Do you know that you can grow your zucchini plant from a store-bought zucchini? It is effortless to grow a zucchini plant if you know the proper methods.
Store-bought zucchini are young zucchini and do not have matured seeds to grow plants. You will need to find a matured zucchini from the store.
Collecting Seeds from the Store-bought Zucchini
To begin growing zucchini, start by harvesting seeds from a mature zucchini fruit. Slice the zucchini in half and carefully scoop out the seeds using a spoon. Next, use a mesh sieve to separate the seeds from the flesh. Zucchini seeds are typically similar in size to pumpkin seeds, measuring between 2 to 4 cm.
Once separated, rinse the seeds thoroughly in water to remove any remaining flesh or debris. After rinsing, spread the seeds out on a newspaper or paper towel to dry. Rotate the seeds periodically and ensure they are completely dry before proceeding, which may take several days.
Once dried, transfer the seeds into an envelope or a labeled plastic bag for storage. These seeds will be ready for planting in future growing seasons, allowing you to enjoy fresh zucchinis from your own garden.
Grow zucchini from seeds in a container
Now, that we have the seeds, the next step is to keep ready potting soil and a container. If you want to grow in a container, make sure you get the perfect-sized container. A small size container may not allow the plant to grow freely. Zucchini can be grown in an open garden too in the backyard. The container should be at least 12 to 36 inches deep as the zucchini has large root systems.
The best potting soil for zucchini is loamy well-drained soil. You can add kitchen compost or organic manure for good growth. Make a hole in the middle of the soil, put the seed about an inch deep, and cover it with soil.
Water the soil regularly and you will see a new plant coming in one to two weeks. When the new plant comes out watering is essential. After it grows about five inches tall, daily watering is not necessary.
Keep check of fungus and bugs that may infest the young plant. You may use neem-based pesticides and fungicides for such infections. White firewood ash can also be used for this purpose.
Allow good bugs like ladybirds, and bees to come when it flowers. Pollination is important to get fruits. You can hand-pollinate using cotton buds.
Regular pruning of zucchini is important to induce fruiting. Trim off old leaves that are growing ground for powdery mildew.
Grow zucchini from seeds in backyards
You can also grow zucchini in the backyard without a container. Make space for the zucchini plant. If you are growing more than one zucchini plant, keep the plants two to three feet apart to allow proper growth.
Plow the soil about 12 inches deep and some compost. Zucchini thrives in well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter and nutrients. The best soil for growing zucchini is loamy soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH level (around 6.0 to 7.0).
How to grow zucchini from cuttings
Usually, zucchinis are not grown from stem cuttings. It will be difficult to grow a zucchini plant from cuttings. But, you can propagate new zucchini plants from a sucker as seen in squash plants. To do so choose a sucker from the plant and cut using a sharp gardening shear.
Now, plant it either in a pot or directly in the soil. Keep watering regularly to see new roots developing.
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