Milano Zucchini in January

Once again, there's zucchini growing in the garden during winter. Although it's been incredibly cold, at least for the coast, the plants remain very productive, surprisingly. Lots of people have questions about growing zucchini. For us, it's really simple and they practically survive from sheer neglect. But part of that is the highly organic soil the plants are grown in. We've attempted to grow 'compact' varieties but thus far, all have proven to be less compact than anticipated. They probably would be compact in an area where the growing seasons are short and the weather is intensely cold.  Since our environment is more tropical than most, all the zucchini plants grow and produce like ivy - and become rampant invaders.

Although we grow the plants year round, zucchini is actually a summer squash and is supposed to do best during the summer months. They are also annuals which means they are supposed to last a season and then die out.  I'm saying 'supposedly' because on most occasions, our plants have produce beyond the typical growing season, often resulting in us having to uproot them so we could plant something else. 

Here are a few tips for anyone having issues growing the plants.  Remember, they're heat lovers so place them in a sunny environment.

1. START SEEDS INDOORS. We start all our seeds in a carefully controlled environment and suggest you to start zucchini seeds indoors too. While they may sprout outside, they'll easily get eaten or wither from the cold as they're just beginning to come above ground. It just seems to give them a good strong start when they start off in complete warmth.

2. PREPARE THE SOIL AND FEED THE PLANT. We use lots of compost in our garden so the ground is very rich, pliable and easy to work. Most people recommend putting plants on mounded earth but we rarely remember to mound the soil and still end up with more than we can handle. After planting, we water the plants well and then leave them alone. Sometimes we'll water with a little fish emulsion upon planting and other times we provide the emulsion within the first week of planting. Important to note, it's best to water these plants at the base rather than over-head; leaves highly susceptible to mold.

3.  HARVEST. Zucchini is one of those plants that need to be picked on a regular basis. If you don't, you could very well end up with fruit the size of a baby's leg, and I'm not joking. The plants tend to be very hardy and if you give them just a little attention, they'll produce for you beyond expectations.

Botanical Name: Cucubita pepo
Plant Type:  Annual
Growing Zones:  Zones 4 - 11
Hardiness:  Generally, not frost hardy; loves heat
Soil Preference:  Does best in well drained soil
PH Preference:  6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer:  5-10-5
Water:  Moderate once established; 
Sun Requirements:  Full sun
Spacing: 3-4 feet apart
Sizes:  Round, long, octagonal and curvy

Colors:  Green, white, yellow, light green, mottled light green 

VARIETIES:

Here are some of the varieties we plant on a regular basis.

• COSTA ROMANESCO (50+ days to fruit)  produces ribbed, dark green fruit. 
• RONDE DE NICE (45+ days to fruit) is a round zucchini and very tasty. It's a French heirloom with skin that's lighter than the elongated zucchini.
• TROMBONCINO (55+ days to fruit)  is an interesting variety that grows like a vine. Great plant if you have an area in the garden with a fence it can grow on. Fruits are light green and actually grow with a curve. 
• MILANO (55+ days to fruit) is very dark green, elongated type.