Every spring in the garden center, I see small plantlets of zucchini waiting to be sold. While most people do buy the young plants, starting zucchini from seed is an easy and fun project for kids, and mine enjoy growing enormous zucchini fruits. A couple of seeds planted in the ground can yield large plants and more than enough zucchini squashes for a family of four.
My favorite variety of zucchini is Balck Beauty, a productive hybrid with (relatively) compact vines that I buy from Park Seed. One packet of about 25 seeds costs about $1-2 and will last for two or three seasons. You can also find seeds at most hardware stores and at home stores in early spring.
Backyard gardeners and others with limited space should be sure that the variety of zucchini they buy is labeled or described as “compact.” Otherwise, the vines can get quite large, leaving you with no room for anything but zucchini in your garden.
Zucchini seeds are large and easy for preschool children to handle. Plant zucchini seeds directly in the soil after all danger of frost has passed. In my Illinois garden, that’s mid-May. I always choose a very sunny spot to grow my enormous zucchini.
To plant zucchini seeds, dig a shallow, wide hole about 1-2 inches (2-4 cm) deep in the ground. Add a handful of mushroom compost or well rotted manure. Plant 3 or 4 seeds in the hole. Cover the seeds, making a small mound.
After about one week, shoots will emerge. Male blossoms will begin blooming after about 4 weeks. Female blossoms, which have a small zucchini squash attached, begin blooming a few weeks later.
If you are getting female flowers but no fruits, you may want to try hand-pollinating your zucchini. Touch the centers of a male flower to the centers of the female flowers.
Once zucchini fruits begin to develop, check regularly for zucchini that are ready to pick. Traditionally, gardeners pick zucchini when they are about 4 to 6 inches (8 to 10 cm) long. If you prefer smaller zucchini, that is the time to pick.
If, on the other hand, you are trying to grow enormous zucchini, the size of a baseball bat, wait 7-10 days before picking. Zucchini squashes grow very fast in full sun! In my yard, I often grow them up to 2 or 3 feet (60 to 100 cm) long.
Over-sized zucchini can be somewhat tough if not handled properly, but they can be quite tasty if you remove much of the skin and the seeds. When you pick the over-sized zucchini, peel them, leaving a small amount of the peel on the fruits. Cut them in half with a large knife, and scoop out the seeds. Quarter and slice the remaining flesh, or shred the zucchini using a grater or a food processor. Saute the shredded flesh, make zucchini bread, or put it in soups, stews, or chili.
You may also freeze the flesh to use later. This summer, I have so far frozen about 24 cups (6 L) of shredded zucchini, all from a single plant.
Sauteed Zucchini with Garlic and Olive Oil
1 clove garlic
2 T. olive oil
4-6 c. (1 L) shredded zucchini
Pepper and salt to taste
Heat the olive oil over over medium heat. Add garlic clove and sauté briefly. Add zucchini and saute for about 5 minutes (it will cook down). Season with salt and pepper.
