This article will focus on a vegetable called zucchini. The best varieties for open ground, cultivation features, origin, as well as several simple recipes for wholesome and hearty dishes - all this you will find in our material.
What kind of vegetable is this?
Zucchini is an annual thermophilic plant, the closest relative of pumpkin. The fruits are usually oblong, although there are round varieties. The peel of the vegetable is white, pistachio, green or yellow. Thanks to a number of useful microelements and vitamins, as well as an incomparable taste, zucchini is popular all over the world.
Legend
According to Indian epics, zucchini was presented to people by the gods. In one fishing village, while husbands were on a long voyage, women and children suffered from hunger. Mothers prayed to the almighty gods to send down a fruit as delicious as the flesh of a fish, and as unpretentious as weed grass. Celestials thought and showed the world a zucchini. How much its taste resembles fish is a big question, but as for the simplicity of cultivation, they really were not mistaken.
Where does the zucchini come from?
Few gardeners wondered where the famous zucchini came from. But knowing about the features of its growth in the natural environment, you can create this culture the best conditions on your site.
South America is considered the homeland of the vegetable, although it can be found in both Central and North. Its cultivation took place a long time ago: the Indians grew zucchini 3000 years ago, as evidenced by numerous archaeological finds. The vegetable came to Europeans relatively recently - in the 17th century, and was first cultivated as an exotic plant in botanical gardens. Only zucchini seeds, tasting like pumpkin seeds, were consumed. In the middle of the 18th century, a miracle vegetable came to Russia, where it was consumed in an unripe form.
How to plant and grow squash
So that the zucchini seeds sprout faster, they should be soaked for 4-5 hours in cool water, and then wrapped in a damp cloth or cotton wool and put in a warm place for about a day (they should swell slightly, but not germinate). Then they are slightly dried and sown in open ground in late April - early May (focusing on weather conditions). Seeds will begin to germinate at temperatures above 10 ° C.
Zucchini is a fairly spreading plant, therefore, one specimen should have a plot of at least 70 × 70 cm in size. The seeds are planted in moist soil to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. Many gardeners cover the planting area with plastic wrap to maintain the necessary moisture.
Black soil is ideal for growing zucchini. This gourd grows well on alluvial riverine lands, and on chestnut, on fine loamy. It is also important to consider which plant was cultivated in the garden earlier. The best predecessors of zucchini are tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes and legumes.
In the period when the ovaries begin to form, the plant must be fed with mineral and organic fertilizers. Most often they use fresh mullein (5 kg per 10 m²), bird droppings (1.5 kg per 10 m²), slurry (5 kg per 10 m²). Ammonium nitrate (120 g per 10 m²) is considered the best mineral top dressing.
What are the criteria for choosing a variety?
Every time in the spring, many begin to think about the seeds of which varieties of a particular vegetable to acquire this year. How not to lose money among such a variety?
Before buying seeds, you need to choose the optimal variety. It is recommended to take into account the location of the personal plot: if the cottage is located in the northern regions, frost resistance is especially relevant.
Depending on the size of the proposed beds, it is important to pay attention to the shape of the bush, its compactness and a tendency to branching.
The crop directly depends on the quality of pollination. There are plants pollinated by insects, but self-pollinated zucchini has also been bred. The best varieties for open ground still imply the presence of bees, butterflies and other collectors of nectar.
Domestic or imported varieties: which is better?
Each grade has its advantages and disadvantages. When choosing, you need to be guided primarily by how zucchini will be used. Some grow these vegetables in the hope of the possibility of long-term storage, while others, on the contrary, dream of getting an early crop, which will be used raw, as well as for frying and canning.
Unlike foreign varieties, domestic ones are more resistant to frost and sudden temperature changes. Therefore, for cultivation in central Russia and in the more northern regions, it is better to choose the seeds of local breeders. The fruits of such zucchini, although they do not have a presentable appearance, but they are excellently stored and taste wonderful.
In hotter regions, on the contrary, foreign varieties have proven themselves better, especially Italian ones. They have more juicy pulp, are characterized by early maturity and excellent taste.
Early zucchini varieties
Every gardener and gardener wants to get a crop as soon as possible. For large agro-industrial complexes, rapid aging is a quick profit and a good turnover. For the most impatient breeders, they brought out quite a lot of interesting precocities. What plant zucchini? The best varieties for open ground with a short ripening period are presented below.
Odessa-52
This is an old, time-tested variety, bred by Ukrainian breeders in the middle of the last century. From the first shoots to the ripe fruit - only about 40 days. The shape of the squash is oblong, the peel is milky or greenish in color with small specks. The pulp has a pinkish or yellowish tint. The variety is very productive, resistant to disease and frost. The shape of the bush is compact. Odessa-52 is recommended to be consumed fresh and canned, since it, like many early varieties, is poor.
Aeronaut
This zucchini squash is one of the most sought after. The variety is characterized by a short main shoot and a neat small bush. It is ideal for small gardens. Zucchini Aeronaut has smooth oblong fruits, evenly colored in dark green. The flesh is yellowish, juicy, the skin is thin. The ripening period is 46 days. The fruits are used for canning, frying, cooking salads.
Zucchini Aeronaut has only one drawback: it is susceptible to powdery mildew and various viruses.
White
Ultra-ripe variety: from seedlings to the first harvest - a little more than a month (35-40 days). Zucchini White is distinguished by light oval fruits of medium size (up to 1 kg). The pulp inside is creamy, very juicy and tasty.
The variety is resistant to various diseases, unpretentious in terms of care and universal in use. It is pickled, fried, eaten raw. The low sugar content allows the use of White zucchini for baby food and a diet for diabetics. It is also suitable for long-term storage and does not lose taste and useful properties for a long time. Due to all these advantages, it is very popular among gardeners.
Sosnovsky
This variety ripens only 33-34 days. It is intended for cultivation in open ground in the southern regions of Russia, Ukraine, Moldova. Sosnovsky zucchini is distinguished by thin-skinned oblong fruits of white or beige color. The pulp is yellow, fibrous, with a high juice content. It is used for canning and diet menus.
Anchor
This variety is precocious: the crop can be harvested already 40 days after the appearance of the first cotyledon leaves. The fruits of zucchini Anchor is oval and rounded. The peel is painted in light green tones, soft to the touch.
Among the advantages are resistance to low temperatures, good preservation, high productivity (up to 9 kg from one bush), excellent palatability of the pulp. The main drawback that Anchor zucchini has is that the variety does not withstand various diseases.
Popular varieties of zucchini for long-term storage
- Squash . Due to long-term storage without loss of nutrients and taste, many choose these zucchini. Cultivation and care in the open field will not cause trouble. Seeds are sown immediately on the bed (the distance between the holes is 60 cm). In the future, only regular watering, loosening of the soil and top dressing will be required.
The fruits of Squorum are distinguished by a dark green skin and a slightly ribbed cylindrical shape. Zucchini weight can reach 1.2 kg. For consumption in a fresh, stewed and fried form, immediately after cutting, young small specimens are selected. Vegetables intended for long storage should ripen well.
- Gribovsky-37. This old variety is known to all self-respecting gardeners. It was received by domestic breeders in 1943, and since then has gained unprecedented popularity. Among the advantages, the following can be noted: the zucchini Gribovsky has a high yield, tolerates drought and long-term cooling, is unpretentious in leaving.
The fruits of this variety have a cylindrical, slightly "pot-bellied" shape with a pronounced ribbing at the peduncle. The skin is greenish or milky in color, fairly dense. Pulp - white, medium elastic. Zucchini Gribovsky is good for both home cooking and long-term storage.
- Iskander F1. Maybe you should plant a hybrid zucchini? The best varieties for open ground in this case are Cavili F1 and the famous zucchini Iskander F1, reviews of which are purely positive. These hybrids were created by Dutch botanists for a long time. Their main advantages are resistance to various diseases, high productivity, ability to ovary fruit at low temperatures.
At least for one season, you need to try to plant Iskander F1 zucchini in your area. Reviews about him give hope for a high harvest, which can be stored for a long time.
It is worth noting that seeds obtained from a hybrid fetus cannot be used for subsequent planting.
Yellow zucchini
- Zolotinka . Zucchini yellow varieties of Zolotinka are characterized by early maturity, compactness of the bush, good taste and pleasant appearance. Like other yellow or orange vegetables, they are rich in carotene and are used for preparing children's and dietary dishes.
- Yellow . This variety is a high-yield bush squash. Fruits are smooth or slightly ribbed, cylindrical in shape, tapering at the end. The plant is suitable for small areas, because it is compact in size.
- Golda . Another representative of yellow zucchini. This hybrid is well established among experienced gardeners. Its sunny fruits have an elongated, slightly ribbed shape. The pulp is creamy in color, quite dense and very tender. These vegetables are very versatile in use: they are fried, stewed, canned. In addition, Gold's zucchini varieties are excellently stored if you wait for them to fully ripen.
Round zucchini
- Ball . Zucchini round variety Ball is ideal for stuffing and baking. It is easy to guess the shape of the fruit by its name; it really looks like a ball in ripened form. The peel of the vegetable marrow is light green in small specks. The cultivation features include a special dislike for drafts, but in general the plant is unpretentious and high-yielding.
- Watermelon . This variety is the result of crossbreeding with a melon of the same name, and looks very similar to it. The features of this variety are large pink seeds, a very long storage (until the new crop) and long lashes. When planting Watermelon, the distance between the holes should be at least 2 m.
These are not all varieties of such an unusual shape. For open ground, Kolobok, Tintoretto, Bourgeois F1, Festival F1 are also suitable.
Round zucchini, varieties, the description and advantages of which are described above, are becoming more and more popular.
Fancy varieties
- Spaghetti . This precocious variety has a unique feature: during cooking, the pulp is folded into thin flagella resembling real Italian pasta. In addition to the appearance, the flesh of Spaghetti is somewhat reminiscent of this dish, familiar from childhood. It is important to let the zucchini ripen to the end: it is in this case that it will show all the taste qualities.
Is it difficult to cultivate such zucchini? Cultivation and care in the open ground do not distinguish them from ordinary varieties.
- Pear - shaped . Another outlandish squash is pear-shaped. In addition to its shape, it has a bright orange pulp, very fragrant and tasty. Its fruits are not very large (about 20-25 cm in length). The advantage of this variety is a long fruiting period.
Pear-shaped zucchini is well stored and transported. Thanks to excellent taste and decorativeness, this variety is becoming more and more popular from year to year.
Delicious recipes
For eating zucchini in raw form, young fruits are selected the size of an average cucumber. Their skin is thin, the flesh is juicy, and the seeds are just beginning to form. There are many recipes for healthy and simple dishes, the preparation of which is not difficult.
Zucchini Salad with Cucumbers
Necessary products: cucumbers (300 g), zucchini (250 g), green onions (30 g), garlic (3 cloves), mayonnaise (5 tablespoons), herbs, salt.
Peel the zucchini and cucumbers, cut into thin cubes. Finely chop the onion and herbs, let the garlic pass through the press. Combine all ingredients, mix well.
Many people who promote healthy eating replace the mayonnaise with olive or sunflower oil. You can also add homemade cheese or mozzarella to this salad.
Squash caviar
What you need: zucchini (3 kg), onions (0.5 kg), mayonnaise (250 g), tomato paste (250 g), sunflower oil (150 g), salt (2 tablespoons), sugar (1/2 cup ), ground black pepper (1/2 teaspoon), bay leaf (1 piece).
Onions and peeled zucchini need to be scrolled through a meat grinder, then add mayonnaise, tomato paste and butter. Cook the resulting mixture over low heat for 1 hour. Next, add salt, sugar, pepper and bay leaf. Cook for another 1 hour. In hot form, lay out on sterilized jars and roll up.
This dish is suitable for both daily diet and for a festive table.
Stuffed zucchini
We need: minced pork (350 g), 4 young round zucchini, 1 medium-sized carrot, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, herbs, olive oil, pepper, salt.
First you need to cut off the top of the zucchini and carefully remove the pulp with a spoon. Finely chop the onions, carrots, garlic, add to the minced meat and mix well. Next, sprinkle the mixture with olive oil, salt, pepper, add chopped herbs.
Pour pots from zucchini with minced meat, put on a baking sheet or in a baking dish and cover with foil on top. The dish is cooked in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 45 minutes. Next, you need to remove the foil and put it back for another 15 minutes. Top with grated cheese for a crispy flavor crust.