Vegetable that does not require special care, but like a lot. Especially prized nutritionists - it is low-calorie and very useful. He was brought to our region from northern Mexico, where only seeds were eaten. He came to Europe at the beginning of the 16th century and was originally grown in botanical gardens.
Only in the 18th century Italians began to use its unripe fruits for food. Since then, he slowly and won popularity. Today zucchini is already used in food by many. But in order to feast on this tasty and healthy vegetable it is necessary to grow it.
How to choose zucchini seeds for planting?
Squash is a plant of the pumpkin family. Its fruits are oblong in shape and in different shades - from almost black to pure white. Today, two varieties of this plant are known - these are the usual zucchini and zucchini. They belong to the same species, but not quite similar to each other in physical properties. Zucchini have a greater number of female flowers and due to this remarkable yield.
They have - tender and juicy flesh, and the skin does not coarsen for a long time, compared to ordinary varieties of zucchini. 
However, back to the choice of seeds for planting. There are many varieties of this useful vegetable. Choose them should be depending on what the crop and when you plan to get. It is optimal to have several bushes of different varieties, in this case, you will be provided with zucchini from June to October. What to look for when choosing a seed? If you buy them in the store, then the manufacturer. It is better to purchase seeds from those firms with products that you already know. Many prefer to grow vegetables for seed. There are some nuances.
There are many hybrids that are not suitable for the production of seeds. Therefore, if you decide to get your own, then know that they can be successful only if it was not a hybrid plant. The seeds of zucchini are very well stored and do not lose their germination up to 8 years. And even after the expiration date can normally go up.
Gardener on the note - Pumpkin: planting and care.
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Gardener on the note - Pumpkin: planting and care.Planting - seeds or seedlings?
Squashes are a rather thermophilic plant and do not withstand the slightest frost, so it is best to grow them by seedling. This requires peat pots and specialized soil. But if you do not want to spend extra money, then the soil can be prepared by yourself. It is necessary to mix compost, peat and garden soil in the same proportions.
Then the prepared soil is moistened, and one seed is laid out in each of the pots, immersing them in the ground to a depth of 2-3 cm. Growing seedlings requires a certain temperature regime - from 10 to 22 degrees and good illumination.
With a lack of light, the plants will be pulled out and get thinned out. After the emergence of sprouts, if necessary, they are watered with water at room temperature. During the cultivation of seedlings it must be fed. It is best for such purposes to use complex fertilizers Kemira or Agricola, designed for pumpkin crops.
In this case, you do not have to measure the dose for each element and add them separately. In the first days of the plant must be treated with one of the growth stimulants. It will not allow the seedlings to stretch out and make it strong and resistant to diseases.
We plant squash in open ground
Zucchini prefer light nutritious land and do not tolerate stagnant moisture. Therefore, clay soils are not suitable for them. Moreover, the preparation of beds for planting should be carried out in the autumn, removing the previous crops. They dig it up for the winter, and level it in the spring with a rake, making compost and mineral fertilizers. 
Terms of planting in an open ground for seedling zucchini is 30-35 days. Moreover, if the temperature is still not high enough, it is recommended to cover it with a film before the onset of heat.
Usually in the spring afternoon it is already quite warm, and at night there are still frosts. Therefore, the seedlings that are under the film must be opened in the morning and carefully closed in the evening. When landing zucchini use planting scheme 70-70 cm.
It is better to do this in the evening, so they will have more time for rooting. You can perform this procedure during the day, but only in cloudy weather, so that they are not burned by the sun's rays. Seedlings grown in peat pots are planted with them, while ensuring that they are tightly compressed from all sides of the earth and lowered by 2-3 cm below the soil level. Recommended before planting the introduction in the hole of organo-mineral substances. This may be humus or compost in combination with mineral fertilizers. This mixture is added to half a bucket under one plant.
It is usually produced from the first decade of May to mid-June. A bed for sowing is prepared in the same way as for seedlings. For faster germination, it is recommended to pre-soak the seeds in a solution of mineral substances or ordinary wood ash.
They are kept in it for 3 days, and then, having rinsed with water, left in a humid environment for another 3 days and only then they are planted in the ground. In each well, it is recommended to sow a pair of seeds at a distance from each other.
With the germination of several, leave a stronger plant, and the rest are removed. After sowing, the bed is covered with a film before germination.
However, at low temperatures, shelter is left until June. If you need zucchini for long-term winter storage, then the best time to plant from 1 to 10 June.
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Learn how to feed cucumbers in a greenhouse.Zucchini Care
With proper cultivation, you will get strong plants and a great harvest. What is required for this? Care for courgettes is quite simple and consists in:
- weeding,
- watering
- top dressing.
Each of the steps must be performed on time. Weeding as weeds grow. Today, there is a great way to avoid this difficult job - it is mulching the soil around the plant. Mulch can be any plant material, straw, grass, sawdust and much more. Its layer on the garden will not only save you from weeding, but also retain moisture in the soil, which means that watering will be required significantly less.
This is a wonderful tool and from overheating the earth, the mulch will not allow the sun's rays to heat up the ground strongly, and thus create good conditions for development and growth for zucchini. When growing them without mulching the soil, it is recommended to spud the plants - this will help them to form additional roots and will have a beneficial effect on growth.
But it is better to use the soil taken from another bed for this, so as not to damage the roots of the plant.
Watering zucchini should be regularly, it is better to do rainwater, which warmed up in the sun. Watering is done 1 time in 10 days, 8-10 liters per square meter of land. This is usually done in the evening or early in the morning.
The second is carried out during flowering with the same composition of substances, only this amount is distributed to 5 plants. Good results gives dressing diluted infusion of chicken manure. When growing do not forget about pollination.
To improve it, it is necessary to periodically push the leaves apart, giving access to flowers for insects. To attract more of them you can spray the plant with water and honey. If you grow zucchini in greenhouses or under the film, then we must not forget about airing.
These plants do not tolerate high humidity, and with its excess fruits will rot, disease may occur. The period from flowering to the formation of the fruit in the zucchini is about 20 days. The crop is usually harvested when the fruits reach a length of 10 cm. At this stage, they have not yet had time to harden and are easily cut with a knife. Plant growth occurs very quickly with warm weather and good care. One bush for the entire period can form up to 20 fruits.
It is necessary to collect the zucchini every other day, not allowing them to grow. With irregular removal, the formation of new ovaries slows down and the fruit taste deteriorates. If you grow zucchini for seed, then in this case it is left on the plant until the skin becomes rough. Check maturity by lightly pressing the nail, if the skin is not pierced, then the fruit is already mature. Having reached physical maturity, zucchini can be stored for a long time in dry and ventilated basements.
The benefits of zucchini
Today it is scientifically proven that these vegetables contain a lot of potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, organic acids and protein, and besides, they are low in calories. Therefore, they are recommended to use by those people who have decided to lose weight. Growing up and using this vegetable for food, you not only get a charge of vitamins, but also tasty and healthy dishes that can be prepared from them.
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Find out the first signs of pests of fruit trees.Even traditional medicine has found the use of some of them. For example, it is believed that squash caviar is useful for urolithiasis and metabolic disorders. Juice and flower decoction is recommended as a sedative. That such a wonderful vegetable can be grown on your own site.
