Zucchini takes about 7-14 days to germinate and is ready to harvest in about 45 to 55 days.

  • Use a 7 gallon container or larger to grow zucchini inside. Zucchini grow in about 60 days.

  • Plant four or five squash seeds 2 to 3 inches deep near the center of the container.

  • Place the container where it gets at least five to seven hours of bright sunlight per day.

  • Water lightly when the soil feels slightly dry to the touch.

  • As the plant grows, water at the base of the plant.

  • Thin to a single healthy seedling when the plants are a few inches tall and have at least two healthy leaves.

  • Zucchini is self fertile (male and female blooms on the same plant). When growing inside, you will have to help the plant pollinate. To pollinate you will need to pick an open male flower (one with a longer stem and no swelling at the base of the bloom). Rub the bloom against the stigma in the center of the female flower (one with a tiny immature fruit just behind the bloom).

  • To harvest cut the fruits from the vines with a pair of pruners or a sharp knife.

Companion Plants:

  • Beans

  • Borage

  • Dill

  • Garlic

  • Marigolds

  • Nasturtiums

  • Oregano

Zucchini does not grow well next to cucumbers, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash and melons.

How do I fertilize my Zucchini?

The first step in growing and fertilizing any type of vegetable in your garden is to feed your soil. Healthy soil produces healthy plants. A rich soil will be full of organic matter, nutrients, beneficial microorganisms, and earthworms. It will also drain well. There are two important times to fertilize your zucchini. The first is in advance, as you prepare your soil, just before sowing the seeds. The next time you should add fertilizer is when you start to see blooms. It takes quite a bit of energy to grow a vibrant, bushy plant, and then it requires more to produce the fruit.

Organic fertilizers can be found in your local store or you can use soil from your compost pile. Make sure the fertilizer contains all three of the primary macronutrients. Manure needs to be aged before being added to the garden. If it’s fresh, it will be too high in nitrogen, ammonium, and salts, and these will burn your plants. Make sure it has aged in a compost pile for at least three to four months before applying to your garden. Similarly, fresh green leaves, grass clippings, and veggie scraps should not be added directly to your garden when you’re actively growing vegetables. It takes energy to break these materials down, which will temporarily rob your zucchini plants of the energy and nutrients they need. Adding composted, broken-down organic material to your garden, however, will yield great results.

What bugs attack Zucchini and what gets rid of them?

  • The soft-bodied adults put their needle-like mouths into plant tissue and suck the plant’s juices. While they are taking nutrients from the plant, these pests also insert toxins that affect the plant’s growth.

    Aphids can be controlled with an insecticidal soap. Always spray plants in the early evening to reduce the chance of damage. Pay special attention to the lower leaf because that is where they usually are located.

  • Since they’re so small, they hide, feed, and breed without human intervention. These mites have piercing mouthparts which they use to poke holes in the leaves of your plant.

    Spider mites can be controlled using some rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab.

    You can dip the cotton swab into the alcohol and then swab your plant. This will instantly kill any mites it touches.

    Soapy water also works wonders. Just dilute some drops of dish soap into a quart of water.

  • They are the larvae (in caterpillar form) of night-flying moths. While the moths themselves do no harm to crops, the larvae, called cutworms, destroy young plants by eating the stems at or near ground level.

    If you are wondering how to get rid of cutworms, start with nontoxic methods like plucking out and crushing the larvae or plunging them into soapy water. And when you remove plant detritus and destroy it, you will also remove and destroy any cutworm eggs laid there.

How do you store Zucchini?

Zucchini lasts longest when stored in the refrigerator. The key is preventing it from having any extra moisture, so don't wash it before storing and keep it in the crisper drawer away from produce with a high water content. An extra step is to pat your zucchini with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture, then place it in a ventilated plastic bag, also stored in the crisper drawer. Properly stored zucchini stays good in the fridge for about five to seven days. Zucchini can actually be successfully frozen. If you think you won't use your zucchini within a week of buying it, sticking it in the freezer is an easy way to make it last much longer.

Interesting facts:

  • April 25th is National Zucchini Bread Day.

  • The flower of the zucchini plant is edible. Fried squash blossoms are considered a delicacy.

  • A zucchini has more potassium than a banana.

  • Biggest is NOT best. The most flavorful zucchinis are small- to medium-sized and the darker the skin, the richer the nutrients.

  • Zucchini is the only fruit that starts with Z.