How I grew a monster zucchini plant
Is it good economy buying seedlings for the home garden?
I wasn’t going to. I’d planted the rest of the garden. Starting with one plot for salad. Then I thought I’d get a second one going and plant some beans. And some tomatoes. And plant another one in herbs. I’d looked at the last raised bed full of bulbs and simply couldn’t face it. Until I went to the garden centre. You know how it is, flowers wink at you, green leafy things sway your way in the breeze and herbs waft scent the air just as you walk past, and everything looks so cute, all begging to be bought, begging to be taken home and planted. So you fill the trolley, realising as you pay at the counter, that there goes the weekend. I had to get rid of the bulbs first. And turn over the soil and leave it to aerate for a day, and dig in compost, water it and let it rest for a day. Then plant. The garden was taking over my life. Would it be worth it?
I was going to leave the last raised bed to the birds. Or the pukeko.
Digging out all the bulbs was a pain, but someone had to do it.
After turning over the soil to aerate it and leaving it for a day, I dug in compost.
I soaked the zucchini punnet in water until the bubbles stopped.
This ensures the delicate roots won’t be broken as the seedling is transferred from the pottle to the soil.
After soaking the seedling its soil will plop out of the container nice and easily. Do this over the hole you have prepared in the soil and lower it in carefully.
Tuck soil around the seedling just below the first leaves, press soil gently, then give the plant a wee drink of water.
The zucchini plant got off to a roaring start. The sky was blue, the rain came, and it grew …
And it grew …
It produced flowers, and the female flowers had baby zucchini attached! The male flowers don’t produce fruit, but you can still eat the flowers.
The plant went crazy!
Beautiful glossy firm fruit and lots of extra flowers to add to salads, frittata, pasta dishes etc.
The plant i’s massive! My $3.50 investment has produced over 24 zucchini and is only just beginning. There are currently 15 zucchini growing on it.
Preparing the soil correctly, purchasing only one plant and giving it plenty of space to grow certainly makes economic sense.
And the poor red chard?
And the edible flowers? A lovely splash of colour to bring the bees, and lots of sunny petals to scatter over salads.