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 70°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 20 - 35 inches 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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19 Dec 20, Genevieve (Australia - temperate climate)
I have been growing zucchini for past couple of years. Vines grow big ang healthy, the fruit grow to a couple of inches, and then begin to yellow, wither and die. I am not sure if it's lack of pollination or something else. I garden organically and while I have not planted flowers next to zucchinis there are flowers not too far away. Any clues, I'd love to hear. Thank you, in advance.
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22 Dec 20, Anon (Australia - temperate climate)
Probably no bees in your garden/area. Check your flowers between 7-11am in the morning to see if any bees. If no bees consider growing plants/flowers that attract bees, flies, birds. Zucchinis are easy to hand pollinate in the morning. You should have noticed that some flowers have a little zucchini - female and some don't - male. Break off the male flower, pull off the flower part and rub the pollen onto the female flower. Google how to do it if unsure.
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22 Dec 20, Margaret Phillips (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, I have exactly the same problem! I live in a sub tropics.Originally had two zucchini plants ,but just as I was getting excited about having grown some great zucchini,it up and died on me. I use a sprinkler system and was recently told zucchini’s don’t like to get wet leaves. Melons have also been a failure. Any tips welcome. Thanks Marg
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16 Nov 21, Jason (Australia - temperate climate)
I've noticed with pumpkin (and I asdyme zucchini) they basically have to be pollinated from another plant of the same species. Make sure you buy 2 or 3 plants. I tried several years just having 1 pumpkin plant and hand pollinating itself, with pollination always failing. Now I usually hand pollinate zucchini and pumpkin in mornings by taking the male flower from one and pollinating the female flowers on other plants and vice versa. It worked really well last season and seems to be working well this year with blackjack zucchs.
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01 Dec 20, adrian (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
what is the best way to cook and eat zucchini's.
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08 Dec 20, Gabriella Hont (Australia - temperate climate)
Try spiralizing them and use zucchini instead of spaghetti with your favourite pasta sauce.
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06 Oct 19, Alex (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi I'm from Melbourne vic. I've had 3 attempts of growing zucchini black jack and so far no success, first attempt the plants we're taken with no trace 2nd they got eaten down to the stem this is my 3rd attempt I put tree guards and snail pellets around them also growing a nasturtium nearby but the leave are getting munched on. What can I do these are only young plants?
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04 Feb 20, hi im terry (Australia - temperate climate)
from sa, may i suggest earwigs could be your problem, we followed advice from a friend and put a small amount of olive oil in a clean tuna tin set in the place your zuccs are not to close though, also to check your garden at night when all these nasties come out, good luck.
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01 Jan 20, Catherine (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I had the same problem - I cut off the bottoms of soda bottles, threw away the lids and placed the bottle over the plant, pushing it into the soil enough to stop it from blowing over. I then simply removed the bottle when the plant was looking a little cramped - worked a treat!
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07 Oct 19, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
An extreme method would be to make a wood frame about 50cm high and cover with 30% shade cloth. OR put stakes in the ground and use shade cloth or bird netting as a fence. I have 2m x 2m x .5m frame with veggie netting on and around it. Only problem the netting disintergated from flapping on the wood frame. I will replace with 30% shade cloth soon. Or make an arch with plastic pipe or chicken netting and cover with shade cloth. Look around the yard for things you could use.
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Hi Gurinder, that’s a lot of zucchinis you have…3000 plants. Based on about 10,000 plants per hectare, this is a sizable area. I do think you should seriously consider seeking serious professional advice. You may have just gone thru a period of extreme weather - heat wise or rain wise, which could have adversely affected fruit setting. Some varieties are more susceptible to this depending on whether they are open pollinated or parthenocarpic hybrids (you didn’t mention the variety so I’m only assuming this stage). So, my suggestion is just to hang in there at this stage and just harvest what you can from the plants. Re fertilizing, this is not an easy question. Ideally you would have had a soil analysis to establish a pre-plant fertilizer (NP&K) and a side-dressing fertilizing (N&K only) program, confirmed by a couple (at least one) leaf tissue analysis about first flowering and maybe half way thru the fruiting season. In lieu of all this you could have given a basal pre-plant dressing of 800-1200 kg/ha of low analysis 5:5:5 or 300-400 kg/ha of high analysis 14:14:14 fertlizer, (or something close to this NPK ratio); followed up by side dressings from first flowering with fertilizers containing only nitrogen and potash (no phosphate). Some growers alternate light dressings (30-40 kg/ha) potassium and calcium nitrate every few weeks from fist flowering. Too much nitrogen early encourages excessive foliage growth and an over-abundance of non-productive male flowers. If you did not give a good pre-plant basal dressing then I would suggest light side dressings every couple of weeks (followed by good watering) with a high analysis fertilizer, something approx to a 14:14:14 fertilizer. I hope this helps a bit. John

- John BEE

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