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Zucchini belongs to dietary products, they are not only tasty, but also very healthy. This vegetable is grown all over the world - from Latin America to Europe. Zucchini is rather unassuming and loves warm climates and sunshine. On the territory of Russia, only a few decades ago, only white-fruited varieties were grown, and today there are already green, and black, and yellow, and even striped zucchini adapted to the local climate.
Zucchini of any kind can be plucked with greens as long as their peel is thin and the flesh does not have seeds. Large, ripe vegetables are used for canning, cooking caviar, as well as for long-term storage.
How to plant zucchini
In order for the harvest of vegetables to please, they must be planted correctly. Most varieties of zucchini are unpretentious to care for, they can grow under any circumstances.... Of course, the lack of care will have a bad effect on the yield of the crop, but at least a few fruits on the bush will still grow.
Adherence to simple rules will help to increase yields:
- Zucchini seeds must be treated against pests and diseases, so it is better to buy material from a trusted manufacturer.
- If the seeds were collected with their own hands from last year's harvest, they must be warmed up and disinfected before planting.
- For planting zucchini, choose a sunny area protected from the wind.
- Zucchini love loose and nutritious soil. Clay soils must be loosened with sand, sawdust or peat.
- The land for zucchini must be dug up and fertilized with mineral fertilizer (mullein, urea).
- Zucchini are planted with either seeds or seedlings. Seedlings are sown in cups two weeks before planting in the ground.
- Zucchini grows well in greenhouses and garden beds.
- It is better to make the beds high - the zucchini is afraid of rot, the plant should be well ventilated and be away from groundwater.
- During the entire growing season, zucchini must be fertilized at least twice.
- For pollination, zucchini need insects, if there are no bees on the site, it is better to choose a parthenocarpic hybrid.
- Water the zucchini every 7-10 days, pouring about a bucket of water on each bush. Water for irrigation should be warm.
- Due to the short ripening period of zucchini, it is not recommended to treat with insecticides and antimicrobials.
- You need to pick the fruits in the morning, without watering them the day before. Otherwise, the zucchini can rot.
All these rules will help to reap a good harvest. Even in a small area, you can grow a sufficient amount of these vegetables, because up to 17 kg of zucchini are harvested from one bush.
The most productive varieties
For most gardeners, the most interesting varieties are fruitfuls, such are, first of all, hybrids. It is the hybrid zucchini that are famous for their high yields, and also for their resistance to disease and cold.
For a good harvest, the size of mature vegetables is also important - the more each zucchini weighs, the higher the yield of the whole plant.
"Aeronaut"
The hybrid variety of squash "Aeronaut" belongs to the zucchini subspecies. This vegetable has a dark skin, cylindrical shape, smooth surface with small light dots.
The plant belongs to the early maturing - the first zucchini ripen by the 46th day after sowing the seeds.You can plant a hybrid both in a greenhouse and in a garden bed - it is not afraid of temperature fluctuations and low night temperatures.
This zucchini variety is considered one of the most demanded, as it provides high yields. The quality of the fruit is high - the peel is thin, the pulp is juicy without seeds. Zucchini perfectly tolerates transportation and storage, is suitable for growing for sale.
The bushes of the Aeronaut hybrid are compact, without lashes. This allows you to grow zucchini in small summer cottages and in temporary greenhouses. The plant is not resistant to powdery mildew, therefore it is necessary to ensure constant loosening of the soil and airing the bushes.
With good care, up to 7 kg of zucchini can be harvested from each hybrid bush, the weight of which often reaches 1300 grams.
"White"
This variety belongs to the ultra-early ripening - after all, the first zucchini can be plucked already on the 35th day after sowing the seeds into the soil.
The culture is unpretentious and fruitful, no special conditions for this plant need to be created. It can be grown in any area, in greenhouses and greenhouses. The plant is resistant to diseases and viruses.
Zucchini grows large - weighing up to 1000 grams. They have an oval, oblong shape and a white skin. The flesh of the vegetable is tender, creamy. The "White" variety is distinguished by its high taste characteristics and low sugar content. Therefore, zucchini is suitable for making baby purees and dietary meals.
Another quality is the suitability for long-term storage. The fruits can be left for the winter, they can last until spring.
"Belogor F1"
One of the most productive zucchini is the Belogor F1 hybrid. It only needs to be grown outdoors. The plant is great for small gardens and summer cottages - the bushes are very compact, do not contain side shoots. But they have many ovaries with predominantly female inflorescences.
Fruits grow large - up to 1000 grams in weight. Their peel is thin, white, without blotches and spots. The shape of the squash is elongated, cylindrical. The pulp has a creamy hue and a delicate taste. The fruits contain a large proportion of dry matter, and such vegetables are suitable for any purpose.
Zucchini "Belogor F1" can be stewed, canned, used for salads, pickled and more. They are also useful for allergy sufferers and those who follow a diet - they are low in sugar and fiber.
The first vegetables can be removed from the bush on the 37th day after planting in the ground. From each square meter of soil, you can get up to 15.5 kg of fresh zucchini, without much effort.
"Waterfall"
An early hybrid variety that yields its first fruits on the 43rd day after planting seeds in the soil. The plant is bushy, with one central whip. The variety is suitable for growing for sale - it gives a good harvest (about 40 tons per hectare), is unpretentious in maintenance, hardened from powdery mildew and viruses.
The fruits are of medium size - their weight reaches 600 grams. The shape of the squash is cylindrical, the skin color is dark green. The pulp is white, pitted, tender and sweet.
Zucchini are great for canning and cooking.
"Kavili"
One of the best hybrids is Cavili. It belongs to early crops with a long fruiting period - the crop can be harvested up to 60 days.
The bushes of this variety are compact, have many ovaries. In poor climatic conditions (rains, strong winds, low temperatures), when there are no pollinating insects, the plant can do without pollination - the parthenocarpic properties of this zucchini are included.
Usually fruits are picked young when their length does not exceed 20 cm, but more mature zucchini have excellent taste. The fruits are light green in color, have a very regular shape and a thin skin.
The hybrid is intended for growing zucchini for commercial purposes - the vegetable has a good presentation, easily tolerates transportation and long-term storage.
The plant loves fertile soils, is resistant to powdery mildew.
Lenutsa
The Lenutsa hybrid developed by domestic breeders bears fruit better in warm regions of the country. Bush plant, with one central shoot, early - the first vegetables can be eaten on the 40th day after planting the seeds.
The fruits are smooth, with small ribs, and have a white tint. The mass of zucchini reaches 600 grams. Fruits contain a lot of sugar and vitamin C. They are used for preparing a variety of dishes, including canning.
The plant is resistant to powdery mildew and bacteriosis; it can be grown both in greenhouses and in the open field.
The yield of the hybrid reaches 40 tons per hectare of land.
"Negro"
The hybrid belongs to the zucchini subspecies - it has a dark green, almost black, peel. The variety is intended for outdoor cultivation, tolerates low temperatures well, and is resistant to powdery mildew.
The fruits grow large - up to 1100 grams, their surface is smooth, almost black, and the shape is elongated, cylindrical. The flesh of the zucchini is also unusual - it has a green tint, juicy and tasty. Can be eaten in any form.
The bushes are small, differ in a small number of leaves, but have many female flowers. The variety tolerates transportation well and retains its presentation for a long time.
"Ronda"
Unusual zucchini hybrid "Ronde" has an amazing appearance. Ripe fruits are more like pumpkins in shape - the same round. Zucchini color - mixed - green with gray and white.
The hybrid belongs to the zucchini subspecies - it has a delicate peel and can be stored fresh for a long time.
The culture belongs to bush type plants, has large bright green leaves and many ovaries. Zucchini of the "Ronde" variety is distinguished by long-term fruiting - fresh vegetables can be picked for about two months.
The fruits are mainly used for pickling - their pulp is excellent for this purpose. Tear off the zucchini young until they are 10 cm in diameter.
"Sangrum"
This hybrid is loved for its unusual taste. The fruits of this plant can be eaten raw or pickled, they taste like cucumbers. The most delicious caviar is also obtained from the "Sangrum" zucchini, because sugar prevails in the composition of the fruit.
The early culture grows in bushes of medium height and spreading. It belongs to the most productive varieties - up to 70 tons of crops can be harvested from a hectare of land. This happens due to the long fruiting period - after all, zucchini of this variety can be harvested within two months. The plant easily tolerates climatic disasters: drought, heavy rains, cold snap, wind. It is resistant to powdery mildew and other diseases.
The fruits grow medium, have a greenish color and an even cylindrical shape. Even overgrown zucchini are distinguished by their tender pitted flesh and thin skin.
The hybrid belongs to the earliest crops; with good and regular watering, the plant will bear fruit throughout the summer.
"Sosnovsky"
One of the earliest zucchini - hybrid "Sosnovsky" - begins to bear fruit already on the 33rd day after sowing seeds into the soil. It grows in bushes, has rather large fruits, weighing up to 1600 grams. The shape of the zucchini is cylindrical, the color of the peel is white, and has a slight ribbing.
The pulp of the fruit is yellow, juicy and high in sugar. This makes the zucchini very tasty both fresh and after cooking.
The culture is grown by seeds or seedlings, a hybrid is intended for open ground. The plant throws out many ovaries - a flower forms in the axil of each leaf. If the fruits are picked in time, a new ovary will form in their place.
"Pear-shaped"
A variety very similar to pumpkin - "Pear-shaped" has unusual fruits, shaped like a pear.
The plant belongs to the early, the first zucchini appear on the 38th day after planting the seeds in the ground. It grows in lashes, has many ovaries. Up to 8 kg of vegetables can be removed from each bush.
When mature, zucchini are yellow or orange in color, with a smooth and dense skin. Fruit weight reaches 1600 grams. The flesh of the squash is very tasty, orange-colored, and has a strong aroma. These vegetables are delicious in any form, they are added to salads, baked, pickled and even make jam from them.
"Pharaoh"
An excellent hybrid intended for the northern regions of the country is the Pharaoh marrow. This variety is highly resistant to low temperatures, the plant can withstand up to 5 degrees of frost, while it does not even shed flowers and ovaries.
This does not prevent the hybrid from being early - the first fruits can be harvested already on the 53rd day after planting the seeds in the garden. Ripe fruits are dark in color and oblong. Their weight can reach 2400 grams, and their length is 0.7 meters. But such zucchini are only suitable as animal feed.
To eat the fruits, they must be plucked before technical maturity, until the size of the zucchini does not exceed 25 cm. The pulp of such zucchini is colored bright yellow and has a pleasant taste.
The fruits are often used raw, added to salads and snacks, but such vegetables can be fried and canned. Another feature of the fruits is their high adsorbing properties, which are very useful for restoring the intestines after poisoning and disorders.
In industrial growing conditions (in the fields), the yield of the variety reaches 50 tons per hectare.
"Long Dutch"
Despite this name, the hybrid has nothing to do with Holland and the local breeders - the culture was created in Russia and is intended for cultivation in the climatic conditions of the middle zone and the North.
Zucchini grow quite large - their weight often exceeds 2300 grams... They are distinguished by high taste, can be used both raw and pickled.
The plant is very resistant to various diseases, it has a long fruiting period - you can pick fresh fruits from the garden for almost two months.
What varieties of large zucchini are better to choose
Large zucchini do not differ in any special properties or taste, their main advantage is their high weight. This allows you to get high yields from each bush, which is especially convenient when the area of the garden plot does not allow planting many plants of several types.
It is good to cook caviar from large zucchini, use them for pickling or canning. But for stuffing or fresh consumption, young vegetables with delicate pulp and thin skin are more suitable.
