Favorable days for planting zucchini in March 2024

Zucchini is a heat-loving crop sensitive to light and moisture deficits. In Russia, they are grown from seedlings. A lunar calendar will help you determine the exact time to sow seeds in March 2024. You should also consider the region, variety, and weather forecast for the near future. Detailed step-by-step instructions will show you what and how to do to ensure strong seedlings, well-established outdoor roots, and a bountiful harvest.

Advantages and disadvantages of March seedlings

Growing from seedlings extends the crop's growing season by 30-40 days. This reduces the risk of seedling damage from recurrent frosts. During the initial stage, the plants will be provided with an ideal temperature, light, and humidity regime. This heat-loving crop can be grown even in the northern regions of the country.

Weed control is easier—seedlings are planted in a dug-up, weed-free area. The downside is the risk of damaging the root system during transport. If you remove the plants with the root ball, the risk is virtually eliminated. For this purpose, seeds are sown in separate containers.

Planting days

When choosing a date, consider the region, variety, weather conditions, and the forecast for the coming weeks. If sown early, the plants will not be ready for transplanting—returning frosts or temperature fluctuations can damage the seedlings. If planted late, the zucchini will not have time to complete the growing season.

Lunar calendar

Astrologers recommend sowing zucchini seeds during the waxing moon. During the waning moon, you can water, remove weeds, and loosen the soil. During the Full Moon and New Moon, as well as the days before and after them, gardening should be postponed—the seeds will germinate poorly, and the seedlings will be vulnerable to disease and environmental stress.

Thus, the favorable days in March for our work are as follows:

• 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.

Unfavorable:

• 9, 10, 11, 24, 25, 26.

Neutral:

• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31.

Variety

To determine the exact planting date, check the information on the variety label. On average, zucchini seedlings take 30-35 days to grow. The growing season varies by variety and is:

• 40-50 days - for early species;
• 50-65 - for mid-season;
• over 65 days - for late ones.

In Russia, early and mid-season varieties are recommended for cultivation. Late-season varieties can be grown in the south of the country, where summers are longer than in other regions.

Region

The country's climatic conditions vary significantly within its regions:

1. In the temperate continental climate of central Russia (Moscow region, Volga region, etc.), seeds should be sown in mid-March and seedlings should be planted in a greenhouse from late April. Weather conditions in the region are variable and can vary from day to day. Therefore, there's no need to rush planting outdoors; it's best to wait until late May.
2. In the northwest (including the Leningrad region), the Urals, and Siberia, seeds are sown at the end of March, and seedlings are transplanted into open ground at the beginning of June, and into greenhouses a couple of weeks earlier.
3. In the south of the country, zucchini can be grown using both seedlings and direct-seeded methods. If warm weather sets in by the end of April, the seeds can be sown directly into the ground. The latest sowing date for seedlings is mid-March.

Growing tips

To ensure a good harvest, select regionally appropriate zucchini varieties. Pharaoh, Rolik, and Besplodny varieties are suitable for cultivation in the north of the country, as they have a short growing season. In central Russia, Tsukesha, Delikates, Zebra, and Goodwin varieties are grown. Before planting, prepare the soil and seeds. Seedlings don't require any special care; regular watering and feeding are sufficient.

Preparing soil and seeds

Before sowing, sort the seeds, removing any small or damaged ones. If the planting material was purchased from a seed store, there is no need to treat or soak it.

If the seeds are prepared independently, pre-treatment in one of the following ways is recommended:

1. To prevent fungal diseases, soak the seedlings for 4 hours at 35°C, then place them in cold water for 2 minutes. To treat the seeds, soak them in a Fitosporin-M solution for 8 hours.
2. The planting material is soaked in warm water for 24 hours, then placed on damp gauze for germination.
3. Soaking in solutions of complex mineral fertilizers or preparations such as Epin and Zircon.

Store-bought pumpkin soil is suitable for growing zucchini. You can also make your own soil mix:

• take peat (50%), humus (35%), turf (10%), garden soil (5%);
• mix turf (45%), compost (50%), rotted wood sawdust (5%).

The soil is prepared in the fall; to repel pests, it is placed in a plastic bag and left outside. Before planting, the soil is loosened and warmed to room temperature.

Landing

Germinated seeds are placed in individual containers. Seedlings can be grown in peat pellets, plastic bags, or cut-off fruit juice boxes.

The containers are placed on a windowsill on the south side of the house and covered with glass. Once the seedlings begin to sprout, the glass cover is removed.

Caring for seedlings

Plants are provided with optimal conditions: a temperature of +20°C, humidity up to 70%, and at least 10 hours of light per day. Avoid sudden temperature changes. Seedlings should not be placed near heating appliances or heat sources.

In order for seedlings to grow and develop well, they need care:

1. Water once a week, as the soil dries out. Water at the roots with settled, room-temperature water.
2. Ten days after germination, apply a fertilizer called "Bud." After 15 days, the plants can be fed with a mixture of ash and nitrophoska—0.5 tablespoons of active ingredients per liter of liquid.
3. Weed removal.

Planting in the ground

Once the plant has formed 3-4 true leaves, it can be transplanted into open ground. Before planting, harden the seedlings for a week by placing them outdoors, increasing the time spent outdoors by 10-15 minutes each day. Directions for planting outdoors:

1. Zucchini is planted in a plot where grains, onions or cabbage grew last year.
2. Prepare the garden bed - dig it up, make holes, and place drainage (small stones, pebbles) at the bottom of each hole.
3. If the bushes are large, each vegetable requires a plot of 70x90 cm; if they are compact, 70x70 cm.
4. The plant is placed in the center of the hole, the soil is compacted and watered.

For the first week after planting, cover the zucchini with spunbond. Once warm weather sets in, covering material is no longer necessary.

What to do if zucchini is stretching

The cause of this condition is improper care. Zucchini plants stretch due to a lack of light and nutrients. The seedling tray may be in a shaded area. How to fix this:

1. If the sowing dates are missed, the seedlings are overgrown, and it's too early to plant them outdoors, you should slow down the zucchini growth. Reduce the temperature to 15ºC.
2. In case of nutrient deficiency, the crop is fed with solutions of Kemira and Agricola preparations.
3. A phytolamp will help provide a 10-hour daylight period.

If the above measures do not help, transplant the plants into open ground or larger containers.

Pumpkin crops quickly form adventitious roots in places of contact with the ground, so the overgrown plant is buried deep down to the first true leaf.

To ensure that the seedlings take root successfully, they need to be shaded in the first few days after transplanting.