Growing Zucchinis

GROW YOUR OWN ZUCCHINI

Zucchini is another popular favorite with home gardeners. Healthy zucchini vines can produce a huge harvest each year, and many people end up trying to give away their extra zucchini because they have so much of it. It’s often called “summer squash” as well. Either baked into a casserole or served fresh, summer squash is a popular warm-weather dish.Grow your own and you can pick them small and tender and relish their exotic flavors.

Sowing and Planting

• Squash like warm soil and are very sensitive to frost. So don’t be in a rush to plant early in spring. Wait until danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed to about 70 F, or about 2 weeks after the last frost date.
• Direct seed ½ to 1 inch deep into hills (which warm and drain earlier in the season) or rows. Sow 4 to 5 seeds per hill. Space hills 3 to 4 feet apart. 
• When the plants are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin to 2 to 3 plants per hill by snipping off unwanted plants without disturbing the roots of the remaining ones. In rows, sow seeds 4 inches apart in rows 4 to 5 feet apart.
• Snip off plants to thin to one plant every 12 to 24 inches.
• For extra early crops, start inside in 2- to 3-inch pots or cells 3 to 4 weeks before transplanting outside. 
• Sow 3 or 4 seeds per pot and thin to one or two plants by snipping off the weaker plants to avoid damaging the roots of those that remain. 
• Harden off by cutting back on water and reducing temperature before transplanting. 
• Plant transplants out in the garden about 1 to 2 feet apart after all danger of frost has passed.To hasten first harvest by as much as 2 weeks, use black plastic mulch to warm soil before direct seeding or transplanting. 
• Mulching plants helps retain moisture and suppress weeds. Mounding soil around the base of the plants can discourage squash borers from laying eggs.
• Water deeply once a week or when the top 1″ of soil is dry.

Harvesting And Storage

• Check your squash as soon as you notice it blooming.
•  Squash grows very fast, and some squash is ready to pick a few days after it blooms.
•  Check your garden every 1 to 2 days after that, because once it starts to producing, it continues steadily throughout the growing season.
• Handle the fruit carefully once you’ve picked them off the vine. The skin is very thin and it can get scratched or bruised easily. 
• Zucchinis don’t hold their flavor very long after picking. You can store them in the fridge but should use them up within a week.

Few Health Benefits Of Zucchini

• Asthma Cure-Zucchini helps to cure asthma as it contains Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant, and has anti-inflammatory properties.
• Vitamin-C-Zucchini helps to prevent diseases, like scurvy, bruising,caused by the deficiency of Vitamin C.
• Eating zucchini also helps to support the arrangement of capillaries.Regular intake of zucchini effectively lowers high homocysteine levels.Zucchini also prevents the risk of having multiple sclerosis (MS).
• High water Content-Zucchinis have high water content (over 95%), so they make perfect food for people on diet.
• Rich in Vitamins and Minerals-Zucchini contains useful amounts of folate, potassium, and vitamin A, necessary for a human body.Zucchini contains Vitamin C and lutein, both of which are good for eyes.

Fried Zucchini Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound zucchini, 2-3 smaller zucchinis
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• salt to taste

Directions

• Slice the zucchinis into 1/3″ inch slices on the diagonal, so you end up with longer oval slices.
• Heat the oil in a 12″ skillet, then brown the zucchini on both sides, until cooked through and lightly browned. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.You’ll probably have to do this in at least 2 batches.
• Lower the heat a bit and add the minced garlic and cook a few minutes, stirring. You want it lightly golden but NOT browned, at which point it starts to turn bitter.
• In a serving dish, lay out the zucchini slices and sprinkle with the chopped basil (or mint or thyme), vinegar, garlic, and some salt. Stir it all up and then it sit a bit, covered. Serve at room temperature.