Growing Zucchini, also Courgette/Marrow, Summer squash

Cucurbita pepo : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S S S S S          
      T T T T T T      
      P P P P P        

(Best months for growing Zucchini in Australia - tropical regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 21°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 50 - 90 cm apart
  • Harvest in 6-9 weeks. Cut the fruit often to keep producing.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Corn, beans, nasturtiums, parsley, Silverbeet, Tomatoes
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes

Your comments and tips

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18 Feb 08, Rachel (Unknown climate)
Lime your soil. A couple of handfuls of lime will definately fix the problem. Works with tomatoes if they get brown bottoms too. It's apparently the magnesium. Happy harvesting
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17 Feb 08, Richo (Unknown climate)
The Zucchini rot at the end because they are not fetilised properly. You need to get the flowers to germinate and you can do this by hand. Try this page it explains how and why http://www.sgaonline.org.au/info_continuous_harvest_zucchini.html I planted 3 plants this year and with out a letter of a lie I had three months of production and at least 20kg of zucchini.
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07 Feb 08, Chris (Unknown climate)
Leaves going white sounds like powdery mildew, probably due to all the wet. You could try a spray of dilute (1 to 9) skim milk and water (see RHNZ website: http://www.rnzih.org.nz/pages/powdery-mildew.htm), or a commercial spray.
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07 Feb 08, Ket (Unknown climate)
So am I, I am looking into it and hopefully have an answer. My zucchini's leaves are going all white and I have never had this happen. I have grown zucchini's the size of pumpkins and this season they are really bad........
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21 Jan 08, Jac (Unknown climate)
I am having the same problem as Kirsten with rotting ends on my zucchini - what do I do about it?
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09 Dec 07, Kirsten (Unknown climate)
I am having trouble with rot on my zucchini as soon as the vegetable starts to develop. Do you have any ideas.
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Showing 351 - 356 of 356 comments
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A couple of things. 1. Zucchinis need bees to pollinate or you have to do it by hand ( break off a male flower and peal the flower part back and rub the female flower). 2. You need both male and female flowers to be able to pollinate (sometimes there is all male flowers and sometimes all female flowers - happened to me this year). 3. Wet weather brings moths grubs and disease - water down low around the plants and not on the plant - also if watering the plant do it in the morning so it dries out before night. 3. With the storm season happening it is probably too late for zucchinis now. A thing for blossom end rot is some Epsom Salts - google about doing it - it works for tomatoes. By this time of the year I normally have all my plants harvested - summer too windy, too hot and chance of wrecking storms - like last night - Bundaberg.

- Mike

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