How to grow zucchini outdoors

Zucchini is a simple and familiar vegetable. Some can't imagine summer without a serving of fried zucchini with garlic, others make their signature zucchini caviar, and still others prefer to preserve these vegetables for the winter. In any case, it's much more enjoyable to grow zucchini at your own dacha than to simply buy them at the market: in your own garden, you'll grow high-quality vegetables without chemicals and be able to harvest the exact size you need. Some gardeners like to start zucchini from seedlings—they develop quickly and begin bearing fruit earlier. However, the traditional method is to grow zucchini outdoors directly from seeds. This is the focus of our article.

Let us remind you that last time we described the method of growing zucchini in bags.

When can you plant zucchini seeds in the ground?

The start date for planting zucchini seeds varies depending on the climate zone of the plot. It's important that the threat of spring frosts has passed, the air temperature has warmed to 15 degrees Celsius, and summer weather has lasted for a week. Although weather conditions vary from year to year, late May and early June most often meet these criteria.

When planning zucchini planting, it's crucial to not only assess the current weather but also the forecast. While early vegetables are planted in moist soil after the snow melts, heat-loving seeds aren't so lucky: by late spring, the soil may become dry without rain, and sandy soil may even turn to dust. Therefore, the ideal time to sow zucchini seeds is a warm day before several days of rain.

How to treat zucchini seeds before planting?

Zucchini seeds don't require any special chemicals. Unless, of course, you're dreaming of a gigantic harvest and don't believe any means are necessary to achieve that goal. For greater longevity, zucchini seeds should be soaked for a day before planting—that's all. This is done to stimulate germination—separating the stem from the seed pod.

Soak the seeds sparingly, rather than completely. Ideally, you should take a bowl or mug, pour the seeds into it, and cover them with a well-moistened cotton pad. This way, the seeds will be surrounded by water and oxygen, allowing them to "breathe" through the layer of cotton wool. After a day of this "bath," the most active seeds will begin to show their beaks. However, even if the seeds haven't shown much activity during this time, they can be planted: zucchini germinates in soil almost 100% of the time.

How to grow zucchini outdoors – instructions

1. Using a hoe or other convenient tool, make holes in the soil for the zucchini. It's best to make them in 50 x 70 cm squares (meaning there should be a 50 cm gap between rows and 70 cm between plants in each row). This rule is especially important when planting bush zucchini – this will ensure a neat appearance and provide the plants with a source of nutrients for their fruit. The holes should be about 5 cm deep to allow for water retention.

2. Water each hole just before planting the seeds: add 1 liter of water to each hole. Wait until the soil has completely absorbed the water.

3. Place 2-3 zucchini seeds in each hole and sprinkle them with dry (and fine!) soil. All the seeds will likely sprout, and since there will be more than one in each hole, you can select the strongest plant and pull out the rest.

4. A few days after planting the seeds, the first shoots will appear—sturdy stalks with pairs of cotyledon leaves. If the plants don't suffer from drought (make sure the soil doesn't dry out completely!), the first true leaves will appear in a few more days.

5. Caring for zucchini plants is fairly simple. These plants should be watered in the morning (to avoid burning them in the sun), and the soil in the holes should be loosened a few hours after watering. If you find a dried leaf on the plant, trim it off immediately so it doesn't become a burden on the plant and drain its vital energy.


6. Even during the flowering period, you can use zucchini plants for your own benefit. Young zucchini flowers are used in cooking: they are stuffed and fried in batter, or used to make savory pies.

7. Don't miss the period when zucchini ovaries are forming! This is the most important time to water them regularly so that the water-loving fruits fill up with moisture and become fleshy.


8. When harvesting zucchini, remember that they are edible as long as the skin can be easily pierced with a fingernail. Don't let them grow too large: more than half of these zucchini will be seeds, leaving little flesh.

Growing zucchini outdoors is fun and even exciting! Wishing you docile plants and a bountiful harvest!

Also read about planting beets with seeds in open ground.