The gardener does not grow zucchini on his dacha plot for only two reasons: either he does not like the taste of this vegetable, or he, in general, does not grow anything on his plot. In all other cases, zucchini simply needs to be grown in a summer cottage. This vegetable not only has a huge number of useful properties, but also does not require special attention. There are quite a few varieties of zucchini, but we will tell you about Orange zucchini.
Characteristics of the variety
Zucchini Orange F1 belongs to the early ripening hybrid varieties.
The bushes of this variety of zucchini are quite compact and powerful. They produce many medium-sized ovaries. But it is not the early ripening and compact bushes that make this variety stand out from others.
Orange zucchini has become very popular due to the unusual shape of its fruits. Unlike the elongated zucchini that has become boring to us, Orange fruits have a round shape. In addition to this form, there is an unusual color of the fruit - bright orange. It is thanks to this combination of shape and color that this variety of zucchini got its name. But this is where the similarity of the fruits of this variety with oranges ends. After all, it is quite difficult to imagine an orange with a diameter of 15-17 centimeters.
Zucchini variety Orange has very tender and juicy pulp.It tastes slightly sweet with a pleasant aftertaste reminiscent of a nut. Due to its round shape and small size, Orange zucchini can be successfully used for stuffing, and the smallest zucchini can be canned whole.
This feature allows them to be used as an ingredient for all kinds of salads and cold appetizers.
Orange zucchini can be planted in unprotected beds, in greenhouses and shelter structures.
Recommendations for cultivation
There are two ways to plant Orange zucchini:
- Seeds directly to the garden bed - with this method, planting is carried out no earlier than the first half of May, when the threat of sudden frosts has passed.
- Seedling method - seeds should be planted for seedlings 25 - 30 days before planting in a permanent place.
You can learn how to plant zucchini seeds in open ground from the video:
At this temperature, Orange seeds will germinate in 6-7 days. At temperatures below +10 degrees, seeds may not germinate at all or will germinate partially.
Like other zucchini, the Orange variety is particularly sensitive to the composition of the soil. It is recommended to plant it on fertile or medium loamy lands. Orange can also grow on other soils, but the harvest will be much poorer.
Despite the compact size of the bushes, seeds or seedlings of this variety should be planted according to a pattern of 80x70 centimeters. This distance will allow zucchini plants to evenly use soil resources.
Caring for seedlings and young plants of orange zucchini variety includes the following steps:
- Watering – only warm water heated in the sun is used for irrigation. Watering with cold water can cause the death of the zucchini root system. The bushes of this vegetable crop should be watered only at the root, avoiding water getting on the foliage and ovaries. The regularity of watering is determined quite simply - if the top layer of soil has dried to a depth of 1 centimeter, then the plants should be watered. You can reduce the frequency of watering by mulching the soil with straw.. This technique will help retain moisture in the soil and prevent it from drying out.
- Fertilizer – for the entire growth period, it is recommended to make 3 feedings: before flowering, during the flowering period and during the period of fruit formation. For feeding, you can use both mineral and organic fertilizers. In this case, all fertilizing is done only at the root and only after the main watering.
- Loosening and weeding – if weeding can be done once a month, then loosening the top layer of soil should be done after each watering. This will saturate the ground with air and prevent the formation of a crust on the ground.
Orange plants will respond to such simple care with a bountiful harvest, which will not only bring many benefits to the body, but will also decorate any table.
