Zucchini is a garden staple and an extremely vigorous grower. Each plant will produce several squash a day during peak season! But that doesn’t mean that they’re trouble-free. In our Zucchini Growing Guide and video, we’ll share tips and tricks to sidestep common squash problems, as well as tips on how to harvest and cure, so you have a successful summer squash season!
About Zucchini
Zucchini are a type of squash—more specifically, a type of summer squash. Squash are generally divided into two categories based on when they’re harvested and how they’re used:
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Summer squash are warm-season crops harvested in the summer before they reach full maturity. Because they’re harvested early, their skin is edible and they have a relatively short shelf life. Summer squash varieties include zucchini, yellow squash (straightneck squash), and crookneck squash.
- Winter squash are harvested in autumn after or just before they reach full maturity. This leaves their skin inedible, but gives them a longer shelf life (some varieties are capable of keeping through the winter—hence the name “winter squash”). Winter squash varieties include pumpkins, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and acorn squash.
Thanks to their regular bumper crops, you’ll usually only need one or two zucchini plants in your garden, and chances are good that you’ll still end up with more zucchini than you can handle. But that’s OK! See our recipes below for all the different ways you can enjoy (or preserve) zucchini. Plus, zucchini is full of nutrients! You can’t go wrong… unless you forget to harvest and end up with giant zucchini baseball bats. (More on how and when to harvest later.)
Most summer squash now come in bush varieties, which take up less space, whereas winter squash are vining plants that need more space. Bush varieties will need to be thinned in early stages of development to about 8 to 12 inches apart.
Note: All types of summer squash require very similar care, so even though we mainly refer to zucchini on this page, consider it to be applicable to whatever summer squash variety you’re growing!
A Common Ancestor
Would you believe that pumpkins and zucchini come from the same species of plant? That’s right—they’re both cultivated varieties (“cultivars”) of Cucurbita pepo. Despite the great diversity of squash, most commonly-grown cultivars belong to one of three species: Cucurbita pepo, C. moschata, or C. maxima. Over generations and generations, these plants have been cultivated to produce fruit in all kinds of shapes, colors, and flavors.
Reader Comments
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Flowering to Blossom Help
Last year I wasn't getting any fruit on my vines. We don't have lots of flies or bees to pollinate. I had to take Q Tips and swab the male flower then the female flower with the pollen I collected. It seems a little weird (my friends had some comments!) but I had more fruits than ever once I did it.
Zucchini vs Yellow Squash
I always plant tons of yellow straightneck squash. I can't see green zucchini and I'm forever finding them the size of baseball bats on plants I harvested the day before. I tried golden zucchini last year thinking they'd be easier to see, but the yellow squash out-produced them about 3 or 4 to 1. Treated the hills exactly the same. Regular zucchini doesn't produce for me as well as yellow squash. Anyone know if it's just normal that yellow out-produces zucchini 3 to 1, or am I doing something wrong?
Squash production
I've planted Zucchini for several years. This year since my 125 year old American Elm died last year, I moved my garden to a sunny spot where nothing grew under the tree before. My Zucchini plant is about three times as big with leaves over two foot wide but only about one zucchini every three days. This is my first year for Acorn squash the vines are several feet long with several squash. What is with the Zucchini if others are producing?
one zucchini every three days
Can’t help myself; have to ask: how much is enough? One zucchini every three days sounds like a healthy harvest. An excess of nitrogen in the soil can lead to (exceptionally) large foliage in lieu of fruit but you’ve got the fruit and the foliage. Next year set out more zucc plants.
Zucchini...can I train to grown on supports/cages??
Planted just one this year and it’s coming along nicely. I put a cage around it early ...in an attempt to keep it from taking over my small 6’x12’ garden allotment. Will it work...or should I remove the cage now?
growing zucchinis vertically
Yes, you can definitely grow zucchinis in cages! Older varieties may have a more vining habit while newer cultivars tend to be the bush type. In either case, be sure that the cage is a good size for the plant habit, and is secure (perhaps supported by stakes) so that it won’t topple with the weight. You may need to loosely tie a few stems to the cage wire to help. Also make sure that you will be able to easily harvest the zucchinis (wide enough mesh or top opening). In addition to saving space in the garden, growing zucchinis vertically helps with air circulation, which helps to prevent disease. It also gets the squash off the ground, which helps to prevent rot. Great idea!
zucchini
Years ago during the summer when I lived in Northern California you always locked your car when visiting friends. Reason was while you weren't looking someone put a bag or 2 of zucchini in your back seat. LOL
Zucchini that doesn’t look like zucchini
It is fat about 4 “ across and only 5 “ long. Dark green with white flesh and when cooked it has a tougher skin taste good. Sweet but doesn’t taste like zucchini but the plant smells like zucchini
Spagetti Squash
I have many male flowers and so few female, this is second year with the same problem.
This year I put in more plants 10 in all. I have only 5 growing on 5 plants and only in the last few weeks did they start to get large. I planted them at the end of May and June. I live in Winnipeg Manitoba . How do I get them to produce more fruit? Thank you
Cranking seed on zucchini fruit
the seeds inside zucchini fruit crank a lot. i don't know why?
Zucchini Squash monsoon season
Zucchini Squash can be cultivated during monsoon season?
Summer Squash
First time ever planting squash and I way over did it. They are out of control growing in their designated space. Can I prune them back or will that cause damage to them producing? Also, I am not seeing any fruit only blossoms. Is there a difference between male and female blossoms? Definitely learned my lesson for next season planting as far as spacing is concerned. Please help! Any information is greatly appreciated!!
Summer Squash
I am planting yellow squash in a raised garden (a truck canopy turned upside down - GREAT garden), but I need to make a cover to keep out the deer and the feral cats from using it as a litter box. I need to know how high they grow, so I know how tall to make my cover. I have never grown it before and have searched the internet and cannot find this information. Thank you.
Squash Height
Do you know which variety you are growing? The height of the plant will depend on the variety, but squash plants generally get to be about 3–4 feet tall when full mature. Making your cover 5 feet tall would be a safe bet.
Summer Squash
Where I am, we have shorter season. I use greenhouse tarp to cover my garden after I have tilled it. Use coiled wire(I buy from Dollar store) to make large staples to press into the edges of the tarp to hold tarp down. Simply cut small X's leaving the tarp and plant. Keeps out the animals and weeds and keeps in heat and moisture. Great way to extend your season too. After season simply roll up and put away for the winter. Oh I also shred the leaves around here with my mulch bagging lawnmower and till these under making a great compost. Come spring you won't even notice the leaves were there.
Surprise gift
Last year I put a whole Princess Pumpkin in a raised box, got sick and forgot it. This year I started to plant an heirloom tomato plant in that box. I put on my shovel and found the runny insides of the pumpkin. It was a beautiful orange. I just shoved it over and planted anyway. The surprise was the hundred seeds started making plants. I started transplanting plants. There are beautiful flowers just starting.
Here is my question? I would like to plant acorn squash because I know these regrow on their own and more of the winter squash if I knew they would grow. Have you ever heard of this? Does it work? I live in cold area on Oregon. This would give me a head start. Thank you.
surprise gift
First, congratulations on your success!
Here’s an attempt at an answer to what I think is your question: Acorn and other squash are annuals. They grow one season and die. However, seeds from their “fruit” can be the source of the next year’s crop; this is the purpose for saving seeds—salvaging them from the harvest. You got lucky in so far as you did not need to harvest and save your seeds; they survived on their own. That does not always happen and can not be predicted. You say you are in a cold area; that may have helped to preserve the seeds (freezing is a technique) but, again, it’s only a hunch. If you’re asking if you should plant acorn and winter squash now to allow their seeds to get going earlier next season…you could, on a bet and see what happens. Or you could plant, harvest, and save the seeds of this year’s harvest. BTW, hybrid plant seeds do not reproduce true to the original plant, so grow heirlooms.
Zucchini getting yellow and soft at flower tips
My zucchini starts to come in nicely, however, at about 3-3.5" in length the flower ends begin to turn yellow and become soft. What am I doing wrong? I have had to remove 3 zucchinis from the plants. Others are growing and I want to avoid having problems with those.
zucchini rotting on the vine
It sounds like blossom end rot, an unfortunately common occurrence due to excess moisture and inadequate calcium in the soil. See here for more specific information: https://www.almanac.com/pest/blossom-end-rot
Female flowers
I have a zuchinni plant that has so far only bloomed female flowers. I have 2 females so far and it looks like the next one to bloom will also be female. They have 2-3" fruits on them but they don't seem to be getting bigger since the bloom opened. Should i be concerned?
It sounds like they have not
It sounds like they have not been pollinated. If you don't have bees to move the pollen from the male flowers to the female ones, the fruit will not continue to grow. You can do this with a Q-tip or other small object. I have never had a zucchini that did not have male flowers along with the female ones, this is a necessity for the fruit to continue to grow.
Powdery mildew
I am having a hard time with a couple of my zucchini plants already. My plants are less then a month old and I think a couple already have powdery mildew. They are in a raised bed. I made sure to prep the soil, added compost and manure, etc but yet 3 out of my 6 squash plants are showing signs of disease. I have Battled PM but this time it looks different. The leaves are growing with white along the veins. Is it still mildew or am I doing Somethjng wrong? The size of the plants are beautiful and all my other plants are growing well. Please advice.
Ps. I did use a copper fungicide and it helped one of the plants.
powdery mildew causes and cures
We think you have identified the problem. See these pages for more information:
• How to identify—and confirm—that it’s PM: https://www.almanac.com/pest/powdery-mildew
• More pictures/examples of PM and remedies: https://www.almanac.com/blog/gardening/garden-journal/powdery-mildew-rem...
Winter & Summer squash
I am planting a three sisters garden in the arid southwest. I would like to have a combination of summer and winter squash. My corn is about 6 inches tall and I am ready to sow squash and beans. Can I plant both summer and winter squash in the same garden? With moderation of course...
Squash
Yes, there’s no reason not to plant more than one type of squash if you have the space.
Stunted growth
I live in growing zone 9 but it has been unseasonably cool this spring. I planted my seedlings of which most were very slow to germinate. All have finally germinated however each plant has been so slow to grow and are rather stunted. I just noticed that the plants, while still very small are trying to produce flowers (of which I know will yield a very poor crop of any at all). Now that the temps are a bit warmer, should I just start over and replant or will the existing plants eventually recover?
chilly squash
It’s hard to say, but they might possibly recover fine if the temperatures keep on the warm side, although there is the possibility that they may not be as vigorous. You might pinch off just these early flowers, so that the plant can focus on growth. You could also certainly add a few new plants, though, to be sure of a good harvest.
I would suggest keep trying
I would suggest keep trying with the plants you have. If you want, go ahead and plant one more to see which one seems better, but I have zucchini started in a little 6" pot, and since the warmer temperatures have come around, they are definitely starting to thrive more
Yellow crookneck squash
In Florida can squash planted in august do well ? Thank you.
planting dates for squash
See our planting dates for summer squash customized to your zip code here: https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates
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