The chestnuts have bloomed, which means it’s time to sow warm-loving crops in open ground, including cucumbers, zucchini, and pumpkins. All these crops form an above-ground stem in the form of a vine, the growth and development of which does not always correspond to the amount of crop produced. An agrotechnical technique such as pinching helps to force the crop to increase fruiting. It is not carried out on all varieties and hybrids. There must be an explanation on the bag of seeds or a separate leaflet with recommendations.

Formed cucumber bush on a trellis. © HortChat

Pinching cucumbers in open ground

At home, it is better to grow cucumbers on a trellis or a special mesh. For new gardeners, it is very important to know whether pinching is necessary or not. On vertically located shoots, the need to perform the technique is more visible.

Rules for forming a cucumber bush:

The formation of 7-8 leaves on the central shoot without the appearance of side shoots indicates the need for pinching. Otherwise, the harvest will be minimal, and it is possible that the fruits will be bitter.

We examine the bush and determine the sex of the flowers. Male flowers are mainly located on the central shoot, 5-7 pieces each. Their stalk is thin (empty). Female flowers, depending on the variety, are located on the side and central shoots. Mostly female flowers are solitary or 2-3 in a group. They differ from male ones in the miniature ovary (thickening) at the stalk.

On the central shoot, barren flowers are removed and the top is pinched to 1.0-1.5 cm. Lateral branching will begin, on the shoots of which female flowers are located, forming the crop.

No more than 2-3-4 side shoots are left on the bush. The rest are deleted. In addition, if more stepsons have formed in the leaf axil, they are also removed.

Side shoots are pinched at 4-5 leaves so that all nutrients are used for fruit formation. If you do not pinch them, the bush will occupy a large area with vegetative shoots. The main crop is formed on the left shoots. On the bush, all diseased leaves affected by pests are removed.

If there are a lot of side shoots, it is quite possible that the variety or hybrid belongs to the early group and does not need to be pinched. In this case, the thickened bush is lightened, that is, individual shoots growing inside the bush or leaves that strongly shade the shoots with the second or third layer are removed.

At the bottom of the bush, at the level of the first 2-3 true leaves, all side shoots are removed for better development of the root system of the crop.

Male cucumber flower. © gardenofyvonne
Female flowers of cucumber. © gardenofyvonne

Pinching zucchini

Formation of bush and self-pollinating zucchini:

Zucchini, zucchini, bush squash and self-pollinating varieties do not need pinching. They form fruits on a central stem.

Squash greens are harvested when the fruit is 10-15 cm long. It is best to clean them twice a week. Frequent eating of fruits stimulates the formation of new ovaries. Squash are ready for harvesting at the age of 7-8 days.

If the bushes have grown greatly and huge leaves obscure access to the sun's rays and pollinating insects (in the case of pollinated varieties), then during the fruiting period in places where the crop is formed, 2-3 leaves can be removed. This technique will simultaneously protect the plant from the appearance of rot, which develops with excessive watering in the humid microclimate of the bush.

Formation of climbing zucchini:

For climbing varieties of zucchini, pinch off the top above 4-6 leaves. Some gardeners suggest removing part of the main stem at the beginning of budding. By this period, the zucchini already has several side shoots. Usually they leave 3-4 60-70 cm long. The main crop is formed on the side shoots and in general the bush will occupy a smaller area with overgrown vines.

Zucchini squash bush with fruits. © mggkc

Features of pinching pumpkins

Like zucchini, pumpkins have 2 types of above-ground mass formation – bushy and climbing. Long vines of plants occupy an area of ​​​​several meters, so they are practically not planted in crop rotation, but only in separate sunny places.

Formation of climbing pumpkin varieties

In the phase of 3-5 leaves, the culture forms rudimentary flowers and stepsons. While the lashes are short and not intertwined, carefully direct their growth in one direction. You can even pin it to the soil with a wooden flyer, but loosely, without pinching the lash. It is better to leave no more than 2-4 such lashes. Remove all the rest and sprinkle the wound surface with ash.

Pinch off the remaining lashes when they reach 1.0-1.5 m. This provokes better growth of lateral shoots, on which the bulk of the fruits are formed. To make them larger, we leave 1-2 ovaries on each lash, sometimes 3-4, and when they develop normally, we remove the extra 1-2. We leave a larger number of ovaries in case the fruits become diseased in their infancy.

Throughout the growing season, we monitor the formation of new side vines and remove those that do not form flowers. Throughout the entire period of growth and development of the lashes, we continue pinching the tops. You can also carry out pinching, that is, remove all axillary vegetative shoots when their length is no more than 5 cm.

We form a harvest in August. We leave the desired number of fruits on the vines for ripening. It’s better to have 1-3-4 fruits for the whole bush, no more. We remove all excess young pumpkins and use them fresh for porridges, oven baking and other dishes. We remove ripe fruits before the onset of cold weather. Store in a dry, warm place. The kitchen is a great place to store them.

Pumpkin. © Dorling Kindersley

Formation of bush varieties of pumpkin

Bush forms also need to be pinched and excess unfruitful side shoots removed to avoid thickening. An important measure for bush pumpkin varieties is crop normalization. Excess fruits (especially late-formed ones) have low shelf life and taste, so they are removed. Fruits formed in the early period are left to ripen.

Pinching ( pinching, topping, pinching) is the removal of the top of a young shoot above the leaf (growth point).

You can pinch with your fingers, but it is better to use scissors.

When a growing point is removed, the plant will immediately begin to form new ones, sometimes one, but usually two or more.

Why do pinching?

The main goal of this very important manipulation is to increase and improve the yield.

And it needs to be done in a timely and correct manner. The tops of the shoot must be pinched above the leaf that formed after the last inflorescence of those needed for the ripening of the crop has ripened.

Each plant has its own growing season, but there is one rule: topping should be done no later than three weeks from the planned date of the last mass harvest of fruits.

How to pinch cucumbers

The need to pinch cucumbers is caused by the specific feature of planting predominantly male flowers on the main stem of the plant (they are more often called barren flowers).

Female flowers appear mainly on the side shoots, and their appearance can only be achieved by pinching the main stem. In addition, pinching significantly increases yield. Today, varieties have already been bred whose main stem is covered with female flowers. But then there is a problem with men's. And you can also provoke their appearance by pinching the head stem.

If, for example, the plant is a hybrid or varietal, then you need to remove the tops above the sixth leaf, and only 3 shoots will need to be left, but the rest needs to be cut off. On a regular variety you need 1 stem, and weak shoots should be removed completely.

Pinching tomatoes (tomatoes)

Pinching a pumpkin

The number of fruits per cane should not exceed 3 pieces, even better 2, this can significantly speed up their ripening and also improve the quality of the fruit (and, importantly, their keeping quality). When they have finally set and begun to fill out, you can pinch off the main stem and long side shoots (they are not fruitful).

Or you can orient all the shoots in one direction, leaving only 1 fruit. In this case, it is better to sprinkle the internodes of the plant with humus.

Note to the gardener:

Pinching potatoes

Removing the tops of potato shoots before budding begins (tip 2-3 cm) increases tuberization. The resulting fruits, when planted next year, will produce a “rejuvenated” and healthier harvest.

If 80% of the male shoots are not removed (they do not bloom), the cucumbers will taste bitter. But you shouldn’t pick them off - they provide nutrients to the fruits.

About pinching in detail:

Cucumber

Not every group of varieties needs editing of the growing plant. There is practically no need to form parthenocarpic varieties of the female flowering type (for example, Graceful), but old mid- and late-ripening varieties, especially in greenhouses, have to be formed:

• Usually the plant is left with one stem, which is pinched off above the eighth leaf.

• After this, after 4-5 days, the plant forms side shoots, of which no more than five are left and pinched again, above the fifth leaf, and the main vine is tied up.

This is simple, but one of the most effective and proven methods.

Pinching eggplant

Subtleties begin in the seedling period:

Growing plants should not close their leaves.

When the fifth leaf has fully developed, pinch the growth point, the “little blue” ones will begin to branch. Leave the three strongest shoots of the second order.

After planting the seedlings in a permanent place, pinch them off after 2-3 ovaries appear on them.

Remove all lower leaves up to the first fork, and remove axillary shoots.

And remember that eggplant is the most light-loving of all our vegetables; too many leaves and too close placement of adult plants are not at all beneficial for it.

As the fruits ripen, they become so heavy that they can overwhelm the entire bush: they need supports!

They played smart with the soil and seeds and grew good seedlings. They planted them at the right time, in a good greenhouse and in the right soil. We water, we field, we fertilize and we rub our hands, watching how the tops bush. But no flowers, no ovaries, just greenery... What's wrong? The problem is that many varieties of vegetables need to be shaped. Most varieties will produce maximum yield only with the correct system of pinching shoots and a certain placement of plants on the ridge and on the support. A kind of garden architecture! There are some general rules, a kind of reference points: the fewer shoots, the faster the first fruit will ripen, but the total yield per plant is smaller and the fruiting period is shorter. Plus the weather. Both have to be taken into account and a middle ground must be found. And each culture has its own principles of formation.

Sweet pepper – pinching

Rule one: sweet peppers are fragile and require delicate handling.

Rule two: low-growing varieties are not pinched at all; they themselves cope well with their figure.

Medium-sized ones (up to half a meter) are deprived of side shoots and leaves before the first fork, and this is where the formation ends.

The most fuss with tall peppers (like Kakadu) in greenhouses:

• When such a client reaches a height of approximately 20 cm, the top is pinched. and due to axillary shoots, a bush begins to form.

• No more than four shoots are left on the plant; they should be placed symmetrically in the “crown” of your pepper “tree”. All other axillary shoots are plucked out in infancy.

• No more than three ovaries are left on each skeletal shoot, and it is preferable to pick the fruits at the stage of technical ripeness.

Since the shoots are very fragile, do not forget to promptly place supports (for example, forks made of willow branches) under the ripening fruits (especially large-fruited varieties).

Pinching tomatoes

There are varieties with limited and unlimited growth (determinate and indeterminate). Many determinant ones do not require formation at all, forming no or almost no axillary shoots - stepsons. And all the principles of “designing” a tomato bush are based on regulating the number of shoots and the number of inflorescences on them. This is especially true for indeterminate greenhouse varieties, formed into one stem with five inflorescences:

• In the morning we break out all the stepsons (at this time they break off well) until they reach a length of 5 cm, and remove all the side shoots, and in the second half of summer, 2/3 of the leaves: the plants should be well ventilated, this will largely save them from fungal diseases, in particular late blight.

• When all the flower clusters have formed ovaries the size of a pea, the bush must be pinched: there is no need to drive away the tops, raise children!

• If for one reason or another your planting is thickened, the plants can be formed into two stems, pinching them above the third flower cluster. To do this, you can leave one lower stepson. Provided that all others are completely and regularly removed!

Tomatoes have a curious feature: when planted thickly, they bear fruit better than when planted sparsely! And the optimal distance between plants is usually indicated on the seed packet of each variety.

Zucchini (Cucurbitapepo)- a type of hard-barked pumpkin. Compared to pumpkin, zucchini and zucchini have a number of undoubted advantages. First of all, these vegetables ripen much faster than pumpkin. In addition, they can be eaten (unlike pumpkin) when they are young.

By the way: Zucchini will help beauty

Summer residents have a common problem - the skin of their faces and hands suffers from the sun and wind, because gardeners spend a lot of time in their garden beds. Zucchini will help keep your skin beautiful. You need to grate it on a fine grater, like on pancakes. Mix the gruel with 400 ml of Hercules flakes, which must first be placed in warm cream for 10 minutes and squeezed out. Add 5 ml of honey and the mask is ready. Gently apply the thoroughly mixed mixture to your face and hands. Keep the mask on for 10 to 30 minutes. Rinse off with cool water and put on cotton gloves until the morning.

First, let's look at the varieties of zucchini

VARIETIES OF ZUCCHUGS

There are numerous varieties and varieties of zucchini, and approximately 50% of its varieties and hybrids are foreign selection.

When choosing a variety you should consider:

• Zucchini varieties of domestic selection are intended for cultivation in central and northern Eastern European regions
• Foreign hybrids of zucchini and zucchini grow better in the southern regions and have a longer growing season than varieties of Russian selection.
• Domestic varieties have greater nutritional value than foreign ones and contain more vitamins. Foreign varieties accumulate nitrates more strongly.
• Domestic varieties are suitable for canning, pickling, and preparing caviar. Foreign ones - it is better not to use them for preparing squash caviar and various methods of canning.
• Domestic varieties are quickly outgrown. Foreign varieties are superior to domestic ones in terms of uniformity of fruits, visual attractiveness, they have thinner skin, juicier and more tender pulp.

Today, in summer cottages you can find more than two dozen varieties and hybrids of zucchini: these are Gribovsky 37, Beloplodny, Roller, Anna, Anchor, Sosnovsky, the most popular of the hybrids are Belogor F, Nemchinovsky F.

ISKANDER

An early ripening hybrid, the fruits are light green with white specks and veins. Refers to bush varieties. This is a large upright bush with large leaves. The variety is popular due to its long fruiting (until autumn frosts) and high yield. Zucchini of this variety are homogeneous, straight, cylindrical, tapering towards the stalk, their length is about 20 cm, weight - up to 700 g, with creamy tender pulp, smooth waxy skin. Iskander squash grows well both in open ground and under film cover, and can be grown in greenhouses as a winter crop. These zucchini are good for frying and stewing, as well as for canning.

ZUKESHA

A productive, early-ripening zucchini variety that tolerates the climatic conditions of the middle zone. The plant is a compact, medium-sized bush, with pubescent leaves and petioles. The fruits are cylindrical, smooth or slightly ribbed. Their color is green, often with white dots or blurry stripes across the entire surface. Zucchini variety Tsukesha is best suited for vegetable stews and salads.

GENTLE Marshmallow

The sweetest of the existing varieties, a real delicacy. It is very beautiful in appearance thanks to its two-color color - the zucchini is bright yellow with a green “tip”, and its flesh is very tender. Zucchini of this variety are especially tasty at the stage of “milk maturity”; they are eaten raw when they reach a length of 10-15 cm, and are also prepared in various ways. The variety is characterized by productivity and resistance to diseases and pests.

OIL WORKER'S BREAKFAST

Early ripening variety. So named because of the color of the zucchini peel - dark, green-black. At the same time, the zucchini pulp is a delicate white-cream color and very tasty. This is a bush plant that practically does not branch. The variety is characterized by high yield and very tasty fruits about 25 cm long. It is a very cold-resistant variety, which also grows well on fairly heavy medium-loamy soils. Oilman's Breakfast zucchini also stores well until the next harvest.

SPAGHETTI

A mid-late zucchini variety for lovers of exotic vegetables. The thing is, this is no ordinary zucchini. With dark yellow, hard bark and yellow flesh, it stores well. They cook it without peeling the skin. A whole zucchini is washed and placed in boiling water for half an hour, after which it is cut in half and, having removed the seeds, simply put the zucchini “spaghetti” on a plate - inside the zucchini the pulp is in the form of thin “sausages”. You don't even need to cut its flesh. This “spaghetti” is seasoned with oil or sauce, sprinkled with herbs - and the dish is ready.

ZEBRA

Refers to early ripening varieties; harvest ripening occurs on the 35-38th day after emergence. It is distinguished by a small, almost non-branching bush. It blooms mainly according to the female type, therefore, in order for the plant to be pollinated, it is necessary to plant a small number of ordinary white squash bushes nearby (which form many male flowers). The zucchini is small (from 500 to 900 g maximum), slightly ribbed, thickened, very tasty. As the name suggests, their skin is striped - with longitudinal light green stripes.

Young, tender zucchini are best stored in enamel trays on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

AERONAUT

A very high-yielding, early-ripening variety of zucchini (fruiting already on the 45th day after emergence), the bush is very compact and almost does not branch, the petioles and leaves are without pubescence. Zucchini is an intense green color, with a smooth thin skin and yellowish juicy pulp. The fruits are well transported.

YELLOWFRUIT

An early ripening variety, 40-42 days pass from emergence to harvest. The fruits are small (maximum 900 g), similar in appearance to a very large banana - with a bright yellow peel and soft yellow flesh. The variety is distinguished by a very high content of plant sugars.

BALL F1

This hybrid variety has a very high yield. Usually, Kolobok fruits are cut off when they reach a diameter of only 10-12 cm. But the pulp and skin do not become rough for a long time as the zucchini ripens. These delicate “koloboks” have a very attractive appearance - round in shape, striped - it is very convenient to stuff them and bake them as a whole. These zucchini are often eaten raw.

An early ripening variety, from the emergence of seedlings to the ripening of the harvest, it takes only a month. The plant is very compact, it is a sparsely leafed bush, in which female flowers predominate (therefore, it is also necessary to plant several bushes of white-fruited squash nearby). Elongated cylindrical zucchini have an unusually dark, almost black skin color and green, juicy pulp. The fruits are distinguished by their keeping quality, their weight is about 700 g, the yield is about 10 kg per bush. Suitable for frying and stewing, as well as for fresh salads. The variety is resistant to powdery mildew.

SKVORUSHKA

Suitable for both open ground and for growing under film cover or in a greenhouse. A productive variety of zucchini - the yield from one bush is about 10 kg. The variety is considered early; it takes about 55-56 days from germination to fruit ripeness. The fruits reach a weight of more than a kilogram (up to 1200 g). Excellent storage.

PHARAOH

The plant is a compact bush. Beautiful dark green zucchini with a regular straight cylindrical shape, with orange flesh. Very tasty and resistant to diseases, has a long shelf life.

BLACK BEAUTY

Mid-early variety (about 45 days from germination to harvest). This variety is grown more often by seedlings than by direct sowing in open ground. Lightly ribbed, green zucchini with a glossy skin look impressive, and the taste of the pulp is tender and juicy. The fruits reach 1700 g in weight. About 10 or more kg of harvest are obtained from one plant.

RUSSIAN SIZE

Refers to late ripening varieties. The fruits are pink-orange in color, the pulp is tender, without fibers. Excellent for preparing various dishes and for preservation. The fruits are very large: they reach a meter, with a diameter of about 20 cm and a weight of about 20-30 kg. It is stored all winter until the new harvest, without losing its taste, and has an excellent taste.

KING OF THE MARKET F1

This early ripening hybrid is characterized by high yield and long shelf life. But these zucchini cannot be allowed to outgrow - they are collected small (15 cm). It is very tasty when fried and stewed, as well as in various canned salads, and is part of various diets for weight loss and cleansing the body.

ORANGE F1

Also an early ripening variety that ripens 40 days after emergence (and seedlings appear a week after sowing). The fruits are round, bright orange in color. The bush is compact. Zucchini of this variety are picked when their diameter is from 10 to 15 cm (but not more).

This variety has pulp with a sweetish taste and is very tasty raw. The variety is quite thermophilic; it cannot be sown at temperatures below +10 °C. You can either sow seeds in open ground or plant 30-day-old seedlings. Needs fertile soil.

HARE'S EAR

An early ripening variety that ripens 45 days after germination. A powerful tall bush with smooth light green medium-sized fruits weighing up to a kilogram. Zucchini is distinguished by its delicate white flesh, juicy and not loose. The variety is characterized by high yield; it is very convenient that all the fruits are approximately the same size. Ideal for direct use as food, as well as for canning.

CAVILI F1

Hybrid of Dutch selection. An ultra-early variety with whitish-green fruits, their pulp is white and tender. As the fruits grow, they do not lose their delicate taste, and therefore they are collected at a size of 15-25 cm. The fruits are ideal for immediate preparation. During rainy, cold summers, Kavili R plants can produce parthenocarpic fruits without pollinating insects. The variety produces high yields both under film cover and in open ground. Resistant to many zucchini diseases, including powdery mildew. A very productive variety, with a small compact bush and short internodes. Fruiting period is more than 60-70 days. For 10 sq. m should only be placed 8-12 plants of this variety.

SOUVENIR

An early-ripening, high-yielding hybrid, a plant with a compact, non-branching, medium-sized bush and oval, smooth fruits, ribbed at the stalk. Zucchini is creamy-green with blurred longitudinal stripes. Suitable for any culinary processing. The early ripening hybrid Razbeg is characterized by almost the same external characteristics and taste properties.

VERY EARLY ZUCCHIN HYBRIDS

ZG-831– distinguished by unusual pear-shaped bright yellow (or orange) fruits. A plant with slightly pubescent leaves and petioles, low, compact. Zucchini of this variety contains more carotene than other varieties, and their percentage of dry matter is higher. At the international vegetable exhibition in Germany, the variety received a “Gold Medal”. If the summer is rainy and cold, the hybrid ZG-831 suffers from leaf necrosis.

ZB-832- a very productive hybrid, yielding about 10 kg or more from one bush. Tall powerful bush, medium branching, pubescent leaves. Zucchini is oval or slightly pear-shaped, not very large in size, yellow skin. The lumpy surface of the fruit gives the zucchini its unusual appearance. Ideal for growing in summer cottages. Zucchini has excellent taste and is suitable for any cooking and canning.

ZUCCHURES: GROWING

Zucchini loves warmth. At the same time, this is the most cold-resistant crop among the representatives of the Pumpkin family. Zucchini seeds will germinate at +8-9 °C, but young seedlings will be the strongest if the seeds germinate at +22 °C.

Zucchini can tolerate a short-term drop in temperature to +6 °C, but frosts are destructive for this plant. For adult plants, the optimal temperature for growth and development is +20-25 °C. The lower limit of temperatures acceptable for normal germination of zucchini seeds is +12-15 °C.

Zucchini is drought-resistant, but abundant watering increases the yield significantly. A sufficient amount of moisture is especially important during flowering and fruit set.

The best predecessors of zucchini and zucchini are potatoes, cabbage, onions, root vegetables, herbs and legumes.

This plant is very light-loving and is usually planted on the sunny side of the site. The quality and volume of the harvest, as well as the speed of its production, directly depend on the amount of light received by the plant. Almost all the same requirements apply to the growing environment and zucchini. This crop produces good yields in the middle zone. Zucchini retains early maturity, yield and taste in our climate when grown both indoors and outdoors.

ZUCKIN HAS STRICT REQUIREMENTS FOR SOIL

Zucchini is considered a soil-demanding crop, and zucchini is even more demanding of soil composition and pH than zucchini. Zucchini bears fruit poorly on acidic peat soils; in such conditions, its fruits are small, as are its leaves. Acidic soils for zucchini are prepared by adding lime. But zucchini does not like fresh liming.

Zucchini needs light loamy or sandy loam fertile soils. On sandy loam soils, it is necessary to apply a large amount of complex mineral fertilizer. Grows best in soils with a neutral reaction (pH 6.5-7.5). You should not plant zucchini on dense, heavy and poor soils. Usually, in preparing the area for planting zucchini, manure or compost (from 4 to 6 kg per sq. m), as well as complex mineral fertilizer for vegetables (from 50 to 80 g for the same area) are added to such soils in the fall. Heavy clay soils are unsuitable for zucchini.

Zucchini is very moisture-loving. They are watered only at the roots, and watering can only be done with warm water, otherwise the ovaries will rot. Watering is doubled during the fruiting stage of zucchini and zucchini. Summer residents most often use “Bud” or “Agricola” to feed zucchini during the growing season.

WHERE DOES HE PLACE?

The place for planting zucchini must be chosen so that throughout the growing season the soil is warmed by the rays of the sun. An important feature of growing squash is

kov: experienced summer residents plant them in a new place every year. In this case, on the one hand, they will get sick less, on the other hand, the plants will have practically no empty flowers.

LET THERE BE ZUCCHINS!

Zucchini is planted with seedlings and seeds - in May in open ground or in April for seedlings in closed ground. The planting method is chosen based on how quickly the first harvest is needed. If you're not in a hurry, you can simply sow zucchini seeds in the ground.

Seeds are sown from mid to late May, sometimes even in early June, when the danger of returning spring frosts has passed. Zucchini is relatively frost-resistant, but if the temperature drops below -2 °C, the bushes will die. Sow the seeds

under the film, in nutritious loose soil. The soil must first be prepared. At the beginning of May, manure humus or compost is added to the soil (a bucket per 1 square meter of area). If the soil is heavy, sawdust is added to it for deep digging. After this, mineral fertilizers are added to the soil - sodium sulfate, superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, wood ash. Water the bed with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Immediately before sowing zucchini, the soil must be loosened.

You should not apply fresh manure directly into the hole when sowing seeds or planting zucchini seedlings. This can lead to the development of diseases such as root rot in young plants, or to the active growth of green mass by plants with weak fruiting.

SOWING ZUCCHUGS IN THE BED

Pre-sowing preparation of seeds consists of pre-soaking them for 10-12 hours in water with the addition of nitrophoska. The seeds should swell, after which they are ready to be sown in the ground. For better results, zucchini seeds are soaked in the Epin solution for 24 hours: a drop of the growth stimulator is dissolved in 50 ml of water, and the seeds are immersed in this mixture for a day. They are washed with clean water and dried, and then planted in the soil. This increases the germination of seeds and also makes the development of young plants faster.

Holes are made in the soil at a distance of about 70 cm from each other. A little compost or humus is added to each hole. You can make furrows every 80 cm. The seeds are planted to a depth of about 4-6 cm. Planting is done in moist soil. Both sprouted and unsprouted seeds are planted vertically, with the sharp part facing up. In this case, the top of the seed should be 1-1.5 cm below ground level. It is best to sow two seeds in one hole. If both seedlings hatch, one can be cut or transplanted at the moment the cotyledon leaves appear. Seedlings cannot be pulled out, only cut. Caring for a seeded bed involves timely watering if the weather is hot and dry. Zucchini will bloom a month after germination.

SOWING KABAK SEEDS FOR SEEDLINGS

You can sow seeds for seedlings starting from April 10, 30-35 days before planting in the ground. Seeds for seedlings are prepared in the same way as for sowing outdoors.

soil, and sown in cups measuring 12 x 12 or 10 x 10 cm, into which a mixture of humus and peat is placed. Prepared containers with soil are watered with warm water and seeds are placed in cups - 2 for each cup, to a depth of 2-4 cm. The optimal air temperature for seedlings to hatch is about +18-20 °C. After the seedlings have hatched, the temperature must be lowered, otherwise they will become very elongated. At night the optimal temperature is up to +12-14 °C, during the day – +15-18 °C. Water the seedlings with warm water (+25°C). Watering is needed once every 5-7 days, 200-250 ml for each pot of seedlings.

ZUCCHER SEEDLING NEEDS TWO FEEDINGS

First feeding: 5th day after emergence. For 1 liter of water – 1 tsp. superphosphate, 1 tsp. urea. 200 ml of mixture per plant.

Second feeding: a week after the first. For 1 liter of water -1 hour. l. nitrophoska, 1 tsp. wood ash. 200-250 ml per plant.

Seedlings are planted in open ground on ridges at the age of 20-25 days; the soil should be well heated, loose and rich in organic matter. Planting work should only be carried out on a cloudy, warm day or early in the morning. When planting seedlings in the ground, it is very important not to damage the delicate root system of plants. Therefore, you need to replant the seedlings with a clod of earth, after watering it with water and carefully cutting the cup. Immediately before starting to plant seedlings, the soil should be watered with water heated to +40 °C. Seedlings should be planted at a distance of a meter from each other: there should be an average of one plant per 1 square meter. m of bed area. The bed with seedlings is covered with polyethylene on arcs. If it gets colder, you can cover the seedlings transplanted into the ground with another layer of film.

NOT FOR STORAGE

The seedling technology for growing zucchini has a peculiarity: zucchini is not suitable for long-term storage; immediately after ripening, they must be eaten or used for canning. To obtain zucchini suitable for long-term storage, the hatched seeds are sown directly into the ground, usually in early June. In order to be confident in the harvest, summer residents often grow half of the zucchini using seedlings, and half using seeds.

SECRETS OF THE HARVEST

Zucchini needs watering, weeding and loosening of rows, as well as fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers, mainly at the flowering and fruiting stage. When the crop begins to ripen, it is harvested every 7-14 days to prevent the fruit from overgrowing.

One of the most important conditions for obtaining a good harvest of zucchini is loose, water- and breathable soil. How often loosening needs to be done depends on its composition. Loosening should be carried out especially often on loamy soils - a hard crust constantly forms on them, in particular, after each rain. To accelerate the growth and development of zucchini bushes, the soil must be loosened constantly, right at the root.

Regular weeding will not allow weeds to grow, creating competition for the root system of zucchini in the fight for nutrients. Weeding is especially important at the beginning of zucchini growth: poor nutrition due to a large number of weeds does not allow young plants to develop.

To form additional adventitious roots, zucchini are hilled at the stage of appearance of 2-4 true leaves. The soil mixture is poured to the roots in a layer of about 5 cm.

The zucchini bush is not formed; the main stem is not pinched. Most often, especially when growing zucchini, this measure is not needed, but if the plant grows too much, the largest leaves are cut out. As a result, the core of the bush will receive more sunlight, this will stimulate the formation of new ovaries, and the harvest will be higher. It is imperative to place planks under growing zucchini so that the zucchini does not rot.

WATER CORRECTLY

Zucchini is moisture-loving, and watering should be plentiful. But watering too frequently will do more harm than good. We must not forget that zucchini is not a cucumber, and does not like excess moisture. If you overwater the zucchini, a large amount of water will form in its cell sap. The fruits will rot and will not store well.

Water the zucchini once a week or a week and a half: 10 liters of water per square meter. The water should be warm – +25-30 °C. The roots of pumpkin crops need more heat than the above-ground parts.

And watering with water at temperatures below +20 °C will harm the root system of zucchini - it will rot, just like the ovaries.

Zucchini does not like high air humidity. When growing them under a film cover or in a greenhouse, constant ventilation is required. About two weeks before harvesting the fruits, it is better to reduce the amount of water when watering or, if possible, stop watering altogether.

ZUCCHINS LOVE TO “EAT”

Zucchini is fed at least twice during the growing season - during flowering and fruit growth. Zucchini is very responsive to fertilizing - the yield increases several times. You can feed zucchini with mullein infusion.

Boron is the most important element in the formation and proper development of zucchini. If there is not enough boron in the nutrition of these plants, the ovaries rot. In this case, the zucchini is fed “by the leaves” (sprayed) with the following composition: 2 g of boric acid per 10 liters of water. The acid is first diluted in a small volume of water (200 ml), and only then the diluted drug is combined with the rest of the water.

Zucchini is often fed in the same way as pumpkin, halving the dose of fertilizer. In fact, zucchini loves nitrogen more, and pumpkin loves potassium. Usually, after the sharp night cold snaps have passed, the zucchini begins to be fed with an infusion of manure and weeds. It is permissible to feed adult plants simply with fresh manure.

ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF WEEDS

Infusions of weeds, manure, and compost are used for spraying and watering zucchini. Such fertilizing is very important during the period of regular fruiting for multi-harvest crops, which include zucchini.

At the same time, they improve the properties of the earth and heal the soil, since they contain a huge number of soil microorganisms. In addition, they contain biologically active substances. Weeds take nutrients from the soil, and there is a way to force them to give these substances back.

The best effect for feeding zucchini and other pumpkin crops can be achieved if you use stinging nettle and wandering comfrey in the infusion - these plants contain the largest amount of nitrogen, magnesium and potassium.

We remove the weed seeds, chop the green mass and fill it with water (10 liters of water per kilogram of weeds). We place the mass in a plastic barrel; fermentation will proceed faster if it is painted dark. The barrel should be filled only two-thirds full, otherwise the infusion will “run away” during fermentation. It is better to place this container away from the house, since during fermentation the weeds will emit an unpleasant odor. The mass should be stirred every day so that oxygen penetrates into the lower layers.

The infusion is ready when the fermentation process is complete. This happens after about 10 days. The infusion acquires a rich brown color. The beneficial properties of the infusion can be increased by adding a little mullein (up to one and a half kilograms) or 1-3 liters of ash to the barrel during fermentation of the herb. Also, when fermenting the grass, add bird droppings (0.5 kg per barrel) or several tablespoons of complete mineral fertilizer to the infusion. The addition of EO preparations (Baikal, Siyanie) accelerates fermentation and improves the microflora of the infusion.

We filter the resulting preparation and dilute it in a ratio of 1:10 for watering, 1:20 for spraying. It is recommended to leave a little of the mixture for fermenting the next batch of weeds. The “thickness” that remains after straining the weed infusion can become an excellent mulch for zucchini or other crops. In this case, organic fertilizing is no longer needed; you just need to water the bed with warm water. You can feed the zucchini weed infusion daily or every other day.

Sometimes a hemp or jute bag is used to prepare the infusion. The herb and supplements are placed in the bag, then the bag is simply taken out, and the infusion does not need to be filtered.

...AND OTHER INVOLUTIONS

Compost infusion is also effective for zucchini. Approximately a shovel of well-ripened compost is diluted in 10 liters of water. The mixture is stirred and left to ferment for 3-5 days. Then the infusion is filtered and watered over the zucchini. There is no need to dilute the finished infusion with water.

Manure infusion is prepared from chicken manure, horse, cow, and rabbit manure. Manure is mixed with water (1:2), wood ash is added. The mixture is left to ferment for 3-7 days, after which it is decanted and diluted with water (1:15-30).

• You can water zucchini with infusions of weeds, manure, and compost only on a cloudy day or early in the morning. In bright sunshine, such fertilizing will do more harm than good.
• It is important that the infusions do not get on the stems and leaves.
• Before using infusions, abundant watering of plants is necessary.
• You can store the infusion under a fine mesh or lid with holes for air circulation.

Foliar feeding is very effective for squash and zucchini. One of these feedings is carried out with urea (at the beginning of the growing season), the second with potassium permanganate with superphosphate extract (intense pink solution). Foliar feeding is carried out only in sunny weather, in the morning.

COMPOSITIONS FOR FEEDING ZUCCHES

1. One of the effective compositions for feeding zucchini is 1 tbsp. l. nitrophoska, 1 liter of mullein per 10 liters of water. The solution is thoroughly mixed and the zucchini is watered at the rate of 1 liter per plant. Feeding with this solution is carried out twice - at the beginning of bush growth, at the stage of flowering or fruit set.
2. This infusion is suitable for feeding not only zucchini, but also almost all vegetable crops, including potatoes. For a 50-liter barrel you will need 1 kg of weeds (sow thistle, nettle, weeds, fireweed), 2-2.5 kg of wood ash; 1 kg of manure or 1 kg of chicken manure and 0.5 l of EM preparation (for example, “Baikal”). Weeds need to be chopped up. A glass of sugar or 250 ml of old fermented jam is poured into a 50-liter barrel, after which the EM preparation is diluted to a volume of 4 liters. The mixture is allowed to brew in the barrel for two hours. Add the remaining ingredients and fill the volume with water to 2/3 of the barrel. Ferment the infusion for three to seven days and feed the vegetables.

POLLINATION OF ZUCCHINS

Insect pollinators of zucchini include bumblebees, wasps and bees. It is usually enough to periodically move the zucchini leaves apart - this will make it easier for insects to penetrate the flowers.

If the bush is very dense, you can cut out part of the middle leaves - this will ensure air flow to all branches of the plant and make it easier for pollinating insects to access the flowers. But if the summer turns out to be rainy or zucchini and zucchini are grown in large greenhouses, sometimes they have to be pollinated by hand. For better pollination, it is recommended to spray flowering zucchini early in the morning with an aqueous solution of honey (or sugar syrup). The frequency of spraying with a sweet solution that attracts pollinating insects is determined experimentally, but after rain, spraying is necessary.

Zucchini pollination - video

GROWING AND CARE OF ZUCCHINI

Agricultural technology for zucchini differs little from growing zucchini. But there are some features...

Zucchini is grown both by seedlings and by sowing germinated seeds directly into the garden bed. For seedlings, seeds are sown in peat pots 10 x 10 cm. A mixture for cucumbers is suitable as a substrate. Seed placement depth is 2 cm, temperature -+18-22 °C. Water the seedlings with water at a temperature of +22-25 °C, up to 400 ml per pot.

Zucchini seedlings are fed twice: a week after germination - with an aqueous solution of a growth stimulator (for example, "Bud", 1 g per liter of water). After another week - 0.5 tsp. "Agricola-5" per liter of water, a glass of solution per plant. Seedlings can be replanted at the age of 20 days.

When planting zucchini seeds, first place a layer of compost or manure, well soaked in water with complex mineral fertilizer dissolved in it, and on top - a layer (20 cm) of garden soil. The interval between seeds is about 70 cm from each other. The bed is covered with polyethylene, stretching it over the arcs. Ventilation is necessary every day, since high humidity is detrimental to zucchini. So the best option is a covering material that allows air to pass through. If it is hot, the covering material is left for the day only on the north side.

Caring for zucchini is the same as caring for zucchini: watering, weeding, fertilizing and loosening. Plants need to remove the lower layer of leaves, which quickly age. Fertilizing for zucchini is a complex mineral fertilizer and organic matter, as for zucchini. But a smaller amount is taken (as for feeding cucumbers).

Mulching is also necessary for zucchini. You can use black plastic film. As zucchini ripens, it is cut off with a knife at least twice a week, along with the stalk - about 20 cm. Zucchini ripens more slowly than zucchini, but retains its taste longer for consumption without heat treatment, as well as after cooking. Zucchini stores well in the refrigerator in plastic bags. The only condition is to prevent condensation from forming on the fruits.

Where can I get zucchini seeds?

Summer residents obtain zucchini seeds on their own: in the fall, just before frost, the fruits are removed and left in the room in the light. It’s time to get the seeds out when the fruits turn yellow. From one zucchini you get about 20 g of seeds - that’s more than a hundred pieces.

When growing zucchini for seeds, you need to remember that these are cross-pollinated plants that can easily cross-pollinate with pumpkin, zucchini and squash growing on your site. Therefore, wanting to preserve the purity of the variety, it is better to pollinate zucchini by hand. To do this, several flowers are “hidden” from the bees by putting gauze bags on them. In the early morning, pollen from open male flowers is transferred to the pistils of female flowers. You can use a brush for this purpose.

ZUCCHINS AND ZUCCHINI IN THE GREENHOUSE

Growing zucchini and zucchini in greenhouses has its own specific agricultural technology.

It is necessary to regularly ventilate the greenhouse so that it does not have high air humidity, which is unacceptable for zucchini. Optimal humidity is 60-70%.

If the plants have grown, it is necessary to carefully remove leaves from the lower and middle parts of the bushes. The optimal temperature regime is +24-26 °C during the day and +14-15 °C at night. At the flowering stage, zucchini and especially zucchini are very picky about temperature and can lose their ovaries when it drops. After the fruits have set, the temperature can be lowered. Zucchini and zucchini grow well in a greenhouse even after the first autumn frosts, although it is better to harvest the last crop earlier.

EARLIEST HARVEST

An early harvest of zucchini can be obtained by growing them in greenhouses heated with biofuel. For small greenhouses and greenhouses, choose early varieties with compact bushes, early ripening and unpretentious: Roller, Anchor, hybrid variety Belogor, as well as zucchini varieties Zebra, Tsukesha, Aeronaut. They easily tolerate drought and low temperatures.

Zucchini is planted in such greenhouses in late March - early April. Hot manure is placed in the greenhouse pit (layer 50-70 cm). Soil is poured on top of the biofuel in a layer of 20-30 cm. Soil composition: garden soil, peat, humus (5: 3: 2). Add 100 g of wood ash, 30 g of superphosphate and 20 g of ammonium nitrate to the resulting mixture (per bucket), mixing well.

If zucchini is planted in greenhouses at a later date, as a second crop, the soil must be dug up, adding fresh substrate from garden soil, peat and humus (5: 3: 2). The mixture is poured into mounds of 50-55 cm, about 50 cm wide.

The feeding area of ​​one plant should be at least one square meter. In unheated film greenhouses (without biofuel), zucchini is planted in early May.

Seedlings at the age of 3-4 true leaves should be planted in holes. The soil in the holes must first be moistened. Bury young plants to the cotyledon leaves. The temperature in the greenhouse at this stage should be maintained at +15 °C.

It is necessary to ventilate greenhouses in early spring carefully so as not to freeze the plants. But zucchini needs ventilation, because they do not like high humidity. During the day, the greenhouses are freed from additional covering with mats, and at night they are insulated again.

Each watering should be sufficiently abundant. Water temperature – +25 °C. Fertilizing is carried out every 10-15 days - organic matter and mineral fertilizers are added.

Organic: 10 liters of mullein per 10 liters of water. Chicken manure is added in a proportion of 800 ml to the same volume of water.

Mineral feeding: 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 50 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium salt per 10 liters of water.

Mulching is very important when growing zucchini in greenhouses; it reduces air humidity, reducing the evaporation of moisture from the soil. Peat or sawdust can be used as mulch in a layer of 3-4 cm.

35-40 days after planting the seedlings in the greenhouse, you can already harvest the first harvest. Zucchini is cut with a sharp knife. On average, you can get about 12-15 kg of zucchini per square meter of greenhouse per season.

ZUCCHINS IN A BARREL

The method is that zucchini is grown in barrels filled with fertile soil.

You won’t be able to grow a large number of zucchini bushes this way, but that’s not necessary: ​​usually, by the fall, a summer resident collects such a harvest of zucchini that he is often forced to bury them in the ground and make compost out of them. Zucchini grows best in barrels - these plants have much more compact bushes. In barrels, the soil warms up deeply, but zucchini and zucchini really like it when the roots are warmer than the above-ground parts. The earth is warmer - which means the root system is more powerful, the plants are stronger and the yield per bush is greater. The leaves do not come into contact with the wet surface of the earth, which means that the plants do not suffer from fungal diseases. And one more plus: to care for zucchini, you don’t have to bend low, which is especially valuable for older people.

When growing in a barrel, large diameter drainage holes are made in the bottom of the container so that water does not stagnate when watering, otherwise root rot will develop. You can simply dig a barrel into the ground without a bottom. A drainage layer, such as brushwood, is placed at the bottom of the barrel. A drainage layer is necessary even when using a barrel without a bottom. Next, the barrel is filled with garden soil mixed with peat and humus (4:2:1), and seedlings are planted.

Fruits of labor

In order for each bush to produce 20-40 zucchini per summer, they must be harvested when they are young enough. Moreover, “milk” zucchini is tastier and healthier than overripe ones.

For long-term storage, zucchini is removed straight with a long stalk. It is better to store them in a vertical position, against the wall. Zucchini is stored better than zucchini - during storage, these vegetables develop a thick skin, they do not lose moisture and can not spoil for a long time, even in an apartment. Mature zucchini is stored in the basement for an average of about five months.

Zucchini reach maturity depending on the variety: if the variety is designed for long-term storage of fruits, then they will ripen longer than early ripening ones, which are stored worse. But in general, the first harvest ripens approximately 20-25 days after flowering. The squash is ripe if the skin feels firm to the touch and a hollow sound is heard when you tap the squash.

Problem	Cause	Solution
The greens turn yellow and rot.	This means that fertilization has not occurred. The reason may be either the cold summer and the lack of pollinating insects, or the use of pesticides during the flowering period of zucchini.	Hand pollination of zucchini in the morning. Another necessary measure in such a situation is to cover the plants at night if the nights are cold.
The ovaries do not appear on the bush.	Also the reason is that pollination did not occur.	Also artificial pollination.
Zucchini have an ugly shape, their end is swollen and looks like a ball.	Plants lack potassium.	Spraying the bushes with Uniflor-micro solution (2 tsp per 10 l of water). Spraying should only be done in the evening. You can simply scatter ash on damp soil (0.5 liters for each bush).
Inhomogeneous coloring of the zucchini, with the tip of the fruit pointed.	This indicates a lack of nitrogen.	Feeding with infusions of weeds, manure, compost, bird droppings.
Rotting of large zucchini.	This is the result of overwatering.	We stop watering and make a film canopy over the zucchini in rainy weather. To avoid cutting off a rotten zucchini, you can simply cut off the rot to healthy tissue and burn the cut over a candle flame.

WE INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY

The yield of zucchini is primarily affected by fertilizing. And if usually zucchini is fed twice during the growing season, then in order to increase the productivity of these plants they need to be fed three times per season.

Zucchini is especially responsive to organic matter: water infusion of mullein 1:10, water infusion of chicken manure 1:15. You can use the following feeding scheme:

• Before flowering - half a liter of mullein and 1 tbsp. l. nitrophoska per 10-liter volume of water: zucchini is fed at the rate of 1 liter of mixture per plant.
• At the flowering stage - 0.5 liters of chicken manure and 1 tbsp. l. Complex mineral fertilizer per 20 liters of water: zucchini is fed at the rate of 3 liters per 1 sq. m. landing.
• At the stage of fruit ripening - 2 tbsp. nitrophoska per 10 liters of water: zucchini is fed at the rate of 2 liters per bush.

It is also very important to ensure high-quality pollination of zucchini. Spraying flowering squash and zucchini bushes with sugar water or honey solution - 1 hour will help. l. honey per 250 ml of water.

Another factor is timely harvesting. It is better to pick zucchini when they reach a size of 15-25 cm, zucchini - 10-15 cm. By outgrowing, the fruits force the plant to direct all its forces into them, and the development of new ovaries is delayed.

DISEASES AND PESTS OF ZUCCHINS

PERONOSPORA03 (DOWN POWDERY MILDW)

Fungal spores, which are the causative agents of peronosporosis, thrive when zucchini and zucchini are watered with low-temperature water. Especially at high air humidity. Most often it affects plants at the fruiting stage.

Zucchini and zucchini, like pumpkin, are affected by powdery mildew, root rot, bacteriosis - we have already talked about the symptoms and the fight against them when talking about pumpkin. As well as about spider mites and melon aphids, which cause the greatest damage to zucchini. Another common problem with zucchini and zucchini in summer cottages is downy mildew (downy mildew).

Symptoms

The leaves are covered with multifaceted oily greenish spots. A week passes, and the spots become larger and acquire a brown tint. The leaves appear to be scorched. With the further development of the disease, after a few more days, the affected leaf dries out.

Fighting methods

The disease is fleeting, so action must be taken immediately. At the first signs of downy mildew, stop watering and feeding (for at least a week). Plants must be treated with a solution of copper oxychloride and polycarbacin (preparation temperature +24-25 degrees). Another way to combat fungal pathogens is by spraying with a whey solution. After finishing processing the plants, you need to ventilate the greenhouse. During the week, the air temperature should not fall below +22-25 during the day and +18 at night. That is, zucchini and zucchini need to be covered.

Prevention

It is unacceptable to grow zucchini and zucchini in beds where vegetable crops of the pumpkin family were grown during the last warm season.

APEX BACTERIOSIS OF FRUIT

Risk factors are waterlogging of soil and air. Watering with cold water. Poor air circulation around zucchini.

Symptoms

Yellowing and rotting of zucchini and zucchini ovaries. The ovaries and fruits stop developing, and the fruit becomes glassy in appearance. Subsequently, brown spots appear on the ugly fruit.

Fighting methods

Unfortunately, if symptoms of bacteriosis have already appeared, the plant cannot be saved. The fight against bacteriosis means sowing healthy seed material. It is recommended to treat the seed material 2-3 months before sowing with “granosan” (2-3 g per kg of seeds) or with TMTD (3-4 g for the same volume of seeds). You can also dry heat the seeds (temperature 60 °C), but first you need to warm up a test batch and then check their germination. All seeds can be heated if the germination rate of the test batch decreases by no more than 5-10%.

Often, zucchini and zucchini are damaged by cutworm larvae: they gnaw through the stem and feed inside it, as a result of which the plant dies. To avoid damage by cutworms, zucchini and the soil around them are pollinated with DDT at intervals of 50 days.

The right mounds - and even heaps of zucchini

By the way, about the same zucchini. At first, I also couldn’t find a common language with them. But gradually, based on my own and others’ advice and mistakes, I realized what they wanted.

The first, most important condition is to plant them less often (the photo given in Lyudmila’s letter shows that planting is too frequent). After all, each plant needs at least 1 square meter. m, otherwise their lashes will climb on top of each other and begin to hurt.

The second condition is properly prepared land. When planting, I put a good handful of ash and humus in the holes (if there is none, I take simple mown grass and onion peels), mix well with the soil and water with warm water.

The third condition is that zucchini should grow on mounds, and they should be watered in ditches that are dug around them within a radius of 40-50 cm. Otherwise, some gardeners pour water directly over the leaves, and then are surprised that the plants die.

Personally, when I water, I also carefully make sure that the tops of the mounds remain dry and are well mulched. Then there will be no rot. By the way, I also mulch the irrigation ditches.

In general, rotting of young zucchini ovaries (and, by the way, all pumpkin ovaries) occurs not only from excess moisture, but also from unpollinated flowers.

I often pollinate them by hand - I pick the male flower, tear off the petals and run the pestle over the stamens. Nothing complicated, everyone took botany at school.

Why don't flowers pollinate?

And from the heavily overgrown leaves that shade them. Therefore, when the bushes grow, I mercilessly thin out the foliage every week.

I also regularly add sand and mulch to the tops of the mounds - making sure that the roots are not exposed. I plant only three plants, and I have enough zucchini for the whole summer, and there is still a supply left in the winter.

To do this, you need to leave several pieces untouched from mid-summer to autumn so that they harden - and so they lie quietly almost until spring in a cool place.

Zucchini for winter storage

I choose zucchini for winter storage with dense pulp and thick skin. What I like most is how the fruits of the Aeronaut and Zebra varieties are stored.

Watering - by bottle

In May, I sow the seeds directly into the ground; after 1-2 weeks, in the phase of two cotyledon leaves, I plant the plants in a permanent place. Next to each bush I dig an inverted 5-liter PET bottle with the bottom cut off - for watering. When the bushes grow, I pour water into these bottles - as a result, after watering, the leaves always remain dry, and the zucchini does not get sick. In hot weather, I pour 8-10 liters of water under each bush every 3-5 days.

Once every 10 days I feed with mullein solution (1:10) - 1 liter for each plant. I spray weak bushes that grow poorly with nettle infusion. In fattening plants,

on the contrary, I break off 3-4 lower leaves and stop feeding. In early August, before watering, I add 1 liter of ash under each bush and apply liquid fertilizer (20 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water).

Green paint for scratches

At the beginning of autumn I completely stop watering and liquid fertilizing. I pinch out young shoots and pick off emerging flowers and ovaries. For storage, I cut zucchini and zucchini with a piece of stem 5-6 cm long. I sort the harvest: vegetables with cracks and growths are for eating first, and smooth and beautiful ones are for storage. If the damage is small, 2-3 cm, I clean it with a knife and cover it with brilliant green.

In the basement, I arrange the zucchini on the shelves so that they do not touch each other. Once every 2-3 weeks I turn it over to the other side.

ZUCCHINS IN BLARY

My family likes this dish the most.

Zucchini (1.5-2 kg),

2 eggs, 0.5 tbsp. flour, 2-3 cloves of garlic.

In a bowl, beat the eggs, add salt and ground pepper to taste. Add flour and stir until smooth. If the dough comes out thick (it should be like thin pancakes), add a little water. I peel the garlic, pass it through a garlic press and add it to the batter. Wash the zucchini, remove the peel and remove the seeds. I cut it into rings or half rings about 0.5 cm thick. I dip each piece in batter and fry it in vegetable oil on both sides. Then I put everything together, close the lid and simmer over low heat until done.

Lyudmila LASHUK

What's the best way to store zucchini?

When I saw a wild harvest of zucchini this year, I sounded the alarm. We would never eat so much squash caviar in our lives; there are not so many jars for pickles.

We gave the zucchini to friends, but the harvest was still too large. I thought that they wouldn’t survive until winter at home and I was upset in advance because the harvest was going to waste.

You can store zucchini in the refrigerator only in the vegetable compartment at a temperature of about +5C in a bag with several small holes for ventilation.

My mother saved me from falling into panic by saying that zucchini survives the winter well in a city apartment, and is even stored until spring. The main thing is to assemble them correctly, this is already half the battle.

Individual hanging in nets is considered the most effective storage method.

Firstly, in the process of ripening the crop, it is possible and necessary to remove young zucchini with a resistant skin, which can be eaten unpeeled and even raw, which contains so many summer vitamins. Secondly, when the time comes to collect fully ripe fruits, I do this: I collect medium-sized fruits that make a dull sound when tapped on the skin. They should be perfectly even and smooth.

The zucchini can be placed in a box with corrugated cardboard placed between them.

I no longer twist the stalk, because putrefactive microorganisms easily penetrate through the injured stalk. The cut should be smooth, at some distance from the fruit. Under no circumstances should you wash the collected zucchini; I simply wipe them off the ground with a dry cloth and lay them out to dry.

It is best to store zucchini in a cool, dark place. Sub-zero temperatures do not have a very good effect on the quality of the fruit. I place them on the shelf at a sufficient distance from each other so that they do not touch. I don’t put them next to other vegetables - they don’t like being next to each other. Zucchini only tolerates squash.

Zucchini not only dislike drafts, but also stagnant air.

If I'm going to cook zucchini right away, I just leave it in the kitchen. I don’t put it in the refrigerator - it’s too humid for vegetables.

If stored properly, you can eat zucchini right up until spring without throwing out a single fruit!

: Method of growing zucchini on virgin soil Amazing:...: Spaghetti squash - what can you cook...

Hello, dear friends!

Zucchini is the second most popular pumpkin crop among owners of small plots and farms after cucumbers. Most gardeners know that getting a bountiful squash harvest is as easy as shelling pears.

Zucchini is unpretentious in care, and with a few agrotechnical techniques, it is so prolific that there are enough ripe greens for preparing summer dishes, for pickling, and for canning. So, let's talk about caring for zucchini outdoors in the summer.

Rules for summer care of zucchini in open ground

Zucchini planted in open ground after the onset of heat in spring accumulates a sufficient volume of vegetative mass by summer, forming powerful stems and large leaf blades. After flowering begins, ovaries quickly form on the plants, which fill in a short time. Moreover, their number sometimes reaches up to a dozen fruits ripening on the bush at the same time.

Organization of irrigation

Unlike cucumbers, which always require water, the root system of which is located in the surface layers, zucchini has developed roots that can extract moisture from the lower soil horizons. Therefore, during drought, 1-2 times a week, using a bucket of water for each square meter of plantation. Water is applied not at the root, but into special furrows dug around the central stem.

During rainy periods, watering is completely stopped. When there is heavy rainfall, drainage grooves are dug into the plantings to prevent the formation of puddles on the soil surface.

If the summer is rainy, then some vegetable growers make canopies over the beds or cover each bush with old umbrellas, since excess moisture in the ground can provoke a surge of fungal diseases and rotting of flower stalks, buds, ovaries and fruits.

Formation of bushes. To pinch or not?

Zucchini vines are not pinched, unlike pumpkins. After the first flowers bloom, the largest leaves are cut out from the middle (no more than 3-4 pieces). This improves the light transmission of plantings, opens access for pollinating insects, increases ventilation inside the plants and helps speed up the process of fruit filling.

Application of fertilizers for crops and planned summer fertilizing

Since autumn, the beds for all pumpkin plants have been filled with fresh or composted organic matter (manure, bird droppings, humus, peat, peat manure or garden compost) and potassium-phosphorus compounds (potassium monophosphate, superphosphate + potassium chloride, plant ash).

If you are preparing a plantation in the spring, then use only rotted organic matter (garden compost or rotted mullein) and nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium mineral products, for example, nitroammophoska or a mixture of urea, double superphosphate and potassium sulfate.

Organic products are applied depending on the composition of the soil in the garden in the amount of 1-4 buckets per linear meter, and mineral preparations are consumed according to the instructions for them.

Usually, organic and mineral fertilizers applied to zucchini seedlings during spring tillage are enough for the entire period of development and fruiting. If the soil on your site is infertile or depleted by long-term use, then to activate the fruiting processes of zucchini, they are fed with complex formulations three times a season. Moreover, at each stage of the growing season, plants require different minerals.

First feeding

Typically carried out in the spring after the formation of 4-5 full leaves and before the start of the budding process. At this time, zucchini may experience a deficiency of nitrogen, which stimulates the growth of vegetative mass. Drench the plantings at the root with a solution of slurry (1 liter of mixture per bucket of water) with the addition of nitrophoska (30 g/bucket of water). For each bush, use about 1 liter of nutritious fertilizer.

Second feeding

It is performed during the flowering period, when a large number of sunny yellow flowers bloom on the bushes. Dissolve 25 g of nitroammophoska in a standard bucket of water and add 2 cups of wood or grass ash to the liquid. Liquid consumption is the same as for the first feeding - 1 liter per bush.

Third feeding

Designed to prolong fruiting by strengthening the roots with phosphorus and improving the process of fruit formation through additional doses of potassium. Scatter plant ash around each bush and between the rows of the plantation, and then carry out abundant scheduled watering.

In addition to the potassium-phosphorus component, the ash contains a whole complex of microelements that are useful for improving the conditions for fruit ripening. In addition, dusting the surface of the beds with ash is an excellent prevention of damage to the plantings of all pumpkin crops.

Zucchini harvest

Always remove fruits, even if they are still small. Plants, freed from the need to spend nutritious juices on fruiting, expend energy on flowering and the formation of new ovaries.

Inspect the plantings regularly, since in a large volume of leaves you can miss quite large zucchini, especially those whose fruits have a rich green color.

As you can see, carezucchini in open ground in summer it is quite simple. Fill the crop beds with organic matter and minerals, and water them once a week during hot periods. But the useful pumpkin plant is famous for its excellent ability to form a huge number of fruits, delighting summer residents with them from mid-June to early September, and sometimes even until the onset of cold weather.

See you later, dear friends!

HIGH-YIELDING TOMATO VARIETIES FOR GREENHOUSES: REVIEW OF GROUPS, HYBRIDS AND GROWING FEATURES Of the wide variety of tomato varieties offered to farmers and amateur vegetable growers, it is impossible to unambiguously recommend only some and ignore others, because the preferences of a particular person are subjective. And this is understandable: each of us has our own criteria for evaluating the tomatoes we grow, but everyone always chooses the most productive tomatoes for greenhouses. In areas with different climates, the conditions for cultivating tomatoes (even in farm greenhouses) are different, so the most popular are specific, zoned varieties, which enjoy well-deserved attention from most gardeners. - Indeterminate varieties are ideal for greenhouses - vigorous bushes form into one stem. - Determinate tomatoes for greenhouses require constant pruning of shoots. Each hybrid is prone to one of these 2 types of development, so we need to correct plant growth in time, starting right from the seedlings. According to the type of growth, TOMATOES are divided into 2 GROUPS: - with vegetative development, - with generative development. As a rule, well-known seed manufacturing companies provide the following starting information on the packaging: the main characteristics and individual characteristics of a particular variety. For low greenhouses for tomatoes with a standard (up to 2.5 m) ridge height, we will choose tall varieties of tomatoes with shortened internodes, and we will form them into 2 stems. When the bushes grow to the trellis, each shoot will already have 3 brushes. We will send out additional shoots from the seedlings under the very first cluster. Typically, tall and large-fruited tomatoes exhibit a vegetative type of growth. We plant seedlings of hybrids and varieties with this vegetative type of development with the first two racemes flowering in order to prevent fattening of the plants, which reduces the yield of tomatoes in the greenhouse. REVIEW OF VARIETIES ONLY FOR GREENHOUSE PURPOSE MEDIUM AND HIGH YIELDING VARIETIES 1. Intuition F1 - with 1 stem and unlimited growth, a mid-season hybrid of truss tomatoes: only 110 days pass from the first shoots to fruiting. Round, smooth fruits weighing over 100 g do not crumble even after ripening, do not crack, and their high sugar content is ideal for canning and fresh salads. 2. Kostroma F1 is a two-meter mid-early hybrid, already 106 after germination we collect a friendly and abundant harvest of flat-round fruits weighing 150 g, and up to 5 kg per bush. This plant is resistant to viruses and changes in humidity and temperature. 3. Rosemary F1: within 115 days after sprouting, large (400g), pink, smooth fruits ripen for delicious salads. Their flesh is juicy, tender, and has a “melting” consistency. Productivity reaches 11 kg per plant. 4. Chio-chio-san - a mid-season hybrid with unlimited growth, hung with huge branched clusters, with 50 fruits on each. Pink, plum-shaped tomatoes weighing up to 40 g delight us with an excellent dessert taste and four kilograms of such fruits per bush. The variety is not susceptible to tobacco mosaic disease. 5. Blagovest F1 is a one and a half meter tall, early ripening hundred day hybrid. One plant produces 5 kg of round fruits weighing over 100 g each. 6. Verlioka F1 - one and a half meter, early ripening hundred-year-old with round fruits up to 100 g each and 5 kg per bush. This tomato is great for canning and fresh salads. As the personal experience of gardeners proves, the most productive varieties of tomatoes for a greenhouse are numerous: their list can include dozens of other hybrids and varieties of tomatoes, even for one region. INTERESTING NEW VARIETIES 1. Siberian F1 - a late-ripening, single-stem hybrid with unlimited growth produces a yield of up to 5 kg in 4.5 months. Its flat-round, smooth, aromatic tomatoes are unique in size - up to 2.8 kg, and their taste is harmonious, dessert. The plant is not susceptible to diseases such as cladosporiosis and fusarium. 2. Ural F1: This indeterminate tomato with unlimited growth for the Ural region will produce the first tasty, sweet tomatoes for salads in just 4 months. Up to 25 flat-round fruits weighing 350 g grow on 1 bush. 3. Shaolin F1 is a plant with a medium ripening period: after 115 days, the first large (up to 400 g), pink, beautiful tomatoes, intended for salad purposes, ripen on powerful low bushes. Their pulp is tender, juicy, as if melting, with an abundance of provitamin A. The average yield is 10 kg per plant. Kamchatka F1 is a one and a half meter mid-season (110 days before fruiting) variety with attractive and tasty round fruits weighing up to 150 g, stored for up to 2 months. The hybrid is resistant to all viral pathogens dangerous to these plants. All of these listed productive varieties of tomatoes for greenhouses have already been appreciated by experienced vegetable growers and are leaders in the sale of seeds, especially since they are not very demanding on care. GREENHOUSE RUSH TOMATOES (We collect their fruits with tassels, like grapes in clusters). This type is gaining well-deserved popularity. Breeders have successfully bred the following hybrids: Fatalist, Fan, Vladimir and others. FEATURES: - A valuable feature of this type is its high strength: we can transport the crop anywhere, but the tomatoes do not spoil or crack. - The fruits on the cluster are often the same size: 100 - 200 g. - Such greenhouse tomatoes with clusters are absolutely resistant to the diseases characteristic of these plants, so we do not have to spend money on purchasing various preventive chemicals. THE MOST POPULAR Of course, it is almost impossible to list all the high-yielding varieties of tomatoes for the greenhouse - after all, breeders delight us with their new achievements. Among them, De Barao red and Hybrid Ivanhoe F1 stand out. It is believed that these varieties in a greenhouse produce over 20 kg of fruit from 1 bush. DE BARAO - For De Barao, the norm is 30 kg per plant, and the record is 70 kg. - Even in open ground, this variety, under normal conditions and proper care, produces 10 kilograms per bush in the hot summer. - Its smooth fruits are of medium size with a weight of 150 g and are very tasty fresh and canned. - However, the hybrid is very demanding on the microclimate and grows poorly on infertile, heavy clay or loamy soils. - Breeders have pleased gardeners with original early varieties of tomatoes for greenhouses, which are not inferior in yield. But they have a different color, indicated in their very name: De Barao yellow, pink or black. SEMKO-SINBAD F1 One of the most popular early ripening hybrids was Semko-Sinbad F1. - In terms of early ripening, it is not inferior to the Hurricane variety, in which the first tomatoes turn red already on the 80th day from the seedlings pecking. - Ovaries on the plant are also formed without additional measures. Its inflorescence contains 8 red fruits weighing up to 100 g with an average yield of about 10 kg per 1 sq. m. HYBRID IVENGO F1 The new salad tomato surprises with its productivity: the fruits on its clusters are like on a well-groomed bunch of grapes. - All tomatoes are bright red and do not shrink closer to the top of the bush, providing excellent harvest without the use of growth stimulants. - The taste of the fruits of this hybrid is much better than other greenhouse counterparts, and the bush itself is large, with powerful thick stems. - Ivanhoe, with its high yield, practically does not get sick and is resistant to fungi, tomato mosaic, nematode, and verticillium. - Particularly valuable for lovers of natural farming: it gives an excellent harvest without the use of chemicals. - And this variety actually has no disadvantages, only the price of its seeds is higher. And we won’t put tomatoes in regular jars - they are very large. ALHAMBRA Its excellent productivity is successfully combined with another advantage - the brushes do not refract. - The taste of tomatoes is excellent. - This variety bears maximum fruit in heated greenhouses from April to January, forming ten-meter vines. CARE OF HIGH YIELD TOMATOES We monitor the load of plants directly with fruits and regulate it in a timely manner, taking into account the characteristics of the variety. FEEDING 1. It is advisable to carry out agrotechnical regulation of the development of bushes only with their balanced nutrition. 2. Please note! Experience shows that it is better to limit nitrogen before the formation of the first bunch of fruit, especially in plants with vegetative development. 3. 1 week before planting the seedlings in the garden greenhouse, stop feeding them, and after planting, we will do the first feeding in 2 weeks. 4. During the growing season, we regularly add, as the instructions recommend, phosphorus and potassium (wood ash is well suited for this purpose, and to simplify the process of feeding plants, it is best to immediately add 2 large handfuls of ash into each hole immediately when planting seedlings), during flowering It is advisable to sprinkle the same wood ash around each tomato bush (this will also help protect the plants from verticillium wilt). Next, when the fruits set on the first two clusters, it is necessary to apply nitrogen liquid fertilizers for active growth of the fruits. During this period, we feed with a solution of mullein or bird droppings, and an infusion of weeds with an EM preparation is also good. 5. In case of excessive vegetation, we apply root feeding with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate. 6. With accelerated generative development, we will make 2 feedings with fermented weeds - this will speed up the ripening of unexpectedly numerous fruits in cool weather. CARING FOR SEARCHES - Shoots will appear in a week, and we will reduce the temperature to +18C. - Water with warm, settled water once every 3 days. - To rid the sprouts of root rot, we use biological products. - When a true leaf appears, place the seedlings one at a time in plastic or peat pots. CARE OF PLANTS - We place seedlings in a row on the ground every 50 centimeters, and between their rows - 60 cm. - Please note! Seedlings of large-fruited tomatoes are placed in heated shelters 50 days after germination, and in unheated shelters in May. - Add 0.5 kg of humus into the hole. - We will tie up the overgrown bushes with a trellis, thrown over a 5 mm wire stretched along the rows. - Next, we simply twist the trellis with our own hands as the bush grows, water it, and after flowering, feed it with ready-made balanced organic matter 2 times a month. - We will tie up large-fruited tomatoes - these high-yielding varieties need such support. - We regularly remove shoots from the leaf axil. - We collect fruits that are brown, since their complete redness depletes the plant. CONCLUSION - Experienced gardeners experiment with several varieties of tomatoes at once, because a specific soil and region have their own productive hybrids. - When choosing varieties, we take into account the characteristics of the greenhouse and growing conditions. - Traditional and proven greenhouse tomatoes are good, but new varieties are more hardy and productive with easy care. - We buy large packages of the selected variety and plant half of the seeds; if the result is successful, we sow the remaining seeds for the next year.