Zucchini zucchini is a popular vegetable with many beneficial properties. It is distributed throughout the world and has several dozen varieties. About what qualities of zucchini so appealed to people and what are the features of its cultivation, we will discuss this review.

Properties of Zucchini Zucchini

Zucchini is a type of zucchini. To obtain fruits with the best taste, they are harvested after reaching a length of 10–20 cm. Among the advantages of zucchini are improved digestion, slowed aging, and much more, which provides it with a permanent place in the diet. The nutritional properties of the vegetable are also quite diverse.

Beneficial features

The benefits of zucchini to the body are great and varied.

• Eating it:
• lowers blood pressure and protects arteries from toxins;
• boosts immunity;
• positively affects the metabolism, and with it the work of the intestines, heart, nervous system;
• helps to improve liver function and is actively involved in detoxification of the body - thanks to antioxidant properties, toxins and free radicals are removed from the body, inflammatory processes are removed;
• effectively reduces weight by accelerating metabolism;
• may positively affect insulin levels and other hormones;
• promotes prostate health;
• reduces the frequency of constipation and other pathologies of the digestive process;
• normalizes the functioning of the digestive system due to the large number of electrolytes, fiber, and other nutrients;
• reduces the risk of ulcers, colon cancer;
• lowers blood sugar and reduces the risk of diabetes;
• lowers the risk of developing age-related eye pathologies such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration;
• lowers cholesterol;
• slows down the aging process.

Did you know? The longest zucchini has grown to 2.52 m (Ontario, Canada). The record was recorded on August 28, 2014. Mr. Skozzavafa, who grew a giant fruit, said that he did not use fertilizers, but simply watered his plants correctly.

Harm

• Zucchini can be harmful to people suffering from:
• irritable bowel syndrome - in them a vegetable can cause spasm and diarrhea;
• urolithiasis - a high content of folic acid can cause kidney stones and bladder;
• allergy - manifests itself in the form of nausea or itching after eating the product.

After angioplasty of the vessels, the vegetable will create an extra load on them, therefore, it is also not advisable to use it. In large quantities, it should not be eaten by pregnant and lactating women.

Description and features of zucchini squash

Zucchini is a vegetable marrow of yellow, light green or green color. Inside contains pulp with many small seeds. Pulp - soft, white, with a greenish tint; crispy but not watery. It is softer than a regular zucchini, and the seeds are smaller.

Appearance and taste

Externally, zucchini is slightly different from ordinary zucchini: it is smaller in size and can have several different types of colors. In shape, it is more like a cucumber. Some varieties may be round or bottle-shaped.

Zucchini is a fairly mild vegetable. The peel is not rough, so you do not need to remove it for cooking. As for the taste, then, like most vegetables, the taste will depend on what it is cooked with. The pulp itself does not have flavoring characteristics.

Zucchini is often served with tomato sauces, herbs, and eggplant. They are fried or stewed, which also affects the taste of the dish.

You will also be interested to know the difference between zucchini and zucchini.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Zucchini has much in common with other zucchini, but there are also differences:
• it is less caloric (only 33 calories per 100 g), so it is ideal for diet food;
• contains less starch and sugar (only 3 g), which provides a lower glycemic index and makes it useful for people with diabetes;
• It is an excellent source of fiber, minerals and vitamins A, C.

Zucchini is perfectly absorbed by the body, so they are included in the menu for newborns and are recommended as the first vegetable food. They are also ideal in diet food. We can safely say that this vegetable has no shortcomings.

Did you know? The heaviest zucchini was grown by Bernard Lavery in 1990 (UK). The fruit weighed 29.25 kg.

Varieties of zucchini zucchini

Varietal variety is quite large.

If you select varieties for growing, then you need to consider that any vegetables are divided into categories:

• by maturity;
• according to destination;
• by planting method (in a greenhouse or in open ground).

Disease resistance and yield can also be important factors in variety selection. Determining the number of plants, you need to consider that each of them will need at least 1 m of space for growth. Hybrid varieties can grow quite compactly, so if you are limited in space, choose a compact variety.

The best varieties:

1. Tsukesha is an elongated zucchini of dark green color with small white spots. It is an early ripe vegetable with a maturity of 40 days after planting. Perfect for winter blanks and used in kind. Productivity of a grade - 12 kg / sq. m

2. A diamond is a zucchini of dark green color. Refers to early ripening hybrids. Matures within 40 days. Productivity reaches 15–20 kg per bush. A unique feature of zucchini is the good preservation of the color of the peel during cooking, so the dark green Diamond will be an excellent decoration for any salad along with yellow fruit zucchini. The variety is intended for outdoor cultivation. Begins to bear fruit on day 40. Productivity is about 10-12 kg / sq. m

3. The zebra is distinguished by its characteristic color, early ripening (38 days) and compactness. This is a bushy variety.

4. Black variety is actually not black, but a dark green color. It is popular in that it bears fruit already on the 30th day. Excellent taste is complemented by good keeping quality of the harvested crop. Black can be stored in a dry room for several months.

Growing Features

Vegetable prefers good fertile soil, in which a large amount of compost is introduced before planting. It can grow both in greenhouses and in open ground.

Did you know? The taste of small and medium zucchini is much better than the taste of large. Dark zucchini is much more nutritious than light zucchini.

Landing will require a site with dimensions of at least 1 square. m per 1 bush. In confined spaces, you can use the grill for vertical support.

Soil preparation and planting dates

An ideal place to plant would be a zone in which the vegetable receives enough sun and space for growth. The site should be lit at least 10 hours a day. The soil should be moist, but not moist; it is desirable that it is well permeable to moisture.

Alumina can be improved by mixing with sand at the place where the plant will be planted. Artificial drainage is also created when landing on the embankment - by increasing the distance between the roots and groundwater.

Zucchini is a summer vegetable, so cold soil and frost can ruin it. The optimum temperature for growth is + 22 ° C ... + 24 ° C, and for planting in the ground - at least + 15 ° C. Usually, planting is carried out immediately, as soon as spring frosts end.

Gardeners often use a heap (hilly) form of planting. In this case, 2-3 plants are planted nearby so that the flowers have the opportunity to pollinate. Each flower is open only 1 day, and if it is not pollinated by insects or wind - there will be no harvest.

You can practice planting in 2 stages: the first is carried out in the spring, in May, with seeds of early varieties, and the second - after the first harvest. This will increase the productivity of your site.

Seeds are planted to a depth of 2 cm. If planting is performed "on a hill", you will need to plant 4-5 seeds nearby. When planting in rows, 2 seeds are planted in one hole with a distance of 1 m between them.

Follow-up care

When the zucchini begins to grow, he will not need so much care. Zucchini does not need fertilizer, as it can grow on low-enriched soils. After seed germination, weeds are removed around the trunk and this area is covered with mulch.

Once a month, you can make balanced fertilizer in liquid form. Composition: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in equal proportions. Application rate - according to the instructions on the package.

If diseased or damaged parts of the plant are found, they must be removed to prevent the spread of the disease and contribute to the normal development of the plant.

To receive fruits, flowers must be pollinated. In the absence of pollinating insects, you need to help the process yourself: to do this, wipe the flower with a stamen in the center with a male flower with a long stem. Growing several plants nearby promotes pollination with the help of wind.

Ripening time

The harvest ripening period is 38-50 days, depending on the variety. Early zucchini should be ready by 37–39 days, medium by 40–45, and late by 50. Ideally, fruit collection can begin when they have reached a size of 15–20 cm.

If you do not collect them, then they become harder and less tasty.

Important! If you want to slow down the ripening of the next batch of fruits - just leave a few zucchini on the bush not collected.

Collection and storage of fruits

To collect the fruits, you need to cut them with a sharp knife. You need to cut off at the place of attachment of the fruit to the stem - so as not to damage the zucchini itself. You will be able to collect fruits before the first frost, if the plants are pollinated.

Possible growing difficulties

The main problem of squash is pests. There are few of them, but they have to wage an active struggle. Among the main pests: fireflies, spider mites, aphids, whiteflies.

Firefly butterflies appear in late June - early July. The primary task of butterflies is to lay eggs. After hatching, the larvae burrow into the stem and begin to feed on them. This reduces the flow of fluid that nourishes the fetus, which causes wilting.

Interrupting the cycle of occurrence of a fire-bomb is quite simple: you just do not plant zucchini for 1 year. The absence of plants will lead to the death of the pest. Another effective folk pest control method is to wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the base of the stem.

It is necessary to cover with foil about 6-8 cm of the stem where it comes out of the ground. Larvae do not gnaw through the foil.

To protect plants from insects, regularly spray with a solution of insecticidal soap or a special insecticide against a detected pest. Usually 2 treatments are carried out: the first removes all existing pests, and the second is designed to remove the next generation hatched from laid eggs.

The second treatment is carried out 4-5 days after the first.

Zucchini is susceptible to powdery mildew, bacterial wilting, downy mildew, yellow mosaic virus and gray rot. Any of the diseases becomes fatal for the plant. The best way to prevent this is to create the right conditions for plant growth.

Zucchini should grow in a sunny area, receive weekly watering in the basal zone and have enough freely circulating air around.

The root cause of bacterial infection is sucking insects: bacteria enter the bushes in places damaged by them. Therefore, pest control is the second part of mandatory disease prevention measures.

Did you know? Italians brought modern zucchini from pumpkin brought from colonial America, so in some recipes it is called Italian pumpkin.

Cooking recommendations

Zucchini itself is pretty tasteless. And to give it a taste, the fruits are fried, stewed, boiled and served with sauces, herbs, spices.

Here are some ideas for making zucchini:

• cut zucchini into sticks and eat with julienne, or make a salad out of it;
• cut the fruit into circles and boil in a double boiler and eat in the form of a salad, seasoning it as you wish;
• the best way to cook is to fry in oil;
• when frying, you can add herbs and spices to your taste.

For frying, use sunflower or coconut oil, it retains its qualities at high temperature. And for salads - olive. It is impossible to fry on it, as it will lose its useful qualities.

You can also grill zucchini or try baking it in the oven. Serve with cheese, cashews, olives, chopped cherry tomatoes or any other toppings.

It should be noted that zucchini flowers are used in salads; they are also served with pasta. But, collecting flowers, you will lose the corresponding part of the fruit crop.

Zucchini is one of the most unpretentious vegetables, which also has a lot of useful properties. These qualities make it a welcome product in the summer diet. Grow it, enjoy original dishes and get benefits for the body.