It is impossible to imagine a table without zucchini dishes in the summer season. This simple vegetable fills the diet, as it is possible to cook a variety of dishes from it. Everyone who has their own garden, tries to grow healthy fruits on their own. It is important for gardeners to know and observe certain subtleties when planting in order to get a rich harvest. One of them is then to plant zucchini.
Short description
Zucchini is an annual culture from the pumpkin family. Initially, like their ancestors, these vegetables were known as creeping bush plants. Now cultivation of bush varieties is more practiced.
Bush . It has five-pointed leaves located on elongated petioles. A rather abundant grassy mass can protect the root from premature drying.
Leaves. Leave the impression of a creative masterpiece. In many bush varieties, whitish patterns flaunt on a green leaf background.
Flowers Diverse bells densely inhabit the bush and are characterized by their yellow color.
Root. Spreading system of surface type. On the sides of the lateral roots adnexal processes are located.
Some properties of zucchini
The main feature of zucchini is that they are very easily absorbed by the body. Contain potassium, iron and a whole complex of vitamins. Due to its properties, zucchini is a suitable food for babies.
In order to successfully grow nutritious vegetables such as zucchini, you need to consider some nuances. The potential of the future crop is laid when it is planted.
What is important to know when planting zucchini
The area where zucchini will grow should be accessible to sunlight and protected from drafts.
Light soils are best suited. Therefore, preliminarily, humus, straw and ground green manure are introduced into it. Also, depending on the composition of the soil, ash and mineral fertilizers are added to it.
The next point is to find out, after which plant the zucchini. Sometimes gardeners cannot understand the cause of a poor harvest. It would seem that the place is suitable, and the soil is fertile, and the return is unimportant. It turns out that culture, which had previously grown in the garden, played a role.
Some already know the concept of crop rotation. It is increasingly affecting the field of gardening.
What is crop rotation
Crop rotation is the alternation of planting crops on the same site. This method is scientifically substantiated, in particular, it is applied on a large scale in the fields. Some gardeners in practice could observe how crop rotation has a positive effect on the crop.
The method in question does not occur randomly. Each plant has its own predecessors. To determine after which crops you can plant zucchini, you should be guided by a number of factors:
- Plants have an individual need for the consumption of chemical elements from the soil. Each subsequent cultivation of any culture changes its composition.
- The natural structure of the soil layer for plants is of great importance. Also, the level of digging can be different. Sometimes, in order to decide after what culture to plant zucchini, additional work on the soil will help to resolve this issue.
- Pay attention to the biological characteristics of plants. This includes endurance to clogged areas and common pests.
- In order to save crops are grown with fast ripening.
Crop rotation benefits
The purpose of this process is to get the most generous return from the garden or summer cottage. A competent approach to successive plantings of different cultures will help to see all the advantages of this method. These include:
- Reducing the number of diseases in plants. After harvesting, each culture leaves behind pathogenic bacteria that are inherent, in particular, to its family. This may be late blight in tomatoes or root rot in cucumbers. If you plant such vegetables again next year, they will begin to hurt even more, because pathogens will find a suitable haven for themselves. Moving the culture to another place will not contribute to the further development of the disease, and it will feel better in the new area.
- Help in pest control. Certain types of insects living in the garden have their favorite vegetables. For example, some kind of ants eats up roots at an early cabbage. The alternation of places for plants sometimes causes pests to be confused. They are not always able to navigate while bushes or fruits of plants develop.
- Improving soil composition. Plants absorb nutrients from different layers of the soil, depending on the structure of the root system. Therefore, crop rotation does not allow to drain the land.
To get abundant fruiting of zucchini, it is important to pay attention to their similarities and differences with other plants.
What are the criteria for choosing a predecessor for zucchini?
Here you can highlight 3 main points:
- The depth of the location of the roots.
- Absorption of specific elements for nutrition.
- Pests and diseases.
After what culture to plant zucchini
Here the principle of not tired land applies. If last year vegetables were grown that didn’t particularly need those substances that are necessary for zucchini, then the return for the latter will be generous. Below are considered several optimal options for such a landing.
- Experienced farmers plant zucchini after cabbage and are satisfied. This is partially due to the fact that in cabbage the root goes deeper into the soil much more than in zucchini. It absorbs nutrients from a deeper layer, thus leaving food to future settlers.
- Squash and planted after tomatoes. Their root system is powerful and branched. As it develops, it structures the soil well and prepares it for the next plant. Tomatoes are not very demanding on nitrogen, but they absorb potassium and especially phosphorus well. Zucchini love nitrogen, as they need to build up a thick green mass. Before fruiting, they, like many other garden crops, are fed phosphorus.
- Planting zucchini after blue is recommended for the same reasons as after tomatoes, since they belong to the same family. But there is a particular advantage. Eggplants are very responsive to organic and complex mineral fertilizers. Seasoned gardeners take good care of such dressings, and this guarantees a high yield of the next crop, which will grow in their place.
- Legumes always serve as excellent predecessors of those plants that are not indifferent to nitrogen. Therefore, after which it would be appropriate to plant zucchini, so it is after peas and beans. During their stay in the space reserved for them, they accumulate a lot of nitrogen, which is required by the squash.
- Is it possible to plant zucchini after potatoes, mainly depends on the preparation of the soil. During the growing season, potatoes absorb a lot of phosphorus and potassium. After harvesting, you need to reimburse the supply of the necessary elements. Basically, this culture is an excellent predecessor, as it belongs to the nightshade family. After all the crops belonging to this family, it is important to clean the leaves to protect the future crop from disease. It is also noteworthy that the potato forms its fruits underground, and the zucchini on the surface. This is one of the facets of crop rotation.
- It is believed that onions do not harm the future fruiting of zucchini. It can serve as a predecessor in one season. Onions are planted on greens in early spring, and before the time of planting of zucchini, it is already plucked.
- A great option for zucchini is the previous cultivation of carrots. It does not need a large amount of nitrogen and does not deplete the surface layer of the earth. Its roots find their nutrition in a deeper layer. In experienced gardeners, the soil for carrots is usually well structured and enriched in phosphorus and potassium. Under it, superphosphate and ash are usually added.
Best predecessor
As you can see, in order to grow successfully pumpkin culture, there is a wide selection of predecessors. This fact facilitates the planning of plantings and gives the gardener freedom of choice. From the list of all favorable plants, one can distinguish what is then better to plant zucchini. These include peas and beans. Why can I say that?
Legumes noticeably structure the soil and accumulate nutrients. During vegetation, nitrogen reserves are formed on their roots. They also have the ability to convert complex forms of phosphorus into plants available for nutrition.
Leguminous crops are sown to improve the soil. They help in the fight against the nematode. Planting zucchini after peas or beans is a guaranteed protection against root rot.
What vegetables are bad predecessors of zucchini
As already mentioned, each plant absorbs nutrients at an appropriate level of the soil layer. If you plant the same culture in the same place every year, then the land will no longer justify itself.
Based on the foregoing, it becomes clear, after which it is impossible to plant zucchini. These are primarily related plants. These include pumpkins and melons. They have the same root system, similar diseases and are affected by the same pests.
Some summer residents have a question about cucumbers: is it possible to plant zucchini after them. The fact is that not everyone knows that the cucumber belongs to the pumpkin family. At first glance, it differs in its appearance. But for experienced gardeners it is no secret that it is often affected by powdery mildew, root rot and spider mites. These diseases are also peculiar to zucchini. And in its structure, the cucumber gives out its belonging to pumpkin crops.
Is it possible to plant zucchini after zucchini
From the available information we can say for sure - no. But many experienced farmers can object. It happens that abundant harvests grow on very fertile land for several years in a row on the same allotted plot. Do not forget that the method of alternating plants lays the potential for subsequent years. Sooner or later, the soil will become scarce anyway. This is an important factor for those who are going to use their garden for a long time.
It is easy to plan the planting of vegetables for gardeners who have a large plot of land where you can take a walk. In this case, you can move crops from year to year at your discretion. But what do summer residents with a small plot do? Once they have already picked up suitable places for vegetables that they want to grow, and changing their place is a problem.
There is an alternative way in which you can plant zucchini after zucchini without transferring them to another place. We are talking about plants that are planted between the planting of the main crops. More on this later.
The most convenient predecessor
A unique predecessor is siderat. Siderata are plants that are rapidly gaining green mass. They have very long and branched roots that go several meters deep.
If sowing health-improving plants for several years in one place, then you can improve the quality of the soil. Small root processes rot and make the earth loose and light.
The green mass is cut off and left on the surface. It enriches the soil with essential nutrients.
Siderata are convenient for crop rotation because they need to be cut before flowering. The gardener thus benefits from the siderats themselves, while at the same time the plants alternate in a short time.
It is important to know that you can not plant a crop after siderat from the same family.
A suitable option for zucchini is phacelia. It can be sown after collecting zucchini and left in the winter. Dry bushes trap snow and contribute to the accumulation of moisture. In early spring, again sow this predecessor. Before flowering, cut and leave to overheat, and then plant the zucchini in the open ground.
Sidereal plants include mustard, lupine, spring rape, winter wheat, rye, clover, oats, phacelia and peas.
With the use of green manure, the question of whether it is possible to plant zucchini after zucchini is exhausted. It is also not necessary to use the method of alternating vegetables.
How to plant zucchini
Seminal. Seeds are planted in open ground. To guarantee seedlings, it is better to prepare them.
Take half a glass of water to take 1 tablespoon of ash. Insist a little and lower the seeds of zucchini there. After they are soaked, put them in gauze and place in a warm place. When the seeds swell or sprout, they are planted in the ground.
Some gardeners harden seeds. For half a day they are placed in the refrigerator, and then in a warm place and so several times.
For the soil method of growing zucchini, the soil is prepared in the fall. Superphosphate and wood ash are introduced. Before digging, lay humus or compost. In the spring, 6 cm deep wells are prepared. If additional fertilizers are introduced, they can be deepened more. The distance will depend on the variety of culture. Between the curly zucchini leave 1 meter, between the bush 70 cm. Seeds are placed in holes with a margin. After germination, weaker plants are harvested and 1 pc is left.
Seedling. This method is practiced to get an early harvest. They buy the finished soil and put it in peat cups. Many prepare the soil on their own. It should be mainly peaty. Additionally, it is diluted with humus and sawdust. In this case, the soil is disinfected with boiling water or a manganese solution.
Seeds are planted close to the surface and cover the glasses with transparent material. Then they are left in a warm place.
After the emergence of sprouts open peat pots and put in a cooler place.
Moderately watered and fed with special fertilizers for seedlings. After a month, they are planted in prepared wells.
Conclusion
Knowing then to plant zucchini, many lovers of summer cottages and their own gardens will no longer refuse to grow this unpretentious plant. And if you consider the useful properties of pumpkin crops and how they taste good, then it's worth it.