Growing Zucchini

RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Judith Repke (Guest Post) (09/09/2008) Yes, the same thing happened to me. I have heard friends that planted this squash and had so much they did not know what to do, so I thought it was easy to grow. I also had none. Another friend said she had none this year. I suspect too much rain--we had a lot more than usual and my garden spot is not real well drained and the soil is clayish. Also, I have been reading that the bees are in trouble and I did not see any around my plants when they were in flower. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Linda (Guest Post) (08/23/2008) Did you ever get the answer to your question on cutting back the leaves of the zucchini plant as it is taking over your garden? I am about ready to try it as I would also like to enjoy the other veggies in my garden. Next year the zucchini will have a garden on their own! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By James from Kelowna, BC (Guest Post) (08/17/2008) Hi All, First, just a comment. I see lots of questions, but not a lot of advice. Now, I have 4 zucchini plants in a 10 x 10 foot raised garden with a few other veggies (tomatoes, carrots, peas, onions, etc.). I had more zucchini plants but plucked a few to give these four room. Mine seem to be growing and producing well. I'm at the point that I can cut off an 8-10 inch zuc every couple of days. I also see a couple a week that turn yellow, wilt and die. I think this must be the natural life cycle...You'll always lose a few. My only question is: If I cut back some of the leaves to expose the flower to more sun, will this produce more zucs or just kill the plant? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Sarah (Guest Post) (07/23/2008) I've grown zucchini many times over the past few summers and can't keep up with the picking. I grow mine in a raised bed with excellent soil. I water every day for 15 minutes at 5pm. I live in Northern California in the western foothills so it's a moderate 70-80 degrees during the spring when I plant. So far this year I've picked over forty zucchinis none weighing less than ten pounds. I usually pick about five a week and make bread with it. i've had to make over a hundred loaves this year alone! Good thing my family and friends love it and it freezes well. My mother has a raised bed like I do (my husband built both) and she has fantastic soil too but her zucchini die at the gate, they are dinky and yellow and shriveled after only a day or two of growth. She has mushrooms though and I don't. Any suggestions on how to help her garden grow? Report Spam or Abuse General Zucchini Q's Post By Jennifer From Elkins Park, PA (Guest Post) (07/21/2008) Thank you for the information on Blossom End Rot. This is our first experience with a veggie garden and we are a little sad that our Zucchini haven't been happy. Because this is a brand new raised bed with organic mushroom compost and top soil mix, I'm pretty sure I'm over watering, but some of the leaves are all wilty looking. Are zucchini pretty drought tolerant? Before we ran into this problem we harvested 3 gorgeous foot long models. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Kat (Guest Post) (07/10/2008) I am a little confused. Is the fruit turning yellow and shriveling up at the flower end caused from to much water or from a lack of calcium? Please help. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Jeff (Guest Post) (07/08/2008) What happens is I guess at night, the water causes bad mushrooms to grow, which kills your plant. It happened to my corn. Here's some advice, I'm only 13 but thats not important, you should start by planting your zucchini in a pot and let I grow on there until you see the third leaf start to grow. Then transplant it to your garden and water it in the morning, just enough to get to the roots. It should grow very well. I already have two zucchinis growing. Some more advice for the other plants you bought, don't plant them close to each other they will fight until one dominates them for room, sunlight, and water. I hope this helps. ~Jeff Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post by jlg4112 (1) | (06/25/2008) Contact I will admit I am a novice gardener. Every year I grow several Zucs which gow like gangbusters producing great Zucs and then suddenly the plants die almost overnight with the main stems looking rotted. Is this some type of fungus or rot? Any ideas on how to prevent or a good safe product to use and when best to use? HELP!! Plants look great and are starting to produce but I am nervous. Thanks. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Linda (Guest Post) (06/22/2008) The first flowers are the male! They are supposed to be edible, but I've never fried them up. The second flowers are the female and amazingly enough they get fertilized by the male that have already bloomed. Be patient. They will come. There is a way to tell the difference between the male and female but it's very difficult (only they know!). The females have the ovary at the base of the flower, and that will bulge out and grow into a zucchini. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Nikita (Guest Post) (04/24/2008) I am doing a school project and am trying to find out the optimal exposure of sun to the plants, if you have a site or something that may help, it would be greatly appreciated. Email me at: ncran9 AT eq.edu.au. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By nico from canada (Guest Post) (10/23/2007) When the zucchini shrivel they did not get pollinated. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Leslie (Guest Post) (07/20/2007) I bought Zucchini plants and some started to grow and some are not growing at all. Everyone else I know have beautiful Zucchini. What can I do to make them grow? Please contact me at leslienmatt(at)yahoo(dot) com Thank You!! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Dan Jones (Guest Post) (07/09/2007) I hope someone can help me, I saw this question earlier but not the answer, is it o.k. to cut back some of the leaves or will it harm the plant? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Rebecca (Guest Post) (07/06/2007) The birds have eaten the flowers off my Zucchini before the fruit started to grow. The leaves and the plant are healthy, will it produce more flowers and fruit?? Report Spam or Abuse Blossom End Rot Zucchini Post By Brent Matherne. (Guest Post) (06/16/2007) I have been trying to grow my zucchini in my garden but every time a zuchini appears, it will get about 3 to 5 inches long and it will start to rot at the end. What is the problem because my plants are big and full, but some leaves are turning yellow and the stems are full of water. Help Editor's Note: That sounds like blossom end rot: "Blossom-end rot is caused by a lack of calcium in the developing fruit. It may be an indication that calcium is lacking in the soil or that the plant does not have the ability to take up adequate amounts of calcium from the soil. The following measures will help prevent blossom-end rot: * Test the soil and apply the recommended amount of lime before planting.(/li) * Mulch with 2 to 3 inches of materials such as grass clippings, pine straw and leaves. Mulching prevents rapid soil drying and allows roots to take up available calcium efficiently. * Do not overfertilize plants with nitrogen or potash. Excessive amounts of these nutrients depress the uptake of calcium. * Water plants during extended dry periods. * Add organic matter to the soil. This will help "loosen" clay soils and will improve the waterholding capacity of sandy soils. In either soil, organic matter will increase plant uptake of water and calcium. * Grow squash in raised beds to improve drainage. (Do not grow squash in raised beds in the sandy Central region.)" from hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic1321.htm Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Olwyn Vaz (Guest Post) (05/11/2007) I live in zone 2 and the night temperature in May is 2 degrees. Can I plant them outside? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Ed Beuchert (Guest Post) (08/03/2006) On lack of bees for pollination: it is easy to pollinate yourself. Just get a long artist's brush, stroke the male flower (the pollen will adhere) and stroke the inside of the female flower. The flowers are large so it is easy. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By orval (Guest Post) (07/24/2006) Does anyone know if cutting off those huge leaves will increase production of the zucchini fruit? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Ray (Guest Post) (07/24/2006) I have had similar problems and found that with less watering, my plants have produced many nice zuchini. Try less water.. I only water mine once a week if that. Good luck Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Ray (Guest Post) (07/24/2006) I have had similar problems and found that with less watering, my plants have produced many nice zuchini. Try less water.. I only water mine once a week if that. Good luck Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Roberta (Guest Post) (07/21/2006) Is there any way to thin my zucchini plants? They are covering the half the vegetable garden and shading the other herbs and lettuces. Can I cut the leaves off to allow more sun in? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Lora Henderson (Guest Post) (07/18/2006) I have some zucchini plants in pots and they seem to be doing really well, however, the leaves are pale and yellowing. I have a number of zucchinis coming on and have been watering and fertilizing. They are in a location that gets almost constant sun, next to a metal building - could it be too hot for them? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Jack M (Guest Post) (07/05/2006) I started to grow some really nice zucchini however now i am finding that they are liquifying from the end up to the stem, they are just melting away, and quickly. Does anyone have some help to offer? thank you Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By (Guest Post) (07/02/2006) I am having a seemingly different problem. The zucchinis start to grow and then begin rotting from the ends. Help?? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post by Kim in AZ (1) | (06/10/2006) Contact Help me out here...I have 2 vigorous zucchini plants, they flower well and produce fruit, however, many of the fruit quickly yellow from the blossom end and then begin to shrivel. There are some larger ones that have been on the vine for a while and seemed to be doing well enough but this morning even those are looking a bit yellow. Granted, I live in the land of serious sun (AZ)and high temps (been in the 100's all week) so I water frequently. Read a post about calcium which may be my next idea...where did you get the calcium and how did you administer it? Thanks folks for sharing all the info and will look to hear about other's tricks for dealing with the yellow zucchini problem! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Jerry (Guest Post) (06/01/2006) How much room does zucchini take up? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Darryl (Guest Post) (03/20/2006) lots of reasons.....soil too moist...soil ph wrong, had the same problem added calcium and got good results..... Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Lisa Fletcher (Guest Post) (08/07/2005) I have been growing zucchini for umpteen years- there are male and female flowers. First flowers to open are male, then come female flowers with baby fruits, and some male flowers open up along with the females. Also, it is normal for fruits to occaisionally "abort", even under the best circumstances. I pinch off the ones that are discolored and startng to shrivel as soon as I notice them. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Tomatoes Post By Carl (Guest Post) (07/27/2005) I have started growing tomatoes in a garden area between 2 houses. The sunlight isn't always the greatest however, I have 6 Jetstar tomato plants that have absolutely mutated to a height of 5ft. They recently produced some flowers that lasted 2 or 3 days then fell off. The plants are continuing to grow with no other immediate signs of producing fruit. Anyone have any advice? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Carl (Guest Post) (07/27/2005) Hi everyone, I am growing zucchini this summer, my plants seem healthy, I get lots and lots of flowers that stay for days (then fall off). So far 1 zucchini formed, got to about 8" long then stopped growing. I left it on the vine until I noticed the end broken off. When I examined the fruit I discovered many brown centepede style insects inside the fruit. Does anyone have any advice? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By (Guest Post) (07/27/2005) we planted green zuchini, but when we check on them there is both green and yellow is there any difference between the two? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post by ThriftyFun (3740) | (07/23/2005) Profile | Blog! | Contact Jennifer, It sounds like blossom end rot. Here's a Fact Sheet from the Clemson Extension Service about growing Summer Squashes that might help. http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1321.htm Susan from ThriftyFun Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post by Jennifer from Salzburg (1) | (07/23/2005) Contact I have a problem with my zucchini that I have growing on my terrace. The zucchini turns yellow on the end, then scrivels up before it matures. Could I be watering it too much? It gets plenty of sun, but I think I should have put it in a bigger pot (it's huge)! Any advice would be much appreciated! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Michael in Oregon (Guest Post) (07/18/2005) I believe I have similar problems with zucchini. I'm sure they are male and female because they produced a few and then stopped producing. They have good sun and plenty of the right kind of watering. Underground soaker hoses. Soil tests indicates right for this plant. Any other ideas other than absents of bees? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post by eternallight (2) | (07/15/2005) Contact I have very good luck with zuchini and have a wonderful recipe for using them if anyone is interested. It freezes real well too. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By gardengirl (Guest Post) (07/14/2005) I just looked up the same problem - it says that can happen when there are not enough bees pollinating. I'm going home and planting some flowers by mine - hoping to attract more bees. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Rachelle (Guest Post) (07/08/2005) Check to pH of your soil and add hydrated lime as for already established plants, if necessary. Also, be patient, make sure you are not over watering, and attract those bees! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Frankie (Guest Post) (07/03/2005) I think you may just have to be patient, those flowers sound like the male variety. Here is a good link to check out. http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/701/6130 Luck to you. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Growing Zucchini Post By Susan from Hamilton (Guest Post) (07/01/2005) Just be patient the zuchini will grow. mine do that at first as well and once they start to grow you better run or have good friends to give them to as you will not be able to keep up with them. Report Spam or Abuse