. It is an early ripening variety, has fruits of a regular oval shape, relatively small in size. It is a high-yielding variety; usually the bush bears up to 15 fruits, the average weight of which is approximately 0.5 kg. Individual fruits grow up to 1 kg or more. Can be grown both indoors and outdoors.
Conclusion
The best varieties of zucchini will not only allow you to get an excellent harvest, but also achieve this without excessive effort and time. The many different dishes prepared will be a worthy reward for gardeners who decide to grow such a remarkable and original vegetable.
Zucchini for Siberia.