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Zucchini are not only delicious and versatile, but also very easy to care for. Zucchini can be preferred so that you can harvest the delicious summer vegetables even earlier. But when and how do you prefer the vegetables?
In a nutshell
- Zucchini very sensitive to cold
- Grow in a sunny spot from mid-April
- Plant the seeds two to three centimeters deep in the soil
- from mid-May relocation to the open air possible
Why prefer zucchini?
The zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L. var. giromontiina) belongs to the pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae) and can either be sown directly outdoors or brought forward. Since it is very sensitive to cold, it can only be sown outdoors after the end of the night frosts from around mid-May. If you prefer the plants indoors beforehand, you can already put out larger plants in May and collect harvest yields faster. Larger plants also have a better chance of surviving when attacked by snails.
Zucchini are extremely popular in the garden.
How to: prefer zucchini
Preferring zucchini is quite uncomplicated. You only need
- a flower pot of at least 8 cm with a drainage hole (the larger the pot, the faster the courgettes will grow)
- Flower, garden or growing soil, not too nutritious
- Zucchini Seeds
Tip: For the sake of the environment, use coconut pots. These can simply be planted after they have been pulled out. Old yoghurt pots or egg cartons are also suitable as flower pots.
The ideal place for growing zucchini is quickly found. Just place the pot indoors on a sunny windowsill or prefer the seeds in a heated greenhouse. Start pre-breeding around mid-April and proceed as follows:
- Fill the pot halfway with soil
- Put seeds in and cover with two to three centimeters of soil
- Germination temperature initially 20 to 22 degrees
- Seeds develop roots after about a week or two; with a cover they germinate faster
- if there are several seedlings in a pot, leave only the strongest; remove the others by hand
- After germination, fill the pot with soil
- Temperature after germination between 15 and 18 degrees
- Always keep seedlings moist with a spray bottle
Place the small zucchini plants in a sunny spot.
Tip: Occasionally place larger plants outside for a few hours to acclimate them to the variable outdoor conditions.
Plant out early zucchini
You can then move the zucchini plants that you have brought forward to outdoors after the ice saints from around mid-May. Then, as a rule, there is no longer any threat of night frosts that destroy the work. Ideally, the four-week-old seedlings have now developed two true leaves. Carefully remove the plants from the pot and place them in the intended place. However, pay attention to the following points when planting
- Distance of 100 x 100 or 120 x 80 centimeters
- At least two zucchini plants in a bed are required for cross-pollination
- Do not place young plants next to old ones to avoid diseases such as powdery mildew
- no waterlogging
- sunny to partially shaded and warm location
Plant courgettes far enough away from other plants.
You can then harvest the first zucchini about six to eight weeks after planting the seedlings.
Tip: You can also grow small and early zucchini varieties on the balcony. Just make sure that the flower pot is large enough and water the plants regularly.
frequently asked Questions
Can I prepare zucchini in March?In principle, yes, but that is not very advisable. The seeds are also dependent on the sun's rays when they are preferred. If they don't touch your window sill, only long, weak seedlings will develop. In addition, you will then have to leave the plants indoors longer, as you should not move them outside until mid-May.
Can I also water the zucchini with a watering can when pre-jumping?This is rather not recommended. Watering cans do not distribute the water so well and the substrate sometimes gets too wet. Under these circumstances, the seedlings begin to mold.
Should zucchini plants be pricked out?No. Zucchini are very sensitive to late transplanting and should therefore not be transplanted. However, if you only planted one seed in a pot from the start or removed other seedlings early on, pricking out is not necessary at all.