Zucchini — it can be a tricky word in a
spelling bee. But it’s not a tricky plant; it’s a terrific plant. The zucchini
contains valuable antioxidants and is a good source of vitamins A and C and
potassium. It’s also low in calories making it an excellent choice for dieters.
The trouble with zucchini begins when it comes
time to dispose of the crop. Place a few zucchini out on the sidewalk with a
FREE sign on them and next day your pile will have increased. To avoid unwanted
donations, people in my neighbourhood make darn sure they lock their cars each
night. If you happen to arrive at harvest time with more zucchini than you can
find homes for, remember that the food bank will always be able to use them —
and anything else your garden produces. In fact, an extra row or two planted
especially for them is a worthwhile venture.
The origins of zucchini lie in Mexico where
they were grown as far back as 7,000 to 5,500 BCE. They were an integral part
of the ancient diet of corn, beans, and squashes. These foods, known as the
three sisters, are still the mainstay of Mexican cuisine. Because the climate
there is ideal for these plants, I imagine the Mexican people must have the
same problem with overly productive zucchini as we do, so if you happen to
vacation there, it’s a good idea to check your luggage before leaving.
This is probably how zucchini made it to
Europe, secretly stuffed into the packs of returning explorers, along with
cheap Aztec souvenirs and three or four years of dirty laundry. The zucchini
eventually found its way to Italy where it received its current name. In France
it’s known as the courgette, a name the folks in the UK have adopted, although
they refer to a larger and plumper variety of zucchini as a vegetable marrow,
apparently because it resembles bone marrow — I’ll stick with zucchini, thank
you.
Farmers today are developing lots of hybrids.
We no longer have to settle for plain old green. Look for yellow ones or a
combination of green and yellow. There are round ones too, and one that is a
cross between zucchini and the fluted patty pan squash.
Zucchini are a warm season plant and will
shrivel at the first hint of frost. This has been a cool, wet spring, but now
that the soil is warming up it’s about right to plant a few — two or three are
plenty. Like all members of the squash family they can be started easily from
seed, but it may be getting a little late. Depending on how early frost comes
in fall, the fruit may not have time to develop, so I’d go with plants. They’re
inexpensive and available at many garden centres.
Plant zucchini a couple of feet apart where
they can receive plenty of sunshine — the more the better. As for soil, they
won’t complain as long as it’s well drained. Add organic matter if you can, but
they are light feeders. Feeding zucchini with a high nitrogen fertilizer will
only encourage over-production of leaves and stems, and a well fed one can
easily take over a veggie garden, so don’t use up the lawn fertilizer on them.
They like to be watered regularly, and deeply,
but zucchini hate to be wet as mildew can develop on the large flat leaves. To
discourage this, avoid watering with a sprinkler. This is where mulch such as
wood chips or straw is useful — I like to use straw myself. Besides keeping
weeds down and moisture in the soil it will keep fruit clean and healthy.
As the plant begins to grow, the flowers,
precursors of fruit, won’t appear until the plant has developed fifteen or so
leaves. The first to appear will usually be male and won’t produce fruit. If you
can spot a small swelling at the base of the flower, it’s a female and will
grow on into a fruit. If there’s only a prickly stem, it’s a male. The male
flowers can be picked off and eaten in a salad, but some are required for
pollination of the females. Insects, primarily bees, will take care of this
job. If bee activity is low, female flowers are likely to drop.
Other insects will take up pest duty. The
cucumber Beetle is the worst of the bunch, attacking any members of the
cucurbita family. Cucumber Beetles are either striped or spotted, and like to
feed on the leaves of the plants. They can cause a lot of damage as they spread
disease from one plant to another. Thrips and cutworms will also have a go at
your plants too. I’d use insecticidal soap to discourage them.
Zucchini are susceptible to powdery mildew and
bacterial wilt, diseases that are most common in hot and humid weather. A
strong, healthy plant will be more resistant to these problems. Blossom
end rot can also be a problem in dry weather. Zucchini seem
to keep on growing without too much trouble. They’re best picked before they
get too large because the bigger ones can be tough and lacking in flavour. But
if you do want to try for the record, it’s around 2.5 meters — almost nine feet
long.
Zucchini are such productive plants that first
time growers, especially children, on seeing the rate at which the plant grows
and the bounty it produces will be spurred on to try other plants that are much
easier to spell, like peas and beans.
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