Zucchini: It's Easy Growing

Zucchini, as big and daunting as the plants may seem, is the perfect summer veggie for beginner gardeners! They take off so easily on their own, anyone can grow them! They thrive in our climate and produce endlessly through summer and even into fall. Zucchini are so productive in fact that they've become the running joke of the gardening world! You may become the gardening neighbor who sneaks extra zucchini onto local doorsteps or mailboxes!

Types

Zucchini belong to the summer squash family. While most people imagine the long dark green variety, there are actually plenty options to choose from! Summer squash can be found in an array of colors and shapes, from classic greens to colorful stripes, yellows, 'crooknecks' and even round ball or disc shaped types! My dad used to joke that the round disc 'Patty-Pan' ones were UFO-shaped!

I've personally grown the green/gold zucchini called 'Zephyr', Mexican Grey Zucchini and a few striped varieties!

How to Plant

Zucchini are among the easiest plants to grow from seed, however since they're so productive you may prefer to buy just a couple plants from your local garden center rather than commit to the whole seed packet! However when buying seeds online the options are far more diverse whereas most garden centers typically will only stock basic greens and yellows.

Plant your starter plant or sow seed directly into the garden in Late April or May. Seeds will sprout up in 1-2 weeks! They do not require any support structure, although some folks do enjoy growing them upright on a stake or tomato cage.

Harvest

Harvest when the zucchini are still small and tender, under 12 inches in length. Check them daily! You'll be surprised how fast they grow! If you leave on vacation for the weekend you may miss the harvest window and return to a large tough and seedy vegetable! When this happens to us we cut it down the middle and give it to our chickens. They're still very edible but are tougher and less flavorful. Folks also like to use the big ones for baking with, scoop out the seeds and make a filling for the 'boat'!

For harvesting the blossoms, pick early in the morning when the flowers petals are closed and look for the male flowers, these are the ones that have long stems and don't have a baby zucchini at the base of the flower.

Pests/Disease

In our area pests and diseases don't pose a huge risk but as fall fogs roll in you may see powdery mildew - at this point of the year there's not many more vegetables to harvest and so my method is to simply call it the end of zucchini time and remove the plant but you could use a neem oil to keep the mildew at bay longer for a slightly prolonged harvest season.

Uses – Recipe ideas

Every year we find ourselves a little bit overrun with the bounty and I sneak them onto every dinner plate possible! My go-to is a quick pan fry with salt and pepper but there's also a plethora of great recipes online for all sort of sweet and savory applications! They grill up nicely, make for moist cakes, breads and even brownies! I recently shared on Instagram a recipe I tried for an apple-crisp style desert using zucchini and was blown away by the result!

What are you making with your zucchini this year?!