Content
It is necessary to water zucchini in open ground in accordance with certain rules. In this case, the crop will not suffer from drought or excess moisture.
Watering rules
Watering zucchini after planting in open ground is carried out in accordance with certain recommendations. The general rules are as follows:
- Watering is carried out only in the early morning or in the evening. Do not moisten the crop in the middle of the day. This can cause burns on the leaves and overheating of the roots.
- The soil is shed approximately 40 cm deep. If the moisture is superficial, the zucchini will suffer from a lack of water. But overwatering causes the roots to begin to rot.
- When growing zucchini on sandy and sandy loam soils, moistening is carried out a little more often.If the soil is clayey, watering should be done less often, since water evaporates from the ground much more slowly.
- Moisture should flow directly under the root of the zucchini. You need to make sure that it does not get on the stems and leaves.
After watering, it is recommended to mulch the zucchini with chopped straw or sawdust. This will slow down the evaporation of water from the soil and also prevent the active growth of weeds. The thickness of the mulch layer should be about 7 cm.
What should the water be like?
Water the zucchini only with slightly lukewarm water at a temperature of about 20 °C. It is recommended to place a watering can or large barrel in the sun beforehand so that the liquid warms up slightly.
Particular attention should be paid to the composition of the water. Watering is carried out with a soft liquid without a large amount of hard impurities. Tap water must be left to stand for several days before use so that the salts precipitate at the bottom of the container.
It is not advisable to water zucchini with water from a river or lake - it may contain harmful microorganisms
How to properly water zucchini in open ground
The rules for watering zucchini in open ground after planting depend on the stage of the growing season. The crop's need for moisture changes at different stages of development.
How to water zucchini in open ground during flowering
During flowering, zucchini needs liquid more than at other stages. Therefore, they are usually moistened once every 3-4 days, adding 8-10 liters of water under each bush.
Proper watering of zucchini in open ground during flowering helps to avoid the leaves drying out and dying. The culture fully forms the ovaries, the fruits develop quickly and do not die in the first stages.
Watering zucchini must be carried out taking into account weather conditions.If it rains constantly during the flowering period of the crop, additional moisture should be abandoned. Otherwise, excess water will lead to the development of swampy soil.
How to water zucchini in open ground during fruiting
Watering zucchini in open ground during fruiting is carried out in accordance with weather conditions. On clear, warm days with little precipitation, moisturizing is performed 1-2 times a week. With frequent rains, the intensity is reduced so that the zucchini does not become watery and begin to rot.
When watering, you need to focus on the condition of the soil. If the top layer of soil is almost dry, it is worth moistening the beds once again. If the soil can still be squeezed into a tight lump in your hand, it is better to postpone watering.
How to water zucchini in open ground in the heat
Vegetable crops do not suffer from short droughts, but during a long absence of precipitation they require additional moisture. Watering zucchini in open ground in hot weather is carried out at least twice a week. During active flowering and fruit formation, each bush consumes 8-10 liters of water; young plants only need 2-3 liters.
Lack of moisture in the heat causes ripening fruits to lose their juiciness and become smaller in size.
How to water zucchini in open ground after planting
Watering zucchini in open ground after germination should be regular but moderate. It is necessary to constantly keep the substrate slightly moist. At the same time, young plants cannot be flooded - their need for water is not too high. On average, only 1.5 liters of liquid are consumed per bush. Watering is carried out once every 5-6 days.
When planting a crop in open ground with seeds, the soil must be moistened abundantly even before sowing the material. After this, you usually don’t need to water the zucchini until it sprouts. If we are talking about transplanting bushes obtained at home into open ground, the bed is also prepared in advance. The seedlings are moved into wet soil and watered again after 5-7 days.
How to properly water zucchini seedlings at home
When growing crops through seedlings, the main attention should be paid to moisture. After the seedlings have formed in containers, it is necessary to water the zucchini at least once a week. Moistening is carried out exactly at the root, along the perimeter of the container or using a spray bottle - this allows you to avoid eroding the soil.
Watering zucchini seedlings on the windowsill daily or every other day is strictly prohibited. It is necessary to control the condition of the soil and prevent it from becoming swampy. In conditions of excess humidity, seedlings suffer from blackleg and other fungal diseases, slow down their development and eventually die.
Excessive watering leads to the fact that zucchini seedlings lose their tone, the leaves become watery and pale
Features of irrigation in a greenhouse
How often to water zucchini in a greenhouse depends on the humidity level. In a greenhouse, water from the soil evaporates more slowly, so it is necessary to evaluate the actual condition of the soil. On average, watering is done once a week, in very hot weather - a little more often, every 4-5 days. Up to 12 liters of water are consumed per plant; the soil must be loosened after the procedure.
In order for the zucchini in the greenhouse to feel good and not suffer from waterlogging, it is necessary to ventilate them daily. The greenhouse is opened for 20-30 minutes in the evenings.
Watering methods
When growing zucchini, watering can be done using several methods. Which one to choose depends on personal convenience and the scale of planting.
Manual
If the zucchini on the site occupy a couple of small beds, it is most convenient to water it manually. You can use a watering can with or without a nozzle. In any case, water should flow directly under the root, so it is better not to use wide tips.
Hose Irrigation
If the beds on the site are quite large, but the zucchini as a whole occupy a modest area, you can water them using a hose. A spray nozzle is put on it, the other end is lowered into a barrel or clean pond. It is not advisable to connect the hose directly to the water supply, as the water will be too hard.
It is recommended to use a small sprayer. Do not bring the hose close to the zucchini, otherwise the soil will be washed away.
Irrigation of zucchini from a hose is carried out after sunset or in the morning no later than 8-9 hours
Drip
If the zucchini on the site occupy a significant area, it is convenient to organize drip irrigation for them. The essence of the method is that a system consisting of thin hoses or plastic tubes is installed along the perimeter of the plantings and between the beds. Small holes are made in them, through which water seeps directly to the roots and does not fall on the stems and leaves.
In this case, hydration is moderate but continuous. The soil does not become waterlogged, but does not dry out in hot weather.The system requires minimal control and becomes especially convenient if the gardener cannot be present at the dacha all the time.
Dosed
Dosed watering is usually called drip irrigation for zucchini from plastic bottles. In this case, containers of 2-5 liters in volume are placed next to the bushes and several narrow holes are pierced in the lower part, immersed in the ground.
Controlling the dosed watering system is very simple - you need to regularly add fresh portions of warm, settled water to the bottles. When using this method, it is necessary to take into account that the moisture will be very moderate. In extreme heat and drought, as well as during the period of flowering and fruiting of zucchini, you will have to resort to additional watering methods, otherwise the bushes will suffer from a lack of water.
When organizing dosed watering, bottles must be buried approximately 15 cm into the soil
Sprinkling
When growing zucchini, farms use the sprinkling method for irrigation. The idea is that several hoses with sprayers are placed on the territory and connected to the central water supply or other sources. Water under strong pressure passes through the system and disperses over the beds in the form of a kind of fog consisting of small drops.
The advantage of sprinkling is that the design is as automated as possible. The gardener only needs to turn on the system in the evenings for 20-30 minutes, and then turn off the water supply again. The disadvantage of this method is that it consumes quite a lot of moisture, especially during periods of severe drought.
Wick
With a small planting area, watering zucchini is often done using the wick method. The humidification system is organized as follows:
- Place containers around the perimeter and between the beds - plastic bottles, large jars or buckets.
- Fill containers with soft, settled water.
- Twist fairly long strands or wicks from thick fabric.
- Dig them in at 15-20 cm at the roots of the zucchini.
- Dip the free ends into a container of water.
- If necessary, tie weights to the bundles so that they do not slip out of the containers.
Homemade wicks will be completely saturated with moisture and will release it to the ground until the water in the container runs out. When using this method, you will need to add liquid to the containers from time to time. Most likely, to moisten the zucchini, you will need to place several bundles next to the bushes at once, otherwise watering will be too scarce.
With wick irrigation, water in containers in the garden beds naturally warms up to a warm temperature throughout the day.
Common mistakes
Although watering zucchini seems like a simple procedure, inexperienced gardeners often make serious mistakes:
- Untimely hydration. Vegetable bushes in the beds should not be watered during the daytime or in the morning after 8-9 o’clock. In this case, either the roots of the crop will overheat, or the moisture will simply evaporate in the sun without being completely absorbed into the ground.
- Using cold water. In this case, a sharp temperature change poses a danger to zucchini. In hot weather, it causes severe damage to the roots, the peripheral feeding shoots are injured and die. In addition, cold water is less absorbed into the ground, causing moisture deficiency.
- No loosening. After each watering, the soil at the roots of the zucchini must be carefully turned. Otherwise, a hard crust will form on the soil surface.It will worsen the access of water and oxygen to the roots, which will slow down the development of the crop.
- Inaccurate watering. When moistening zucchini, you need to direct the stream or drops of water under the root, and not at the leaves and stems. Otherwise, burns may appear on the green parts of the bushes in sunny weather.
When necessary, zucchini are weeded when grown in the ground. With regular moisture, weeds appear in the beds, robbing the vegetable bushes of nutrients.
Excessive watering and waterlogging of the soil provoke rot of the roots of zucchini and the tips of ripening fruits
Conclusion
It is necessary to water zucchini in open ground regularly, but in moderation. Vegetable crops react poorly to both drought and excess moisture. For irrigation, you can use only lukewarm and soft water.
