Garden Q&A: Don't plant zucchini deeply; give it light (2024)
I grew zucchini plants from seed, and they are very healthy but kind of tall and lanky. Can I plant them deeply, like you can tomatoes?
Zucchini is a member of the squash family. If you plant them more deeply, they will not grow roots like tomato plants will. Instead, they will probably rot below the soil line.
Your seedlings were stretching for light. Growing seeds indoors requires an artificial light. To keep them growing compactly, plants need 14 hours of light. It would be hard to get that many hours of light at a window before June.
Most gardeners use regular fluorescent bulbs for seedlings. If you use a two-bulb fixture, using one warm light bulb and one cool light bulb, it will provide the full light spectrum for the plants and closely imitate nature.
The artificial light must be very close to the plants. 3 to 6 inches above the plants will keep the leaves flooded with light. Having your light on an adjustable chain makes it easy to move the light as the plants grow taller.
Growing them under light makes seedlings grow faster and stay healthier in an artificial home environment.
Your lanky zucchini will be fine. You may find the longer stem gets a little woody, but it won't cause any problems. Remember to watch the stem for signs of borers, one of the main pests of squash family plants.
I planted carrots and they haven't come up. They were new seeds. Do you think they might have been defective seeds?
It's more likely a problem with the weather. Carrots grow best at temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees, and we've seen precious little of that so far this year.
Resow them. Make sure you just barely cover the seed. Moisten the soil gently to ensure you don't wash the seeds away.
Then cover the seeds with a piece of cardboard or wood. This will help the soil surface to stay evenly moist.
Make sure you thin the seedlings while they are still small. This is always hard for gardeners to do, since the seedlings you pull are wasted. You can try transplanting them, but they are very delicate, and few will survive. Still, the thinning is necessary to ensure the carrots have enough room to grow and expand.
Becky Wern is a master gardener with the Duval County Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS.
The Cucurbitaceae (/kjuːˌkɜːrbɪˈteɪsiːˌiː/), also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera.
. If you plant them more deeply, they will not grow roots like tomato plants will. Instead, they will probably rot below the soil line. Your seedlings were stretching for light.
Too much sun, and your squash will send out an SOS with bleached, washed-out leaves. Sunburn rears its ugly head in the form of white, yellow, or brown blotches, and the leaves might get crispy, like they've been in the oven too long.
Potatoes can also spread diseases such as late blight, which can also affect zucchinis. Cucumbers and pumpkins should not be planted next to zucchinis as they belong to the same family (Cucurbitaceae) and therefore attract similar pests and diseases.
Where to Plant Zucchini. Zucchini needs full sun (at least 6 to 8 hours) and consistently moist soil that is high in organic matter. Some zucchini varieties are vining types that require a trellis or a lot of room to sprawl. There are also bush types suitable for container gardening and small space gardening.
A 1-foot raised bed is more than enough to accommodate a salad garden box plan. Carrots, radishes and peppers thrive with 12 inches or more. Medium-rooting vegetables like kale, cucumbers, and zucchini love at least 18 inches.
Yes, and yes! Coffee beans are rich in minerals such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. Phosphorus and potassium improve yields, and nitrogen is involved in photosynthesis, which helps plants grow faster. Ground coffee is excellent for both house and garden plants.
Zucchinis need to be planted in an area that receives full sun, meaning 6 or more hours of direct sun each day. Southern exposure is ideal for most sun-loving vegetables where they receive light during the majority of the day but are protected from the strongest afternoon sun.
Zucchini has a reputation for being an ultra-prolific summer producer. But if you grow zucchini too close together, your crop may suffer. Zucchini plants can grow quite large, and it's hard to imagine that when you're looking at a single small seed or young plant.
Zucchini and tomatoes can be grown as close neighbors and will make satisfactory companion plants. Both vegetables thrive in the same environmental conditions, so a garden plot that is ideal for one plant is therefore ideal for the other. They both need a location with full sun and benefit from nutrient-rich soil.
Zucchini can offer some shade and ground cover for peppers and the two crops grow well together. Peppers do not add any specific benefit for zucchini, but you can grow both together and have a good crop of both.
So what do Eggshells do? By placing them below tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and squash, the slow release of calcium will ensure that they do not suffer from blossom end rot otherwise known as (BER). Blossom End Rot occurs when the plant is lacking calcium. Eggshells also help to deter slugs.
Plant seeds an inch deep, 4 to 5 seeds per hill. If you're planting in rows, add 2 to 3 seeds per hole and 36 inches apart. If planting in hills, thin to 2 to 3 plants per hill once seedlings emerge.
They prefer a full sun position during Spring and Autumn for warmer climates. Cooler climates can grow zucchini in full sun during Summer, but for warmer climates grow zucchini in a protected area in semi-shade from the hottest temperatures. In the tropics grow zucchini from late Autumn to early Spring.
That increases the odds of pollination. Other summer squashes and pumpkins will also pollinate zucchini. Keep in mind that zucchini are self-fertile, so you don't need multiple plants for pollination. But having more than one can improve fruit set.
Sow seeds 2.5 cm (1″) deep and sow 5-6 seeds per hill or 5 cm (2″) apart. Plants should be spaced/thinned to 2 or 3 of the strongest plants per hill or 15 cm (6″) apart. Rows should be spaced 1.5-1.8 m (5-6′) apart.
A zucchini plant takes approximately 45 and 55 days to start flowering, after which you'll notice the fruit start to grow. Zucchini plants thrive in loose, fertile, and well-drained soil; note that planting zucchini in small hills or mounds is also important for success.
Squash grow well in mounds, so hill up some soil and plant three to five seeds per mound. plant seeds 1 inch deep in mounds set 4 feet apart after all danger of frost has passed. Squash can be started indoors three to four weeks before the last frost date.
Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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