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
T                     T

(Best months for growing Zucchini in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • 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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11 Oct 12, Raj (Australia - temperate climate)
how to prevent zucchini starts to turn yellow/orange. wat is the problem if the fruit is not the normal shape .
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24 Jan 12, David (New Zealand - temperate climate)
No Zucchini flowers cause the rot as they absorb water. As soon as the zucchini starts to develop [3- 5cm] the flower needs to be plucked off to prevent rot. The same can be said for pumpkin, kumu kumu and butternut. Many more fruit will reach fruition especially with lots of manure to feed the soil nutrient sapping plants
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23 Jul 11, sartaz (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
how can i fix a broken zuchini stem. does anything work for it or i have to put it in the bin.
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02 Dec 09, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Claire and Adam, The flower heads will drop off pollinated zucchini . Small zucchini rot because they are not pollinated. See earlier answers for info about hand pollination.
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09 Feb 09, Christine Walker (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I have grown courgettes/ zuchinnis for a few years now and have never had a problem, but a freind of mine who has a farm out of town has just this year decided to grow her own vege. But she has had a problem with the above and they only grow to the size of your index finger. They are yellow and some die off, is this a plant species or is it something that she isnt doing. She assures me that they are getting plenty of water. The fruit looks healthy enough but is just really small Hope to hear from you very soon Cheers Christine
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29 Jan 18, David Ching (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Try adding a good dose of lime
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30 Jan 09, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Chrystal, I think you will find possible answers to your problem amongst the previous comments.
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10 Jan 09, hagges (New Zealand - temperate climate)
hi i grow a lot zucchini and mine to started to rot on vine so i increased calcuim nitrate to the plant and this fixed my problem (i make my own food hydroponic) hopw this helps
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12 Nov 08, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Billie, check behind the flowers. The ones with a miniature fruit are female. You can use pollen from the others. If all the flower stems are straight, you have male flowers only. That seems to happen when the weather is a bit cool as the plants start flowering.
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11 Nov 08, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Billie, and Bridget, your zucchini are dropping off because they are not pollinated. You can help pollination with a soft paintbrush if there are not many insects around.
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Showing 51 - 60 of 61 comments
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I'm in sub tropical. I have zucchini plants about 4-5 weeks old - planted from seedlings. I have other zucchini plants - from seeds just coming up now. I have the round white cucumbers seeds germinating now also. I have capsicum seeds germinated for 3 weeks or so and they are hardly growing. Temps here in August should be like 10-11 at night and 23-24 in the day. This year we are about 2 degrees above both. Been 28-29 a few days in the last fortnight. Very mild winter. Seeds germinate differently during the year. Quite a few seeds were germinating in 48-72 hrs in early Feb. Now they are taking 7-10 days. All to do with soil temp.

- Mike

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