Zucchini

I want to write about the various vegetables that you could plant in your garden, based on my experience and what I have learned over the years of growing them.  Remember I am not an expert, but I love to learn new things.  Most things I love to learn through research but also from doing. 

I had planned to write on another topic first, but today is my birthday and I am social distancing, so I decided that I would write about my favourite vegetable! 

The next posts will be in better sequence...promise. 

So I truly believe that zucchini should be common currency!  I have said this before...and people laugh, but there is just so much you can do with it. 

And it grows well once established. 

One of my friends asked how many plants she should plant for her family, so I found a list on the blog: "newlifeonahomestead.com". 

On this blog, the writer recommends about 10 plants per family.  I have only ever planted a maximum of 4 plants and we've always had more than enough.  And we eat quite a bit of zucchini.  A couple of years ago, we had so much zucchini that I was adding it to many different recipes.  Lu asked me one night "Mom, do  you have to put zucchini in EVERYTHING?"

Zucchini likes moderate water and requires very little effort to produce fruit. 

I have discovered that they do not really like to be grown in pots. 

They are susceptible to blossom end rot, which causes the end of the fruit to rot during production.  The solution to this issue is to feed calcium.  I crush up washed egg shells. 

Another common issue with zucchini is fungus growth on the leaves.  This usually happens if leaves are left wet during the cooler parts of the day.  It is best to therefore, water zucchini in the morning with a sprinkler or only apply water to the ground around it, leaving the leaves dry. 

Another thing to know is that zucchini produces both male and female blossoms.  The female blossoms produce the fruit.  If you find you are not getting fruit, check your blossoms.  if they are all male, the plant will not produce fruit.  If you have both, use a paint brush to move pollen from the male blossoms to the female blossoms and a baby will happen!  (I know feels a little wrong...but sometimes...)  You can eat the male blossoms.  I have never tried them, but I think you pan fry them...maybe battered. 

The way I love zucchini most is grilled on the barbecue with soya sauce and spice.  It is so yummy! 

I hope you can fall in love with zucchini just like me...it's pretty amazing on pizza too! 

One of my favourite sayings is:  "Give a man a fish and he eats for the day, teach a woman to garden and the whole neighbourhood gets zucchini."...source unknown.