How to grow squash. Why do zucchini rot in the garden: what to do, what is the best treatment. Sowing seeds in open soil

Having decided to grow squash on your plot, you should know that the seeds of these vegetables can be sown directly in the beds, or you can first grow seedlings and then get an early harvest. It will be especially abundant if the seedlings are grown under film or in a greenhouse.

For summer residents who have an acute shortage of free space on their plot, it is advisable to grow squash in containers, such as elegant flowerpots or ordinary plastic bags.

Preparatory work on the site

For the culture, you should choose a place where the sun warms up well and the breeze blows. Already in the fall, the soil can be nourished with organic fertilizers, and then dug up, leaving large clods intact. On acidic soil, liming will have to be done in the fall.

Preparation continues in the spring, when the ground should be leveled with a rake, while removing weeds. Somewhere after May 15th, mineral fertilizers are applied; if the soil was not fertilized with organic matter in the fall, now it is necessary to do so.

Fertilizing the soil before planting

The type of soil determines which fertilizers will be most useful.

• Peat soils. It is recommended to treat each square meter with 2 kg of compost (humus) and turf soil (1 bucket). Also, the soil should receive superphosphate with potassium sulfate (1 tsp each) and wood ash (2 tbsp). Then a strip of soil about 70 cm wide is dug up 20-25 centimeters deep, and warm water with Agricola-5 fertilizer dissolved in it (10 l of water / 2 tbsp of fertilizer) is poured onto this bed. Dosage – 3 liters of solution per 1 sq. m. When all the fertilizers have been applied, the bed is covered with film to reduce moisture evaporation and retain heat.
• Before planting squash on clayey (light loamy) soils they are pre-fertilized with peat (2-3 kg/1 sq. m), humus and sawdust. Superphosphate and wood ash are also added in 1 and 2 tbsp. spoons respectively.
• Sandy soils First, they are flavored with turf soil and peat (1 bucket/1 sq. m), then with humus and sawdust (3 kg/1 sq. m), the amounts of other fertilizers are the same as for clay soil.
• On fertile black soil you need to add 2 kg/1 sq.m of sawdust, superphosphate in powder form (1 tablespoon) and wood ash (2 tablespoons).
• A special approach is required for virgin soil First, the soil is cleared of roots and insect larvae, after which for each square. meter, 2-3 kg of humus (compost), 1 tbsp. a spoonful of nitrophoska and wood ash (2 tbsp. spoons). Next, dig up and water with Agricola-5 water solution.

When these activities are completed, the bed should remain under the film for 3-5 days, then you can begin sowing the squash seeds.

How to properly prepare seeds

Squash is grown by sowing seeds (dry or swollen) and planting seedlings. The combination of these methods will ensure uniform ripening of the squash.

Large seeds initially contain a sufficient amount of substances necessary for successful germination, which does not prevent additional measures from being taken to stimulate growth. One option is to pour the seeds into gauze bags and immerse them in a solution of boric acid (20 mg/1l), keep them for a day at room temperature, rinse thoroughly with water and dry. This way you can improve productivity by 15-20%.

It is also practiced to harden the seeds, for which, having previously moistened them, they are placed in gauze bags for 3-5 days, periodically moving them from a room with a temperature of approx. 20 ° (after staying for 6 hours) in a room with a temperature of 0 ° to 2 ° (for the next 18 hours).

Gardeners often prepare seeds for sowing by soaking them in special solutions, stimulating active growth, for example, in a solution of “Bud” (2 g/1 l of water) or “Energen” (5 drops/1 l). After this treatment, the seeds are washed and allowed to lie for 1-2 days on a damp cloth at 22-25 degrees.

How to grow squash (video)

Planting squash

Sowing can begin in the region of April 10-25, the timing of planting patisona seedlings is the second ten days of May. The seed sowing pattern is 60x60 cm, the depth depends on the type of soil - 5-7 cm deep into light soil and 3-4 cm into heavy soil. Place 2-3 seeds in a hole, spaced five to six centimeters apart from each other. The emerged seedlings are broken through, one sprout is left in the hole, the rest are planted in other beds. To ensure the required moisture regime, the beds are sprinkled with peat.

The planted seedlings are covered with a film spread on the arches, which are installed across the beds at a height of about half a meter. If frost is predicted, additional shelter will be needed. A film cover is made to sow seeds 15-20 days earlier and create a water-temperature regime that is comfortable for plants, which naturally improves yield.

The problem of heating in cold weather is solved with the help of organic fertilizers. A specially dug ditch is filled with a thick layer of manure (compost), 20 cm of garden soil is placed on top and watered with a mineral solution.

Planting care

The main care measures are watering, weeding the beds and removing old leaves at the bottom, as well as fruits affected by rot. Squash requires abundant watering, the water should be settled, at a temperature of about 22-25 °. Watering rates are as follows: once every 5-6 days, 6-8 l/1 sq. m - before flowering, and 8-10 liters every 3-4 days during the flowering period. It is necessary to water at the roots or along the furrows in order to prevent water from penetrating into the flowers and ovaries, otherwise they may rot.

Hilling and loosening are not used for plantings. Since the watering is intense, the roots will be exposed, so a couple of times during the growing season you should add a 3-5 cm layer of peat (humus).

It happens that there is a need to reduce the vegetative mass, the development of which interferes with the formation of fruits. Then, choosing a sunny day, cut off 1-2 old leaves in the morning, repeating the procedure 3-4 days later.

It is recommended to feed the plantings 3 times during the growing season. The first time - before flowering, use organic fertilizer (for example, “Vegeta”), 2 tbsp. spoons of which are diluted in 10 liters of water, per 1 sq. m pours out approx. 4-5 l. During the fruiting period, vegetables are fed 2 more times with this solution: “Forward” fertilizer in the amount of 2 tbsp. spoons are dissolved in 10 liters of water, 1 teaspoon of nitrophoska is added here, consumption is 3 liters for each plant.

They also often resort to fertilizing with mullein and chicken droppings, which are diluted in water 1 to 10 and 1 to 20, respectively.

Since squash is a cross-pollinated crop, the formation of fruit requires the participation of pollen-carrying insects. In greenhouses, therefore, there is sometimes a need for manual pollination.. For this purpose, the male flower, on which ripe pollen is visible, is picked and the corolla is placed in the ovary, which is the female flower.

It is recommended not to allow the fruits to touch the ground so that slugs do not get to them and rotting does not begin. To do this, the fruits are placed on pieces of plywood or glass. It is better to harvest regularly so that the development of new fruits is not delayed and underdeveloped ovaries are not in danger of shedding.

Brief characteristics of some varieties

Squash can have a variety of fruit shapes - in the form of a disk, plate, bowl, bell; the edges can be scalloped or jagged, or they can be simply smooth. The traditional color is white, but thanks to the efforts of breeders, varieties have been developed that produce fruits with purple, green, orange and yellow colors. Let's say a few words about the most common varieties of squash, divided into groups depending on color.

White varieties

• White 13. A well-proven variety that has stood the test of time, it is a mid-season variety with fruits weighing up to 450 g with dense white flesh.
• Disk. An early ripening variety, the bark is thin, white, unsweetened, crunchy, and contains a small amount of juice. The average weight of a mature squash is 350 g.
• Loaf. An early variety that requires proper growing conditions. Small fruits weighing 180-270 g; up to 26 squash are collected from one plant.
• Umbrella. High-yielding variety, early. Produces large fruits (800-1400 g), cup- or bell-shaped.
• Piglet. Belongs to early ripening varieties, plants and fruits are small (220-300 g), all fruits ripen almost simultaneously.
• Cheburashka. The variety is ultra-early ripening, ripening in 35-39 days, and tolerates cold well. Fruits weighing from 200 to 400 g with a thin crust and juicy soft pulp.
• Rodeo. Also an early variety, it is characterized by increased productivity. The size of the plant is small, the pulp is quite dense, not juicy, and has a peculiar taste.

Yellow-orange varieties

• Sun. The variety boasts good yields, is a mid-season variety, the average weight of mature squash is 250-300 g, at the stage of technical maturity the rind has a bright yellow color, which changes to orange when fully ripe. The pulp has a creamy tint.
• UFO Orange. This is an early ripening variety, its positive property is that it forms an ovary, even in poor growing conditions. The fruit weighs from 280 g, has orange-yellow pulp with excellent taste, low juiciness, and is characterized by a high content of vitamin C and microelements (iron, magnesium).
• Fouette. Another early ripening species, fruits weighing approx. 250-300 g with dense white pulp with a delicate taste. It may not spoil for a long time after collection.

Dark green varieties

• Chunga-Changa. It belongs to the mid-season varieties, is characterized by good yield, the fruits are heavy (500-700 g), juicy, and the taste is delicate.
• Gosh. This is a large early ripening plant. In ripe fruits, the skin becomes almost black, while the flesh is milky white.

Purple varieties

Bingo Bongo. It takes 39-43 days for the fruits to ripen; the plant itself is small; thanks to the raised rosette of leaves, this variety is easier to care for and water. Quite large fruits weighing from 450 to 600 grams, have soft juicy pulp.

How to cook pickled squash (video)

Causes and types of diseases

The cause of most diseases of squash grown in summer cottages is cold water; a sharp change in temperature is also responsible, when the warmth of the day is suddenly replaced by the coolness of the night. Fruits are affected by white and root rot, anthracosis, and powdery mildew, which progress while maintaining high moisture content. Some diseases, such as green mottled mosaic, fusarium and root rot, are more likely to affect greenhouse plants.

Vegetable squash, or saucer pumpkin, is a type of pumpkin. It is a herbaceous annual, widely known in cultivation, but not found in the wild. Squash, brought from America to Europe, already in the 17th century gained such popularity that two centuries later they began to be grown even in Siberia. The name of the plant was given by the French, it is derived from the word pate (pie), and this name is associated with the shape of the fruit. In the domestic classification of plants, squash is recorded as Cucurbita pepo var. Patisson, and internationally as Cucurbita pepo subsp. ovifera, var. ovifera.

Planting and caring for squash (in brief)

• Landing: sowing seeds in the ground - at the end of May, sowing seeds for seedlings - in the second or third ten days of April, planting seedlings in the ground - at the end of May or early June.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: crumbly chernozem or loam of neutral reaction. Acidic soils are neutralized with wood ash.
• Watering: before flowering - every 5-6 days at a consumption of 6-8 liters per m² of plot, during flowering and during the period of fruit formation - every 3-4 days at a consumption of 8-10 liters per m².
• Feeding: at least twice a season: before flowering and during fruit ripening. Both mineral complex fertilizers and organic ones are used - a solution of mullein (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:20).
• Reproduction: seed.
• Pests: cutworms and their caterpillars, melon aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, mole crickets, sprout flies, root-knot nematodes and slugs.
• Diseases: blackleg, fusarium, powdery mildew, downy mildew, root, gray and white rot, viral diseases (white, green mosaic mosaic and common mosaic of cucumber), anthracnose.

Read more about growing squash below.

Squash vegetable - description

The squash plant is a herbaceous annual semi-bush or bush-shaped plant with harsh large leaves, single unisexual monoecious yellow flowers and a pumpkin fruit, dish-shaped or bell-shaped, depending on the variety, white, green, yellow, purple or variegated in color - with stripes and spots. The value of squash lies in the taste of its fruits, which are eaten stewed, fried, pickled and salted. They resemble zucchini, but at the same time their more delicate taste is comparable to artichokes and asparagus.

Patisson is a dietary product recommended for diseases of the stomach, liver and kidneys, as well as atherosclerosis. It has an active diuretic property, removing excess fluid from the body and washing away salt.

Growing squash from seeds

Sowing squash seeds

Squash reproduces generatively - by seeds, which can be bought, or can be extracted from a well-ripened fruit. Growing squash in open ground is carried out in seedlings and without seedlings. But whatever method you choose, before planting squash, you need to prepare the seeds for planting. To do this, immerse them for a day in an aqueous solution of a growth stimulator, then rinse thoroughly with water, wrap in damp gauze and keep for two days at a temperature of 20-25 ºC.

There is another way to prepare seeds for sowing: they are heated for 5-6 hours at a temperature of 50-60 ºC. This measure reduces the risk of squash becoming infected with viral infections for which there is no treatment. Hardening of seeds gives good results. To do this, the seeds placed in fabric bags are first kept for six hours at a temperature of 18-20 ºC, and then for about a day at a temperature of 0-1 ºC. Immediately before sowing, disinfect the squash seeds in a one percent solution of potassium permanganate, then rinse in clean water and dry.

At the end of May, when the soil prepared for squash in the fall has warmed up well and the threat of return frosts has passed, level the ground on the site with a rake, remove weeds, form beds and dig holes measuring 70x70 so that the plantings are not too dense and the squash does not rot. The seeds are sown to a depth of about 8 cm, several in one hole, they are sprinkled with soil, carefully watered, the soil is compacted and covered with film before shoots appear.

Growing squash seedlings

For those who want to get a squash harvest as early as possible, there is no other option than to grow squash seedlings. Planting of squash seedlings is carried out in the second or third ten days of April, two seeds in disposable cups with a diameter of 8-10 cm with a mixture of humus and forest soil to a depth of 3-4 cm. The crops are covered with film or glass and kept at a temperature of 28-32 ºC, but when the seeds germinate, the glass should be removed and the temperature reduced to about 22 ºC during the day and 18 ºC at night. This is done so that the seedlings do not stretch too tall, but spend energy on developing the root system and cotyledon leaves. After a week you can return to the previous temperature regime.

Caring for squash seedlings consists of regularly moistening the soil and fertilizing. When the seedlings are 10 days old, they are fertilized with a mullein solution in a ratio of 1:10 with the addition of superphosphate infusion, 15 g of which is poured with a small amount of water the day before, left for a day, then the liquid is poured into the mullein solution without using the remaining sediment. Before planting the seedlings in the ground, they are fed again with a solution of 50 g of nitrophoska in 10 liters of water.

Picking squash

How to dive squash? No way. When the squash develops true leaves, the stronger of the two seedlings is left in a glass, and the second is not pulled out, but cut with scissors or a sharp knife directly above the ground, so as not to injure the root system of the remaining seedling.

Growing squash in a greenhouse

Planting squash in a greenhouse is carried out at the end of April in disposable cups with a diameter of 10 cm to a depth of about 3 cm in loose soil consisting of peat or turf soil, sand or sawdust and humus in a ratio of 5: 1: 4. Before placing in cups, the soil is fertilized at the rate of 7 g of ammonium nitrate, 5 g of potassium sulfide, 6 g of chalk and 6 g of double superphosphate per bucket of soil mixture, mixed thoroughly and watered. Cups with 2-3 seeds in each are covered with glass or film and kept during the day at a temperature of 22-25 ºC, and at night at 17-18 ºC.

As soon as the shoots appear, the film is removed, the shoots are initially protected from direct sunlight, and the temperature is lowered to 18-20 ºC by ventilation during the day, and to 15-17 ºC at night. After a week they return to their previous temperature.

Growing squash seedlings in a greenhouse will require abundant but infrequent watering with mandatory subsequent ventilation of the greenhouse. Ten days after emergence, the seedlings are fed with mullein diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, with the addition of nitrophoska at the rate of 50 g per 10 liters of water. Before planting in open ground, healthy seedlings should have a stocky, low stem with short internodes and two or three developed leaves, not counting the cotyledons. When to plant squash seedlings in the garden? Planting of squash in open ground from a greenhouse is carried out in early June.

Planting squash in the ground

When to plant squash in the ground

Seedlings grown at home are planted in the ground when the seedlings are 3-4 weeks old and have developed 2-3 true leaves, that is, also around the very end of May or early June. The seedlings are first hardened off, gradually accustoming them to fresh air, sun and outdoor temperatures. To do this, the seedlings are taken to a wired balcony or unheated veranda and a window or window is opened in the room for several hours, increasing the duration of ventilation daily. For the last day or two, the window has not been closed at all.

Soil for squash

The site for squash should be sheltered from the wind, sunny, south or southwest, with deep groundwater. Plants love crumbly chernozems and neutral loams. Acidic soil is not suitable for squash - it must be neutralized with wood ash. Squash grows well after plants such as green manure, cabbage, radishes, carrots, onions, greens, tomatoes, peas, potatoes and early vegetables. Precursors such as zucchini, pumpkins, cucumbers and squash are undesirable.

Preparation of the site for squash is carried out in the fall: the soil is dug up with rotted manure and mineral fertilizers:

• 2 kg of organic matter, 1 teaspoon of potassium sulfate and superphosphate and 2 tablespoons of wood ash per m² are added to the peat soil for digging to a depth of 20-25 cm;
• in autumn, when digging to the depth of a spade, add 2-3 kg of peat with the addition of humus and sawdust, as well as a tablespoon of superphosphate and 2 tablespoons of wood ash per 1 m²;
• in sandy soils, a bucket of peat and turf soil, 3 kg of sawdust and humus, and the same fertilizer for squash as for clay soil are added for digging per 1 m².
• 2 kg of sawdust, a tablespoon of powdered superphosphate and 2 tablespoons of wood ash are added to the chernozem soil per m².

In the spring, 3-5 days before planting, the bed is watered with a solution of 2 tablespoons of Agricola-5 in 10 liters of water at the rate of 3 liters per m², after which the bed is covered with a film, which is removed only on the day the seedlings are planted in the ground.

How to plant squash in open ground

Seedlings are planted on a calm, cloudy day or in the evening. Holes with a depth of at least 12 cm are placed at the same distance as when sowing seeds in the ground - 70x70 cm, but before planting the seedlings, the holes are spilled with warm water, then a seedling with an earthen lump is transferred into each hole and positioned so that the cotyledon leaves of the seedling ended up at surface level, after which they add soil to the hole, compact it, mulch the bed with peat and, for the first time, shade the seedlings from direct sunlight.

Caring for squash

How to grow squash

Growing squash in open ground requires regular watering and weeding of the beds, as well as timely application of fertilizers. Weeding is easiest after rain and watering, when the soil is well moistened. However, you should work with a hoe very carefully so as not to damage the surface root system of the squash - due to the fact that the roots of the plants are very close to the surface, the area with the squash is not loosened and that is why you should not neglect mulching the bed with peat, sawdust or any other material.

If you notice that squash is rapidly increasing its mass of greenery, but is in no hurry to form fruits, cut 1-2 old leaves from such a bush in the morning in sunny weather and repeat this procedure after 4-5 days. Keep in mind also that squash need pollinating insects to set fruit, so after flowering has begun, try to attract bees, wasps and bumblebees to the garden by spraying the plants with a solution of 100 g of sugar in a liter of water.

Sometimes, for some reason, squash do not pollinate, so you have to help them with this - carry out artificial pollination. To do this, in the morning, several male flowers on a long stalk are picked and passed over the female flowers on a short stalk. It is important that there is no moisture in the flowers after rain or watering, otherwise pollination will not occur. The more male flowers are used to pollinate the female flower, the more seeds will be formed in the fruit.

Watering squash

How to water squash? While the seedlings are taking root, water them frequently and abundantly. Squash requires increased watering during fruit formation. Water needs to be settled, warm - 22-25 ºС. The watering rate is 6-8 liters per 1 m² of bed every 5-6 days before flowering, and during the period of flowering and ovary formation - 8-10 liters per m² every 3-4 days. You need to pour water under the root or into a specially made furrow around each plant so that water does not get on the leaves, flowers and ovaries. With such intensive watering, the roots of the squash quickly become exposed, and to protect them, mulch is added to the area several times during the growing season.

When the fruits begin to form, place boards under those that are lying on the ground so that they do not begin to rot from contact with wet soil.

Feeding squash

Ground squash is fertilized twice. How to fertilize squash? Before flowering begins, they are fed by adding 15-25 g of double superphosphate, 20-30 g of potassium sulfate and 20-30 g of ammonium sulfate per m² of plot. During the period of fruit ripening, the following fertilizer for squash is applied to each m² of bed: 40-50 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate and 20-25 g of ammonium sulfate are dissolved in 10 liters of water. If you prefer organic fertilizers, then the best of them for squash are solutions of mullein (1:10) or chicken manure (1:20).

Pests and diseases of squash

What are the diseases of squash? Squash can most often be affected by diseases such as anthracnose, ascochyta blight, white rot, powdery mildew and black mold. All these diseases are fungal, and you can get rid of them if changes in the above-ground parts of the plant are detected in time. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of these diseases.

Anthracnose– large watery yellowish spots appear on the leaves of the squash, a pink coating of fungal spores forms on the veins, then pink sores appear on the stems, fruits, and petioles, which turn black by autumn. The fungus is especially active in humid weather.

Ascochyta blight manifests itself as black spots appearing at the nodes of the shoots, on the stems and leaves. Subsequently, the affected areas dry out and the plant may die.

White rot can be recognized by light brown spots on the stems and leaves, which over time turn into deep ulcers filled with pink mucus, which also affect squash fruits. High humidity promotes the development of the disease.

Powdery mildew looks like a light, loose powdery coating on the upper side of the leaves, which leads to their premature drying. The fruits and stems of squash are also affected. The disease develops faster in conditions of high humidity.

Black mold looks like yellow-brown spots between the veins of the leaves, then in their place a dark coating with fungal spores appears. After the spots dry, holes form on the leaves. Fruits affected by the disease stop developing and shrink.

Among the pests that pose a danger to squash are cutworms - garden and winter aphids, as well as melon aphids. Slugs also harm squash.

Scoops lay eggs, from which caterpillars emerge, eating the above-ground parts of the plant and gnawing its roots.

melon aphid affects the shoots, flowers and ovaries of squash, the underside of its leaves, causing them to curl and wrinkle. Wet and warm weather contributes to the destructive activity of aphids on plants.

Slugs are more dangerous for young plants, since they completely eat up their leaves or make huge holes in them.

Processing squash

The fight against diseases and pests of squash is carried out both upon the occurrence of a disease or injury, and preventively. Moreover, if you carry out preventive treatment on time, then disease or damage to the squash by pests may not occur. What is included in the concept of “preventive measures”?

• Firstly, compliance with the rules of crop rotation - strictly monitor which plants can be grown after which and which cannot.
• Secondly, It is very important to comply with all agrotechnical conditions for the crop, in particular, to prevent thickening of the bushes, which increases the humidity in the area, as well as mandatory pre-sowing treatment of seeds and soil.
• Third, Preventive treatment of plants before flowering begins is necessary.

How to treat squash against fungal diseases? One percent Bordeaux mixture works best, as well as fungicides such as Fitosporin and Topsin.

Slugs are collected manually: bait in the form of pieces of melon, pumpkin or watermelon rinds is laid out around the area, and when the slugs crawl down to dine, they are collected and destroyed. Aphids die after treating plants with a solution of 300 g of soap in 10 liters of water, and spraying squash with a one percent solution of Bitoxibacillin and a half percent solution of Gomelin is effective against cutworm caterpillars.

There are other effective means that destroy insects and pathogens, but before you treat squash with chemicals, think about the fact that if you followed agricultural practices and followed crop rotation, these troubles could almost certainly have been avoided.

Collection and storage of squash

The harvest of squash is carried out when they reach technical maturity - their peel should be tender, waxy, and the seeds inside should be small and not hard. That is, squash belongs to those vegetables that are eaten unripe, like cucumbers and zucchini. Squash in the stage of biological, or full maturity, has a dense, rough skin, like a ripe pumpkin, and large, hard seeds - it is better to leave such a specimen for seeds.

How to collect squash? Two or three times a week they are cut off along with the stalk, and then until autumn they will grow every day. Do not allow the fruits to overripe on the bushes, as this will cause the core of the squash to become loose and reduce the yield level. The last fruits are removed before frost, and the tops of healthy bushes are placed in compost. Squash is consumed fried and stewed, small young squash are pickled and salted - in this form they are even tastier than zucchini.

Milk-ripe squash can be stored at a temperature of 10 ºC for no more than ten days. Squash with hardened bark at the stage of biological maturity is stored in the same conditions as zucchini or pumpkins - in a dark, cool, dry place with good ventilation, arranged so that they do not touch each other. From time to time, squash need to be inspected in order to detect spoiled fruit in time and prevent the rot from spreading to other fruits.

Types and varieties of squash

Actually, squash are plants for open ground, and in greenhouses only their seedlings are usually grown. You can, of course, if you have a lot of space in your greenhouse, grow squash in greenhouses and greenhouses until ripe, but is there any point in this?

Varieties of squash for open ground are bush and semi-bush, early and mid-season. Varieties also differ in bark color and fruit shape. According to the shape of the fruit, squash can be similar to a disk, bowl, bell and plate, with wavy, jagged or smooth edges. Traditionally, squash has a white or light green rind, but thanks to breeders, today there are varieties of yellow-orange, purple and dark green squash.

White squash are represented by the following varieties:

• White 13– a bush or semi-bush mid-season variety with small or medium-sized fruits with a slightly toothed edge, pale green or white bark and light yellow rough seeds;
• Disk– a thin-barked early variety with fruits weighing up to 350 g with not very juicy and unsweetened pulp;
• Loaf– an early productive variety that requires special growing conditions with fruits weighing up to 270 g;
• Umbrella– a high-yielding early variety with fruits weighing up to one and a half kilograms in the shape of a bowl or bell;
• Rodeo– an early-ripening, productive variety with small fruits of a piquant taste with dense, but not very juicy pulp;
• Cheburashka– an early-ripening, cold-resistant variety, whose thin-barked fruits weighing up to 400 g with juicy pulp ripen in 35-40 days.

The most famous varieties with yellow-orange peel:

• Tobolinsky– a disease-resistant bush mid-season variety with smooth, orange, plate-shaped fruits weighing from 220 to 300 g;
• Sun– a productive mid-season variety with fruits weighing up to 300 g with creamy pulp, and at a young age the bark of the fruit is bright yellow, and at the stage of biological maturity it is orange;
• Fouette– an early-ripening, well-stored variety with white flesh and a pleasant taste. Fruit weight – 250-300 g;
• UFO– an early variety that guarantees germination even under unfavorable conditions. Its not very juicy fruits weighing up to 280 g with orange pulp, like the bark, contain iron, magnesium and vitamin C in large quantities.

The most popular squash with purple bark:

• Bingo-bongo- an early ripening variety, ripening in approximately forty days with fruits weighing up to 450 g with juicy pulp.
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Squash on personal plots is somewhat less common than zucchini. However, thanks to its rich vitamin composition, regular consumption of this vegetable is the prevention of many diseases. Growing squash on your own plot is not at all difficult. Although the crop is quite demanding in terms of growing conditions, it requires minimal care, so every gardener can get a good harvest.

Growing squash must begin with choosing a variety. Today, there are many varieties of squash, which differ in the period of fruit ripening, their taste, shape, and skin color. Some varieties are best used for preservation, while others are better for fresh consumption. You should choose one variety or another based on personal preferences and capabilities. The most well-known varieties that have been proven to produce a good harvest are the following:

1. Sun. Bright orange fruits with cream-colored flesh. The weight of the fruit reaches 0.3 - 0.35 kg. The variety is classified as mid-season. It has high productivity.
2. Tabolinsky. Another mid-season plate-shaped variety. It is characterized by high yield and resistance to various diseases. Fruit weight is from 0.2 to 0.3 kg.
3. White 13. Successful mid-season variety. Plants grow in any area. The peel of the fruit is white, the pulp is dense white. The weight of the fruit reaches 400-500 g.
4. Disk. Early ripening variety. It is distinguished by high yield rates - up to 3 kg of crop can be harvested from one plant. The flesh is not sweet, crispy.
5. Gosh. Belongs to early ripening. The fruits are quite large, in some cases the weight reaches 0.5 kg. The peel is dark green, and when ripe the fruit is almost black. The pulp is juicy.

Growing squash must begin with choosing a variety

Other varieties are also available for sale. As noted above, it is reasonable to choose the most suitable ones based on the desired result.

There are two options for planting squash in open ground - seeds or seedlings. If seedlings are grown at home, then sowing of seeds can be done as early as mid-April.

To grow seedlings in a greenhouse or in a film greenhouse, seeds are planted in late April - early May, if the threat of frost has already passed. It is not recommended to grow seedlings in open ground.

In order to increase the germination of seeds, as well as to provide future plants with prevention from various diseases, seed material must be prepared in advance.

Video about the secrets of a rich harvest

There are several options for preparatory actions. It cannot be said that after certain squashes grow better, and after others worse. Therefore, you can choose one option that you like best and is available.

1. The seeds are kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes, then washed under running water and placed in an ash solution for a day. After this, the seeds are germinated in a hydrogel or in a damp cloth, preferably cotton.
2. The seeds are soaked for 24 hours in a nutrient solution. Experienced gardeners, in most cases, use the preparations Buton and Energen for such purposes. The preparation for making the solution can be purchased at a specialized store.
3. The seed material is moistened and placed in gauze or cotton bags. The bags are first placed in a cool place - a balcony, a cellar for 6 hours, then transferred to the refrigerator closer to the freezer, where the seeds spend about 3-5 days.

Planting squash

At home, seeds are sown in separate small containers filled with nutrient soil. You can purchase regular flower soil or prepare a soil mixture yourself, using equal parts of garden soil, sand and humus. The seeds are placed 4 cm deep in the soil and sprinkled with a thin layer of soil. After the seeds germinate, basic care consists of the following:

• Watering should be done rarely, with a small amount of water, but beware of drying out the soil, otherwise the plant may die;
• loosening - loosening must be done carefully so as not to damage the root system of plants;
• fertilizing - any fertilizer will do, which is best purchased at a specialized point of sale;
• additional lighting – extending daylight hours up to 12 hours using a table lamp;
• ventilation. This is a mandatory process. But be careful - wind and drafts can destroy fragile plants.

Video about a clever way of growing

If seeds are planted as seedlings in a greenhouse or greenhouse, then the ground must be prepared in advance.

It is necessary to carefully dig up the soil and loosen it in order to reduce the number of solid earth formations to a minimum. When digging, it is necessary to fertilize the soil with organic substances, as well as add minerals. Caring for seedlings in a greenhouse is similar to caring for them at home.

Growing squash in the garden

In the open ground, all work on growing squash can begin in mid-to-late May, when the temperature outside has already become quite warm - above +14 0 C, including at night. It is best to choose a sunny, open place for the garden bed, since the crop is quite warm and light-loving. The bed should be dug up in advance and fertilized with organic and mineral fertilizers. If the soil is highly acidic, it must be limed, or a sufficient amount of wood ash must be added to the soil when digging.

Video about growing and caring for squash

The scheme for sowing seeds or planting seedlings is 0.6X0.6 m. The seeds are planted at a depth of 5-7 cm. The seedlings are planted by carefully removing them from the containers and transplanting them into previously prepared, spilled holes in the open ground. Planting is best done in the evening or in cloudy weather, which will allow the seedlings to take root better.

Plant care

Patissons are not capricious enough. Therefore, to get a harvest, it is enough to carry out basic care. This includes watering, removing old rotten leaves and fertilizing. Loosening squash is strictly not recommended, as this can lead to damage to the root system or accidental damage to the ovaries.

Video about a rare variety

Plants need abundant watering. But it needs to be carried out under the root or along the grooves. Under no circumstances should you water the plants directly from the watering can from above, as water may penetrate into the flowers in the ovary, which may rot as a result.

It is recommended to fertilize approximately three times per season. Specialized preparations such as Vegeta, Fovard, etc. are best suited for this. In addition, experienced gardeners recommend not allowing the fruits to come into contact with the ground, as slugs can reach them. Plywood or glass is already placed under the young squash.

Experienced gardeners know what to do when small zucchini rots on the bushes. But novice lovers get lost when, instead of beautiful fruits, they see half-rotten remains. Then the search begins for reasons and questions about what happened to the plant.

Such an unpretentious crop as zucchini usually does not cause many problems for the gardener. I planted it and forgot. It needs to be watered rarely and does not need fertilizers. Weeds are also not a big concern, because... under large leaves they do not have enough light. We remember the pumpkin crop when we need to harvest.

It all starts with following planting rules

When the ovary rots, the problem is solved quite easily, since usually there are few affected ovaries: 3-4 pieces. You can simply cut them off and the problem will be solved. This will not affect the overall yield in any way, because quite a lot of ovaries are formed.

Why do zucchini rot in the garden?

This problem is much more complicated, but it can also be solved. One of the reasons may be that pumpkin crops were planted in one area for several years in a row. Knowing that zucchini plants are quite unpretentious plants, they were given the same plot.

Rot on zucchini occurs if the crops that grew before them are relatives - representatives of the Pumpkin family. They have the same diseases, so placement in the same territory can have an adverse effect.

During crop rotation, zucchini is returned to its old place after 4-5 years. But gardeners usually don’t think about it until the plant gets sick and the yield begins to fall.

Causes of rotting

Advice: Regularly inspect the ovaries on the bushes and small fruits. If some of the zucchini is rotting, then it is worth determining the cause and taking corrective measures.

Excess moisture and nutrients

Zucchini rots from excess moisture. The consequence may be heavy rains or our increased soil moisture. There are certain rules for watering this crop:

1. 20 l. water must be poured under one crop. It is enough to carry out such abundant watering once a month, and then the bushes can be left alone, because the zucchini’s need for moisture is low.
2. Watering should not be done from above, touching the leaves and stem, but under the root. Otherwise, the base of the stem will begin to rot, which will lead to the death of the entire bush.
3. There is no need to water under strong pressure (from a hose or bucket), as this will wash away the roots that lie close to the surface of the zucchini.
4. Pumpkin crop does not need spraying of fruits and leaves.

Advice: If the year is rainy, then you need to remove old leaves. In this case, the bush will be better ventilated. Remove rotten ovaries, and place straw or a plank under the fruits. When in contact with cold soil, the rotting process will proceed faster.

When there is heavy rain or watering, the soil becomes waterlogged. With an excess of moisture, rotting is a common phenomenon for plants. The bush does not need so much moisture, but you will not be able to dry out the soil. Therefore, two simple techniques will help:

• loosening, which will dry the soil and make it breathable,
• weeds, which do not need to be removed during this period, because they also draw moisture from the soil.

Carry out loosening carefully and moderately, because The root system of zucchini is easily damaged when close to the surface.

Why do zucchini fruits rot if the soil is rich in nutrients. Most cultivated plants prefer loose, fertile substrates. How is a zucchini bush different from them?

Pumpkin culture also does well on such soils. There is only one problem: unlimited growth of green mass. A small bush grows and turns into a large, highly dense plant. The sun does not penetrate inside and dew accumulates, which contributes to the rotting of small zucchini.

Initially, small, translucent spots form on the zucchini, which combine to form rot. Therefore, excessively poor or highly fertile soil is not suitable for zucchini.

Advice: If only the tip of the fruit is affected by rot, then it can be cut off to healthy pulp and burned. The cut area becomes corky and dense, and the zucchini will continue to grow.

Another possible soil problem is boron deficiency. Zucchini is sensitive to its deficiency. Therefore, if you notice that the fruits are rotting, spray the leaves with a solution of boric acid (1g/10l of water).

The problem lies in the flower

After the fruit has set, the flower must be removed. In damp climates, the tips of the fruits rot because the flower remains on the plant. Unnecessary moisture accumulates in it, which leads to sad consequences.

We remove the flower, and wipe the tip of the zucchini with ash or sprinkle it until a thin crust forms on the surface. After this procedure, the zucchini sets perfectly and does not rot. Ash acts as a disinfectant, preventing fruits from rotting.

If the flower is not pollinated, then rot may also form and the zucchini will not grow. Hand pollination is recommended here:

• they pick a male flower, tearing off its petals;
• check the maturity of the pollen: it should be fluffy;
• pollinate the female ovary.

Advice: It is advisable to carry out pollination in the morning or in cool weather so that the pollen is mature. It is advisable to plant flowers near the zucchini, so that pollinators (bees, bumblebees) can freely fly up to the bush. If the summer is rainy, it will be difficult to do without hand pollination. This means that getting zucchini will become problematic.

Powdery mildew infection

Why else can rot form on fruits? Zucchini can get sick. They are rarely affected by diseases, but powdery mildew sometimes develops on plants:

• a sign of appearance is a white coating, streaks on the upper part of the leaf blade, later the coating resembles a layer of flour;
• the appearance of white plaque on stems and fruits;
• gradual death of leaves and stems;
• A characteristic depression appears on the fruits; these are already rotting specimens.

When the disease has already begun to develop, it is impossible to do without chemical treatment of zucchini. But this must be done carefully and a month before the fruit ripens. The drugs Topaz, Ridomil, Thiovit, Fundazol will help to “cure” the plant.

Advice: When using the drug, carefully read the instructions. Do not spray before rain or in windy conditions. Use personal protective equipment. And remember that harmless inhabitants of your site may also die.

Powdery mildew becomes a real disaster and zucchini fruits begin to rot intensively in conditions of extreme heat and high humidity. Temperature changes also lead to the spread of fungus. To prevent anything from happening to your zucchini, use preventive measures:

1. Remove old, lower leaves. The less air stagnates, the better.
2. Avoid dense plantings; maintain a distance between zucchini when planting.
3. Get rid of weeds. The spores and mycelium of the fungus can overwinter on unharvested plant debris or weeds, and then move to zucchini.

If you don’t do this, the result is the same: the zucchini gets sick and begins to rot. As popular wisdom says: a disease is easier to prevent than to treat.

During the summer, zucchini gives us much less trouble than other crops. Why does it make us panic when we lift a large leaf of a pumpkin crop and see a rotting fruit? You just need to analyze the situation and try to understand what caused this state of the plant. In order to prevent a similar situation next time and get a good harvest of firm and even fruits.

Even novice gardeners can grow delicious squash, since the agricultural technology of this vegetable is not too complicated. But knowing some “secrets” about squash, growing and caring in open ground will be useful for everyone. Taking into account all the characteristics of the crop will allow you to get a high yield.

A little about the miracle vegetable

Squash belongs to the large pumpkin family, but is not as popular as pumpkins or zucchini. True, today the situation is changing, and the original plate pumpkin can be seen in many areas.
The plant has a bushy form, large green leaves and yellow flowers. Interesting fruits of this crop have a variety of shapes: disk, plate with scalloped edges, wide bell. The color of squash can be just as different: orange like the UFO variety, yellow - the Solnyshko, Sunny Bunny varieties, rich green - Malachite, white - Cheburashka, Umbrella, Snow White, and even purple - the Bingo-Bongo variety. Some varieties have a uniform color, while others delight the eye with their variegated fruit patterns (see photo).

Inside, under the dense skin there is dense white, cream, yellow pulp. Squash tastes very similar to young zucchini, but is much more tender. They are used fresh, for marinades, pickling, preservation, and pickling. The fruits of this vegetable make a delicious stew, and stuffed squash will decorate any holiday table. This healthy vegetable is recommended for atherosclerosis and for dietary nutrition.

How to grow squash

Like other pumpkin crops, this vegetable is grown by sowing seeds. At the same time, in the middle zone and further to the north and east, the seedling method is recommended. This will not only allow you to get the harvest one and a half to two weeks earlier, but also protect the plants from possible return frosts. You can grow seedlings in a greenhouse, in greenhouses, and then transplant them to beds.

Seeds of various varieties of squash are on sale, so everyone can purchase suitable seed material.

Seed preparation

Regardless of whether squash will be grown as seedlings or by sowing directly into the ground, the seeds need to be prepared. To do this, it is recommended to warm them up (about 5-6 hours at a temperature of +50ºC), and also soak them in a growth stimulator. Compositions such as “Bud” (a preparation for cucumbers, zucchini and squash), as well as “Energen” are suitable. The solution is prepared strictly according to the instructions.

You can warm them up at a lower temperature (for example, on a radiator), only then the warming up period must be increased to several days.

ON A NOTE!

For disinfection, use a pink solution of ordinary potassium permanganate, in which the seeds are kept for 20-30 minutes. Then they must be rinsed with clean water.

Instead of potassium permanganate, you can use boric acid (take 20 mg of the drug per liter of clean water), and keep the seeds in the solution for 20-24 hours.

It is also advisable to germinate the seeds, for which they are placed in a damp cloth.

Sowing seedlings

Containers and nutrient soil are prepared for seedlings. Since squash does not tolerate picking, the seedlings must be grown immediately in separate pots. The soil can be purchased at the store, or if all the necessary components are available at home, you can prepare it yourself. As an option: take river sand, humus and turf soil in a ratio of 1:2:1.

The timing of sowing depends on the climate of the region, so each gardener takes into account the characteristics of the area. It is necessary that by the time the seedlings can be planted in the garden, the plants must be three or four weeks old and have 2-3 true leaves. For greenhouse plants, all indicators remain the same.

For the middle zone, it would be optimal to sow seedlings at the end of April, so that already in the last days of May or early summer you can easily identify squash for ridges.

Typically, many gardeners sow two seeds in each glass or pot. Afterwards, the more developed and stronger one is left, and the other one is carefully trimmed. You can sow one seed at a time, if the planting material is of high quality, they will all sprout.

Cover the containers with film or glass and put them in a warm place (temperature up to +28 ºC). As soon as the sprouts appear, the film must be removed, and the pots themselves should be exposed to light and the temperature should be slightly reduced (to +22 ºC).

ON A NOTE!

This rule should not be neglected. With a slight decrease in temperature, the plants will actively grow roots, but the seedlings themselves will not stretch.

Further care for squash is simple: watering, fertilizing. For young squash seedlings, one or two supplements using mullein infusion or nitrophoska will be sufficient. The seedlings grow quickly, delighting with their green leaves.

About a week before planting, it would be good to harden the plants by taking them out to an open balcony, loggia or veranda for several hours.

Growing squash in open ground: choosing a location

The bed where the plate pumpkin will grow must be prepared in the fall. Choose a sunny place, protected from the winds. Patisson loves loose soils rich in organic matter; harvests cannot be expected on poor and infertile soils.

You also need to pay attention to the predecessors of the vegetable, since it grows best after tomatoes, onions, and peas. It would be good if cabbage and corn grew here before. Squash cannot be planted on ridges where zucchini or pumpkins grew a year earlier.

ON A NOTE!

If you plan to collect your own seeds from squash fruits, then the bed should be placed at a distance from the zucchini and pumpkin plantings. Otherwise, pumpkin crops may become pollinated.

If the garden has acidic soils, liming is carried out, you can also add wood ash or dolomite flour. In the fall, the bed is filled with manure (humus or peat), the approximate amount is 5-7 kg per square meter. You can also add superphosphate (40-50 grams per m2).

Excellent results are obtained by sowing green manure, which is then simply incorporated into the soil as fertilizer.

Planting and care in open ground

As soon as the soil warms up well and the danger of cold weather returning has passed, squash can be planted for permanent residence in open ground. In order for the bed to warm up better, you can cover it with film a week before planting and then remove it.

Holes are prepared for seedlings; the distance between plants should be at least 70 cm. Each hole is spilled with warm water and seedlings are carefully planted in them. Then the hole is compacted with earth and the surface is sprinkled with peat or humus.

ON A NOTE!

In the first days after planting, especially if there are hot sunny days, it is advisable to shade the seedlings.

Sometimes gardeners install arcs with film or non-woven material to initially protect young plants and provide them with a comfortable microclimate. But we must remember to open them to ventilate this mini-greenhouse.

How to care for squash

The vegetables in the garden will gradually adapt to the new conditions and then begin to grow. Standard crop care:

• watering;
• weeding;
• feeding;
• loosening the soil.

Patisson is considered a more heat-loving vegetable than zucchini, but at the same time it is quite unpretentious. By providing the crop with proper care, you can harvest very good harvests of squash, without any special hassle.

Watering

This crop, like all pumpkins, needs good and regular watering. But they must be carried out carefully, trying not to get on the leaves of plants, and even more so on flowers, ovaries and fruits.

Before flowering, the bushes are watered at the rate of 5-6 liters per square meter. During this period, one watering every 6-7 days will be sufficient. When the squash blooms, as well as during the fruiting period, water more often - every four days, and at the same time increase the norm - up to 10 liters per “square” of bed.

Due to such abundant watering, the roots of the plant can be exposed, so each time you need to add soil, or even better, mulch the soil.

A good effect is achieved by watering in the furrows, in the rings that are made around the plants. In this case, each squash bush will receive the necessary amount of moisture it requires, and the roots will not be exposed.

It is especially important to carefully water the squash during flowering so that moisture does not get inside the flowers. If the pollen is damp, pollination will not occur.

When the squash bushes begin to set fruit and begin to ripen, it is recommended to place a board under each of them. This will avoid contact of the hearths with the ground and rotting of the squash.

“Lunches” for squash

This vegetable, like its fellows from the numerous pumpkin family, loves to “eat.” Not only does the soil in the garden bed have to be fertile, the squash also needs to be fed during the growing period.

Usually, two or three fertilizing treatments are done per season, keeping in mind the rule that excess fertilizer is also harmful. The schedule can be made like this:

• first feeding of squash before flowering (use the well-known mullein infusion, proportion 1:10);
• the second - during the period of fruit ripening (superphosphate - 50 grams, potassium sulfate - 40-50 grams diluted in a bucket of water).

You should not overuse nitrogen, as then the plant will “drive” the green mass, and flowering and fruit set will be weak. Organic materials also include bird droppings, horse manure, and wood ash infusions.

Loosening and mulching

It is not necessary to loosen the soil in the garden bed too often; the main thing is to remove all weeds and prevent the formation of a hard crust on the surface. You need to loosen the soil carefully and shallowly. The squash does not need hilling.

Mulching the beds will help get rid of weeds and provide optimal conditions for plants. For mulch, you can take rotted peat and mowed grass.

Plant pollination

These vegetables are pollinated by insects, so it is necessary for bees and bumblebees to fly to the site. To attract insects, you can plant honey plants near the squash beds and spray the plantings with sweet syrup.

If the weather is hot and windless for a long time, or, conversely, there are prolonged rains and insects do not fly, you will have to pollinate manually.

To do this, you need to carefully remove the petals from the male flower and bring the stamen with pollen to the pistil of the female one. The flowering period of female flowers is very short, so it is important not to miss this moment and have time to carry out hand pollination. If everything is done correctly, then the set fruit will be visible on the female flower. Plants pollinated in this way produce full-fledged squash.

Formation of plants

Squash do not need to shape the plant, they do not need pinching. But what can sometimes be done is to remove one or two large leaves that shade the fruits from the sun. This allows you to slightly thin out the bush, providing the squash with light and solar warmth. It is also necessary to remove those leaves that have turned yellow or dried out.

At one time, no more than two leaves are trimmed and removed, and the operation itself is repeated no earlier than after 5-6 days.

Diseases and pests: control measures

Do squash get sick? Yes, this vegetable is also affected by various, albeit few, diseases; in addition, spider mites or aphids can harm it. Sometimes gardeners think: I plant in good soil, I water a lot, there is enough light, but why then do the squash turn yellow, get sick and not produce a harvest? This means that not everything has been done correctly, and infections are not dormant.

The best prevention of all misfortunes is to follow all the rules for growing crops, namely:

• control over crop rotation on the site (will help protect not only squash, but also all other vegetables from disease and pests);
• purchasing only high-quality and healthy seed material;
• mandatory seed treatment before sowing;
• planting according to the scheme, maintaining distances between plants;
• weeding;
• normalized watering.

There are a lot of different chemical preparations for diseases, but most often gardeners prefer to do without “chemistry”, using folk remedies.

Treatment of plants with Bordeaux mixture, which is also effective in combating powdery mildew, helps against diseases such as white rot. Root rot is very dangerous when the stem of a plant near the ground becomes thin and rots, and the bush dies. This can only be combated by following all the rules for planting and watering. Anthracnose - the appearance of brown spots on the leaf blades of squash will have to be treated with preparations containing copper.

You can fight melon aphids with infusions of onion peels and garlic, to which shavings of laundry soap are added. To combat slugs, the soil around the plants is dusted with tobacco dust and wood ash. This also helps to cope with aphids, but the plants themselves need to be dusted.

If the leaves curl and turn yellow, then a spider mite has probably settled on the plant. All affected parts of the plant must be burned and the bushes treated with soapy water or Fitoverm.

ON A NOTE!

It is always necessary to monitor soil moisture levels, avoiding waterlogging. Most often, it is excess moisture that causes the disease.

Harvest

The most pleasant and exciting moment for any gardener is the beginning of fruit ripening and harvesting. Squash have a long ripening period, so it is necessary to remove the fruits from the bush in a timely manner, preventing them from overripening.

Each variety has its own characteristics and this must be taken into account. But in general, it is recommended to collect squash while they are young. Squash up to 6 cm are excellent for canning as a whole, larger fruits - 8-10 cm are ideal for marinades, as well as stuffing. Larger fruits are used for side dishes, stewing, baking, caviar or stew.