How to plant zucchini in the spring. Planting zucchini with seeds in open ground and for seedlings, the timing and planting scheme proper care. Where is it better to plant zucchini: soil, optimal planting site

Zucchini is one of the most popular vegetables that can be found in the garden. It is unpretentious in cultivation, and a large number of culinary masterpieces are prepared from its fruits. In Russia, due to climatic conditions, seedlings are planted. IN open ground grown plants are planted so that the fruits have time to ripen before harvest.

Growing seedlings of zucchini at home is not as scary and difficult as it seems at first glance. Even novice gardeners are able to cope with this task. But in any case, zucchini seeds and soil for them require careful preparation, and young seedlings need care and attention. Only if the required conditions are met will it be possible to grow strong plants that will bear fruit well.

When to plant zucchini for seedlings

Planting zucchini for seedlings is carried out in strict accordance with the varietal characteristics of plants, and also depends on the climate of the region where they will be grown. Planting zucchini seeds begins in April or May - a month before the seedlings move into open ground.

Selection and preparation of soil for seedlings

The best option for cultivating squash seedlings will be a nutrient soil that has a neutral pH or a slightly alkaline environment. The soil mixture is prepared independently, or purchased ready-made in the store. In the latter case, the choice should be made in favor of the soil for pumpkin crops.

Home soil is prepared from peat and sod land with the addition of humus and sawdust (the ratio of all these ingredients is 5:2:2:1). An acidic substrate is recommended to be mixed with a small amount of ash or chalk.

Soil preparation consists in its disinfection. The easiest way is to shed the earth with boiling water - this is an excellent preventive measure against a disease such as a black leg.

The prepared soil is placed in washed pots, having a diameter of about 8-10 cm and a depth of about 10-15 cm. The container should have drainage holes. It is also convenient to use peat pots.

Seed processing and preparation

After the preparation of the soil and containers is completed, they deal directly with the seeds themselves. They are sorted, during which non-viable and empty instances are removed. To do this, the seeds can be dipped in salted water and see which ones come up (the ones that come up are unsuitable for planting, they are caught and thrown away).

Then the selected seeds are kept in water with a temperature of about 50 degrees for 5 hours. After such a "bath", it is recommended to lower them for about 5 minutes in cold water. This measure is an excellent prevention against the fungus.

Planting material can also be kept in a solution of potassium permanganate for about 20 minutes. After this treatment, it needs to be rinsed with clean water.

In order for the seeds to wake up, they need to be heated up to 10-12 hours on a battery or for several days in the sun. Next, you need to do the germination of zucchini seeds - for this, the planting material is placed on a moistened cloth. Gauze cannot be used, as the roots in it will definitely get tangled and can break off. Sprouted seeds require immediate planting.

Usually the seeds bought in the store have already gone through necessary training. This is indicated on the packaging with them. Preparation of zucchini seeds for sowing in this case is not required.

Sowing seeds

Planting zucchini seeds for seedlings is carried out in a moist soil mixture. To do this, the soil laid on 2/3 in pots is spilled warm water. Each seed is placed lying down to a depth of 2-3 cm (usually 1-2 seeds are placed in one container). It is not worth planting zucchini vertically - they will not be able to germinate. Next, the seeds are sprinkled with soil and again spilled with water, and the container is closed with polyethylene.

seedling care

Growing seedlings of zucchini is a responsible occupation. If small seedlings are not properly cared for at home after planting, then a good harvest can not be expected.

Before the appearance of the first sprouts, it is required in the room where the container with plantings stands to withstand a temperature of about 18-24 degrees. Watering during this period is carried out approximately once every 7 days, with warm water.

As soon as the first shoots appear above the ground, the film is removed from the container, and the seedling containers themselves are placed in a bright and slightly cooler room. The optimum temperature is about 15-18 degrees during the day, and at night - about 13-15. When the sprouts become older, the temperature indicators are maintained at around 17-22 degrees in the daytime and up to 13-17 at night.

Lighting should be stable and sufficient, so you can place the container on the windowsill. A screen made of foil and installed around the seedlings will help increase the amount of light so that it reflects the light coming from the window and directs it to the bushes.

Air humidity must be maintained within moderate limits. If the room is too dry, then a damp cloth is placed on the heating radiator.

If 2 sprouts sit in pots, then the frailest of them should be cut off at the very root with scissors. It is not necessary to pull it out, since during such a removal it can also damage a strong plant.

Watering is done every 10 days. Water is supplied under the root, it should not fall on the leaves. Consumption - about a liter for 8 pots.

Approximately 7 days after the appearance of green shoots, zucchini is fertilized. Top dressing is made with carbamide and superphosphate, which are diluted in an amount of 0.5 tbsp. l. / l of warm water. Secondary fertilizer is applied 10 days after the first top dressing, this time it is prepared from nitrophoska and ash (0.5 tablespoons each), diluted in 1 liter of water. Any fertilizers are applied only after preliminary watering, otherwise there is a risk of damaging the root system of seedlings.

If the zucchini stretches significantly during growth, then the top of the plant needs to be pinched. It is also recommended to pour soil into the container, this will allow the roots to develop more actively and form additional roots on the stem that has gone under the soil layer.

About a week before planting seedlings on the street, it is recommended to harden it. To do this, containers with seedlings are taken out in the daytime to fresh air, first for a short time, and then left for a longer period.

Planting seedlings of zucchini on the site

Planting seedlings of zucchini on the street is carried out no earlier than 2-4 pairs of full-fledged leaves appear in the sprouts, that is, at the age of about 25-30 days. It is not recommended to overexpose the bushes, as they will begin to turn yellow and die.

When can seedlings be planted outdoors?

Zucchini are planted in open ground in the period from May to July. The main thing is to evaluate the varietal characteristics and the timing of fruit ripening, as well as climatic conditions and choose the landing time according to these factors. The air temperature should be around 15 degrees.

In order to collect fresh fruits at different times and extend the fruiting period, it is recommended to plant seedling bushes at different times, in parts.

Site selection and garden preparation

For a zucchini, a place well lit by the sun, but at the same time having protection from the wind, is ideal. Groundwater should be low. The best soil for zucchini - one that contains a lot of humus, fertile. Plants will also grow on depleted soils, but it will not be possible to wait for abundant fruiting from them.

Good precursors for zucchini are potatoes, onions, tomatoes, eggplants, cabbage, and various green manure herbs. But after cucumbers and pumpkins, this vegetable grows well and will not bear fruit. Even being next to them, the plant will have problems with growth and development.

It is not worth growing zucchini in the same place all the time. These plants quickly deplete soils.

The preparation of the beds is as follows: 14 days before planting the seedlings, the soil is dug up to the depth of the shovel bayonet (about 25 cm). Then you need to apply fertilizer. This can be a self-prepared mixture of compost or humus, sawdust, ash (2 cups), superphosphate (2 tablespoons), potassium sulfate (1 tablespoon), carbamide (1 tablespoon). In this amount, substances are applied to 1 m 2 of soil. You can fertilize the soil in autumn or spring.

How to plant seedlings in open ground

Zucchini seedlings are planted in open ground according to a certain scheme - usually it is given on the package with seeds. It must be remembered that between the rows of plants should remain 1-1.5 m free space. In general, more than 3 bushes cannot be planted per 1 m 2, otherwise they will be cramped.

The landing is made in cloudy weather. A small amount of ash and humus is placed in each prepared well, and the pits themselves are spilled with water. The plant, together with a clod of earth, is removed from the container or placed in a hole right in a peat pot to the level of the cotyledon leaves. Next, the hole is covered with soil, which is lightly compacted and mulched.

In the event of a threat of frost, plantings must be covered with polyethylene or plastic bottles.

Caring for zucchini on the site

Zucchini is not capricious, and it is easy to care for them in the open field. It is only important to carry out the basic procedures - this is watering, fertilizing, weeding and loosening the soil.

Watering

Watering zucchini is required under the root with water warmed up in the sun (22-25 degrees). The procedure is performed in the evening. During the hot season, you can water the bushes daily. Until the formation of ovaries, about 10-12 liters of water are spent on 1 bush. Grown zucchini with large leaves is irrigated every few days, depending on weather conditions. The main thing is not to overmoisten the plantings. The frequency of watering increases from the moment the fruits appear.

Weeding and loosening

The more airy the soil, the better it passes warm air, which is important for the proper development of zucchini. So that there is no hard earthen crust around the plants, the soil is regularly loosened. The process is combined with weeding and weed removal and is done about 2-3 times throughout the season. Hilling is carried out no earlier than 5 leaves are formed in the plants.

Feeding

Zucchini loves fertilizers made from weeds. They are collected, placed in a barrel, filled with water and, stirring occasionally, insist for a week. Then the mixture is filtered and diluted with water (1:8). With this infusion, zucchini is watered 14 days after planting seedlings. Re-feeding is done after 7 days. Herbal infusion is allowed to alternate with the introduction of manure, diluted in water (1:10) and infused for several days in the sun. The third time fertilizers are applied when the ovaries appear. Only this time, ash (1 cup) and superphosphate (1 tbsp) are added to the herbal infusion (10 l).

Expert opinion

Maria Vlasova

gardener

Ask an expert

Zucchini is an unpretentious plant, characterized by good germination and excellent fruiting rates. Even novice summer residents can grow it, but it is imperative to follow all the rules for caring for it.

Zucchini is a member of the pumpkin family, so planting it in the place where its closest relatives (especially cucumbers) took root before them last season is undesirable. This sequence leads to a decrease in yield, and the likelihood that the zucchini will get sick is quite high. The best predecessors are potatoes, beets, carrots, onions and greens. , make sure that the zucchini does not return to its original place for 5 years.

You can plant seeds directly in open soil, but you can also plant them in seedlings. There is an opinion that vegetables grown on bushes planted with seeds in the ground are stored longer without losing their taste and vitamin qualities. However, the use of seedlings allows you to harvest more crops due to the earlier maturation of the first squash.

Zucchini: planting and care, or helping seeds grow big and small!

Before planting zucchini, their seeds must be soaked and kept for three days in a damp bag. They can also be hardened to prepare for temperature extremes. To do this, the accumulated moisture, but not germinated seeds, are cooled to zero Celsius and left at this temperature for two days.

They can also be subjected to heating: they are left on a sunny windowsill for 5–7 days or kept for 6 hours at a temperature of 50–60 ° C.

Zucchini seeds are laid in light soil by 5–6 cm. In heavier soil by 3–4 cm. Two bushes can freely coexist per 1 m 2. 2-3 seeds are placed in one hole, after which they are covered with earth. Excess sprouts are removed after germination. To avoid the formation of a crust on the surface of the earth, it should be mulched with humus or peat. Seeds of zucchini sprout already at a low plus temperature of 8–9 °C, and the most favorable temperature for development and growth is 20–22 °C. Seed germination persists for 5–8 years.

How to plant zucchini through seedlings - with tenderness and love

To grow seedlings, you will need separate containers for each plant. Paper cups, peat pots, kefir cardboard packaging, etc. are perfect for this. Why paper and cardboard, you will understand a little later, after reading the text.

Zucchini seeds are prepared before sowing in the same way as the seeds of other vegetable crops. Sowing begins in late April - early May. For seedlings, you can use ready-made soil mixture purchased at the store, or make it yourself. The soil mixture consists of soddy soil, compost, sawdust and peat, which are mixed in proportions of 2: 2: 1: 6, respectively. To enrich the soil with microelements, 5-6 grams of ammonium nitrate, ½ cup of ash, 15-20 grams of superphosphate and 8-10 grams of potassium sulfate are added to a bucket of the mixture.

Pots with soil mixture are poured with boiling water to destroy the larvae of pests, and when the contents have cooled, the seeds are sown to a depth of 2-3 cm so that the root is pointing down. Before the first shoots must be observed temperature regime in the region of 18–25 °С, after which the temperature is reduced to 15–20 °С. Seedlings like a lot of sunlight, so they need to be kept close to the window, otherwise the plants will be weak.

In order for the planting of zucchini in open ground to be painless, you do not need to shake out the seedlings from the pot, but simply place it in the prepared hole 2-3 cm below the soil level. Every plant loves to be given time, and zucchini is no exception. If you use it with warm water, trying not to touch the leaves, cut off aging branches in a timely manner, weed, feed with organic matter and various mineral fertilizers, then the harvest will certainly please you!

What summer resident did not plant zucchini for seedlings on his plot? Zucchini is a member of the gourd family. In the beds of summer residents and gardeners - they are sought-after residents. Housewives make a variety of dishes from these vegetables. It will not be difficult to bring zucchini in the garden, you just need to follow certain rules.

Thanks to the right agricultural technology, amateur gardeners achieve the best results. Zucchini are unpretentious, but it will be more convenient to grow them through seedlings. Especially if you need to collect early harvest. This article will discuss how to grow zucchini seedlings and the timing of planting zucchini through seedlings in open ground.

Choosing a variety of zucchini for planting

Sowing seeds in open soil, or planting zucchini for seedlings? This will depend on 2 factors. The first is the selected variety. The second is weather conditions and climatic conditions in different regions. In the southern Russian regions, gardeners immediately plant zucchini with seeds in the garden. As for the Central regions, the Urals, Siberia and the Moscow region, for an early harvest, it is advisable to grow seedlings of zucchini.

To get acquainted with the features of care, the timing and process of sowing zucchini, you need to figure out how not to make a mistake when buying seeds. These vegetables are of three types.

1. The first includes white-bearing.
2. To the second - yellow-fruited.
3. The third type is zucchini, the fruits of which are green.

Differences between species in taste and keeping quality. Zucchini is considered to be the most stale. This variety of zucchini can be stored until mid-January and even longer if all conditions are created for this. Ordinary white zucchini is not given to be stored for a long time. But they have a "plus", having a delicate taste. But the fruits of yellow and green color have a tougher pulp.

In addition, varieties of zucchini, depending on the ripening period, are:

• early term maturation (early);
• mid-early;
• late deadline maturation.

Recommendation! In the event that the packaging label does not contain information about belonging to the variety (should be indicated), then you need to focus on how long the zucchini has to ripen. Starting from the emergence of seedlings, and until full maturity (when the first ripened fruits are harvested). If we are talking about early zucchini, this period will be up to 50 days. If this is medium-early, then about 56 days. Varieties of zucchini, which are classified as late-ripening, have a longer growing season.

In shops and markets there are varietal and hybrid types of zucchini. Hybrids have a feature. This is a longer growing season. Usually hybrids are foreign seeds. They have their positives. They don't tend to outgrow.

They can be chosen by lovers of the delicate taste of young fruits. Hybrid varieties of zucchini have a thin skin. They have a larger volume of pulp because the fruit has a smaller seed chamber. Suitable for planting in open soil in the South and in the Center of the country.

Gardeners in the northern regions of the Russian Federation should give preference to cold-resistant varieties that have a short growing season. In the north, it is difficult to grow hybrid varieties in open soil, it is convenient to grow them in greenhouses.

When it comes to buying zucchini seeds, you need to pay attention to whether the seeds have been pre-treated or not.

This information is usually found on the packaging. If the seeds have been treated with fungicides, they will be colored. They do not need to be further treated for fungal infections. It happens that zucchini seeds are sold already completely ready to be planted.

They are already covered with dry salts and nutrients. This processing is called "dragging". The name is given in appearance, because the seeds are similar to dragees. They have a "plus" - no additional processing is required. But there is a “minus” - such seeds cannot be stored for a long time.

What are the advantages of planting zucchini through seedlings

The main "pluses" of planting seedlings of zucchini in open soil:

• Features of the characteristics of the plant are preserved. You can accurately calculate how many bushes there will be.
• The harvest will be obtained even in those regions where the climate is cold and the summer is short.
• You can get an early harvest of zucchini. Since seedlings have a more powerful stress resistance than planting from seeds directly into open ground, as a result, the fruits will turn out to be of high quality, and the culture will not succumb to diseases.

When to sow zucchini seeds for seedlings

Each gardener must decide for himself the timing of planting zucchini seeds for seedlings. It is necessary to take into account what kind of zucchini, and what climate zone. As a rule, all the information to calculate the sowing date is contained on the package of seeds.

But it is advisable, nevertheless, to take into account the specifics of the region where zucchini is to be grown.

Seeds are planted for seedlings, starting from the 15th of April, and ending in the second half of May. The warmer the climatic conditions of the region of residence, the earlier they start sowing zucchini seeds for seedlings.

When determining the planting time, take into account that seedlings of zucchini should be planted in open soil 25 to 30 days after the first shoots appear. It should be noted that by the time the zucchini were planted on the beds, the weather should be consistently warm, and there were no frosts at night.

If this is a non-chernozem zone, then in order to get an early harvest, seeds for warm beds with cellophane cover are sown in April, somewhere around the 20th. The deadline for planting seedlings of zucchini is May 20-25.

If you have to sow seeds for seedlings for open ground, then this process is best done on May 5-10. After the threat of night frosts has passed, the seedlings are planted in the soil.

Usually this is the first decade of June. If a seedless method is used, the seeds are sown on warm beds under a plastic cover from May 20 to 25, and in open soil from June 5 to 10.

Zucchini seeds should be prepared for planting

How to prepare seeds

There are many methods: how to prepare squash seeds for sowing. The easiest way is to make sure that the seeds stay, in the air, under sunbeams and dried well. Some people prefer to warm the seeds near the battery for one and a half to two months.

In other words, zucchini seeds need to be warmed up before planting on seedlings. Its duration will depend on the temperature. Seeds must be disinfected. To do this, make a manganese solution. Seeds are placed there, for 20 minutes.

After that, the seeds are washed using cold water. Then the seeds are laid out on a wet cloth or cellophane. Placed in a warm place. During the day they are aired from 3 to 5 times. In order for the immunity of zucchini seeds to become stronger, they must be hardened. To do this, place the seeds on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 3 days.

Zucchini sprouts are very tender. For this reason, they should not be allowed to grow up to 5 millimeters, and it is better to sow seeds that have swollen. In this state, they are placed, for a certain time, in the refrigerator.

Selection and preparation of soil for seedlings of zucchini

For the cultivation of seedlings of zucchini, the best option- nutrient soil. It should have a neutral acidity index or a slightly alkaline environment. You can prepare the soil yourself, or you can buy it ready-made in the store.

• If you have to buy a soil mixture, then you need to buy the soil that is intended for pumpkin crops.
• If you have to make soil, at home, you need to take peat and sod land. Add humus, sawdust (in proportion 5:2:2:1).
• Acidic soil mixture is advised to be mixed with ash and chalk (in small quantities)

What does preparing the soil for sowing zucchini include? This is a disinfection procedure. The easiest way is to take boiling water and pour it over the soil. This method will be an excellent preventive measure against black skin. This is a common disease that affects squash.

The prepared soil mixture is poured into containers with a diameter of approximately 8 to 10 cm and a depth of 10 to 15 cm. Pots prepared for growing seedlings should have holes for drainage. Many gardeners like to use peat pots.

It is convenient to grow seedlings of zucchini in peat pots, one in each container

Sowing zucchini seeds for growing seedlings

Experienced gardeners grow zucchini seeds in separate containers. More often, pots are used for these purposes, the size of which is 10X10 cm. As a drainage, it is preferable to use sphagnum (crushed), steamed sawdust.

In each pot, holes are made at the bottom. After that, you can already fall asleep inside the soil mixture.

A seed that has sprouted is planted to a depth of 3 to 4 cm. Then the ground is lightly tamped. If the summer resident is not sure of the excellent quality of the material for planting, it makes sense to plant 2 seeds each. That will be more reliable. The pot should be warm, covered with polyethylene until the zucchini seeds sprout.

As soon as sprouts appear, the pot is moved to a window well lit by sunlight. There is a category of gardeners who prefer to grow zucchini seedlings in boxes filled with sawdust. Lay the film on the bottom. A layer of steamed sawdust is laid on top of them, a 10-centimeter layer. It is desirable that there is humus at the bottom. Its layer should be small.

On a flat surface, you need to draw trenches. Between them there should be a distance of 4 to 5 cm. Humus is laid out at the bottom of the box, in a small layer. Planting seeds is carried out at a distance of 3 centimeters from each other.

Sawdust is poured from above again. They need to be watered with a mixture containing macro and microelements. After the appearance of cotyledon leaves on the sprouts, zucchini is transplanted. 60 minutes before picking, it is necessary to water the squash seedlings. It will not be difficult to pull the roots out of the sawdust without violating their integrity.

Grow zucchini, observing the required temperature regime:

1. before shoots appear, the temperature is maintained at a level of +18 to +24 degrees;
2. as soon as sprouts appear, during the day the temperature for seedlings of zucchini should be from +15 to +18 degrees, and at night from 13 to 15. This temperature indicator should be kept for 4 days in a row;
3. before planting zucchini in the soil, in the daytime the temperature should be from +17 to +22 degrees, and at night - from 13 to 17 degrees.

The necessary conditions cannot be observed if the plant stands on the windowsill. That is why it is advisable to choose a window on the south side of the room. There you can make some kind of mini-greenhouse.

Using a cellophane film, separate it from the room. Through the window you need to regulate the air regime. It is desirable that additional lighting be installed using fluorescent bulbs.

Greenhouse seedlings: how to grow seedlings of zucchini in greenhouses

In greenhouses, growing squash seedlings is easier and more efficient. If the greenhouse is also heated, this is a great option! Only here, at first, a plant germinated in pots is planted.

After germination of sprouts, after 7 days, top dressing must be applied to the soil. To do this, use mullein in a ratio of 1:10.

Before planting seedlings of zucchini in open soil, three days before this process, the earth is watered with a mixture. This is a diluted chicken manure.

Culture will benefit from periodic spraying with Epin. This is an excellent tool that stimulates plant growth.

Zucchini is a heat-loving crop. That is why before planting them in open soil, it is desirable to harden them. At first, it would be nice to take them out for a while to the balcony, or to the street.

As soon as the zucchini have reached the age of 21 days, they are planted in open ground. At this time, they already have 2 or 3 leaves, and the root system is well developed. As a result of cultivation, one can hope for a healthy and abundant harvest if the roots were not damaged during planting. When the seedlings in pots have outgrown, they will take root with difficulty.

seedling care

It is not difficult to take care of squash seedlings. When the seedlings grew on the windowsill, on the south side, then it does not need additional lighting. If the plant is on the north side, in this case, be sure to install artificial lighting.

If the seedlings of zucchini are located on the east or west side, they need to create certain conditions.

They need 11 hours of daylight. Not less. It is important to control the volume of air entering through the vents. If cold air enters directly on the culture, it can lead to the death of tender young shoots.

Watering

Once the soil is dry, it should be watered. The top layer of soil must not dry out. For young tender plants, it is not desirable that the conditions of detention change dramatically.

The principle "everything should be in moderation" applies to watering squash seedlings. But it is not necessary to moisten the soil too much. For one pot, 100 ml is enough once every 5 days. If the weather is hot, then the seedlings need to be watered more often. For example, once every three days.

Spraying seedlings of zucchini is not necessary. The top layer of soil is not loosened so that young tender shoots are not damaged.

top dressing

Squash seedlings need top dressing. The first is carried out somewhere in 10 days after the sprouts appear. Under one plant, you need to add mullein (50 ml). The infusion should be weak, in a ratio of 1:10. It is good to use a solution of urea. It is prepared like this: 0.5 tsp. for one liter of water.

The second option is to buy ready-to-use top dressing. It's called "Button". It is necessary to take 2 grams per 1 liter of water.

After 10 days, fertilize again. To prepare it, you need to take 1 liter of water. Dissolve nitrophoska and ash in it (0.5 tbsp each). It is advised to apply fertilizer for each crop. One and a half tablespoons per pot.

After a certain time, the plant must be sprayed with Epin Extra. This - good remedy stimulating growth. As soon as 2 or 3 true leaves appear, the seedlings are ready for planting.

Picking zucchini

Many beginner gardeners have a question: is it necessary to dive zucchini? Experts say no. Zucchini are those plants that react painfully to transplantation. That is why it is advisable to immediately sow them in individual pots, so that later they are not transplanted and do not damage the young sprouts of zucchini.

If it turns out that there are 2 or 3 shoots in the pot, only one of them should be left. Others need to be transplanted. This process can be called picking.

Seedlings of zucchini are planted in open ground only in the absence of frost.

Choosing a place and preparing beds for planting seedlings

A place that is well lit by the sun is great for zucchini. The main thing is that there is no wind. It is desirable that groundwater is low. The best soil for zucchini is fertile, in which there is a lot of humus. Of course, zucchini will grow on depleted soil. Just don't expect a big and healthy harvest.

Zucchini grows well in place of potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, various herbs - green manure. If the predecessors were pumpkin or cucumbers, good fruiting should not be expected. Even if these vegetables are neighbors of zucchini, they have on them Negative influence. Zucchini grow and develop poorly.

No need to grow zucchini every year in the same place. They don't like it. This is due to the peculiarity of the culture to quickly make the soil "poor".

How to prepare a bed for planting seedlings? 2 weeks before the moment of planting comes, the earth is dug up. The depth of the bayonet-shovel should be approximately 25 cm. After that, top dressing is applied.

You can also prepare the mixture yourself. It is made like this: compost (humus) + sawdust + ash (two glasses) + superphosphate (2 tablespoons) + potassium sulfate (one tablespoon) + carbamide (one tablespoon). This amount is enough to fertilize 1 sq.m of soil. The soil is fertilized either in autumn or in spring.

If there is a desire to save money, it is advised to apply a mixture of fertilizers into the pits for seedlings, mixing with soil. Then the hole must be watered using only warm water and covered with cellophane. In this state, the hole must be left in order until the moment of planting seedlings comes.

How to plant zucchini in open ground

Pits for seedlings should be done so that on one square meter plot had 3 plants. Not more. Between the rows, a distance of a meter and a half is observed. Before planting, humus and ash (in small quantities) should be placed in each hole, and mixed with UAH. After that, plant the seedlings along with an earthen clod. It is necessary to deepen to the cotyledon leaves. Fill the hole with earth. Tamp. Water.

Only when the weather is cloudy and warm outside, they plant squash seedlings in open soil. In the event that the threat of a return of frost is real, it is advisable to cover the seedlings with plastic bottles. The second option is to install metal arcs on the site, and cover them with a film. Seedlings will be covered. The soil must be loosened the day after planting.

Major diseases and pests

• Powdery mildew is the most common disease of all plants grown in vegetable gardens, and zucchini is one of them.

First, a plaque appears on the front side of the leaves, in the form of white spots. Then they move to the back side of the leaves. The disease progresses, affecting the shoots. As a result, the weakened plant dies. When the disease is in an advanced stage, and the disease affects the fetus.

Why does powdery mildew? As a rule, from changes in air temperature. Also due to the fact that dew appears on plants very often. If the soil is too wet, the pathogen will like it. In order to prevent powdery mildew from infecting zucchini, the seeds must be pickled before planting. For this, special solutions are made, and seeds are collected only from those bushes that will be absolutely healthy.

• Root rot is also considered insidious.

First, its goal is to hit the ends of the roots. Over time, it rises higher, on the neck. Disease strikes the culture different ages. The root system darkens. Cracking. The stem becomes a rotten stump. Cold, cloudy weather, a high soil moisture index, when groundwater rises high, provokes the disease.

• If the fruits were affected by bacteriosis, it is possible that the plants and soil were not properly fertilized with substances containing minerals.

It may also be that the plants were watered too cold. The disease first affects the top of the fetus. She hardens and dies. After a while, gradually, the disease moves to the stem. As a result, the site shows the presence of ugly and twisted fruits with spots of a dark brown hue.

• Pests that systematically “attack” zucchini are butterflies, scoops, slugs.

To fight them, many modern chemicals. They are allowed to be used to process plants in gardens and summer cottages.

To eliminate slugs and reduce their numbers, it is necessary to crush the ground, near the bush, with tooth powder or ash. To make traps for slugs, you can lay out wet rags. After a while, slugs are knocked out from the rags, and they are eliminated.

The fact that zucchini is not capricious in care is liked by many gardeners. In addition, this vegetable is tasty and healthy. If you follow all the established rules, you can harvest a plentiful and healthy harvest.

Video: How to sow zucchini seeds for seedlings, prepare soil, planting capacity

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Zucchini - thermophilic, herbaceous, annual vegetable crop with oblong, juicy and fleshy fruits. Appearance the plant itself, depending on, may vary and have a bush, long-leaf or semi-bush form. In addition, there are differences in the color of leaves, fruits and, of course, in taste.

It is grown by sowing seeds or transplanting grown sprouts into open ground and. The most promising way is the cultivation of zucchini through seedlings. In this case, marketable products can be obtained almost a month earlier, in comparison with the non-seedling method.

When to sow zucchini for seedlings?

For the middle lane, the timing of sowing seeds for growing zucchini seedlings varies:

• from April 20 to May 12-16 - early production;
• from 14 to 30 July - late harvests, the fruits are suitable for long-term storage and conservation.

For the cultivation of zucchini in greenhouses and under film shelters, seedlings are planted 15 days earlier than for growing plants in the garden.

Advice! Don't know when to sow zucchini for seedlings? - Take an interest in the weather forecast for the next month, in particular, you need to find out the expected air temperature. The optimal daytime temperature for transplanting seedlings into a greenhouse or open ground is +23 ° C, and at night +19 ° C, respectively, the period in which weather forecasters predict stable warm weather, with the right temperature and no threat of frost, can be considered best time for planting grown plants in the garden. From this date, you must subtract 30 days (the time from sowing the seeds to obtaining shoots with several true leaves), as a result, you get the best period for sowing zucchini for seedlings specifically for your region.

Features of growing seedlings of zucchini

1. When growing seedlings of zucchini on the windowsill:
   • south side - additional lighting is not required;
   • north side - installation is required;
   • west and east - it is desirable that the total duration of daylight hours be at least 11 hours.

Advice! Closely monitor the air masses coming from the street through the windows and transoms - cold air falling directly on the plants can destroy tender and, for the time being, weak shoots.

Important! Fertilizer is applied directly under each plant, a maximum of 1.5 tbsp. l. solution per container.

How to plant zucchini seedlings in open ground?

• 7–8 days before planting, the seedlings begin to carefully harden off, for this the pots are taken out into the street, kept there during daylight hours, and brought into the room at night.
• The fundamental point in deciding how to plant zucchini seedlings in open ground is correct scheme arrangement of plants - thickening is unacceptable, the bushes should not interfere with each other, otherwise about good harvests one can only dream.

Landing scheme in open ground:

1. the distance between long-branch and semi-bush crops is 70 × 90 cm, bush varieties 70 × 70 cm;
2. deepening - into the holes, to the cotyledon leaves.

• On the day of planting, prepare the holes and spill them with warm water (35 ° C).
• Root the plant, gently compact the earth around it, spill 1 liter of water per 1 sprout. Watering only basal, it is necessary to ensure that water does not fall on the leaves in any case.
• At first, until about June 19, at night, the ridges with seedlings should be covered with a non-woven protective material or film. This is done in order to exclude hypothermia and the death of shoots due to lack of heat or night frosts. In the morning, after warming up the air, the protective materials are removed.

How to grow seedlings of zucchini in the north?

Despite the fact that the northern summer is rather short, and the risk of an unexpected cold snap is high, farmers still successfully grow such a heat-loving and light-loving crop as zucchini. And they grow it mainly in seedlings. The question "How to grow seedlings of zucchini in the north?" - it’s not worth it, this technology is everywhere, and in middle lane, and in the northern regions, the difference in planting dates is the same, they are significantly shifted in time due to the climate.

Adviсe! For the northern regions, pick up, such as Roller, Beloplodny, Pharaoh, etc., they all have a short growing season, about 50 days before harvest, and high resistance to a slight decrease in air temperature. Cover the seedlings with protective materials at night and when it gets cold.

Greenhouse - arcs and covering material

• If possible, grow zucchini in a greenhouse, in the north this is especially true because of the risk of sudden cold weather, and it is much easier to cover and somehow insulate a greenhouse than a garden bed.
• Do not listen to well-wishers who are happy to give advice to everyone about when it is better to plant zucchini for seedlings. It is better when the temperature outside is optimal for the growth of zucchini, the soil substrate is prepared, containers for seedlings, fertilizers and, of course, the best seeds for your climate zone are selected.

Sowing zucchini seeds for seedlings - video