What is the minimum temperature zucchini can stand in open ground?

Zucchini can be found on almost every summer cottage in our country. Its popularity is caused not only by the rich content of healthy substances and excellent taste, but also by the high fruitfulness and unpretentiousness of the vegetable. Young fruits are broken for 8–12 days after they reach a length of about 20–25 cm. They are fried, stuffed with meat and other vegetables, stewed and preserved, they are made with caviar and marinated.

Zucchini are herbaceous annual vegetables, which are a type of pumpkin and a relative of the squash. They have, as a rule, the shape of a bush, but can be semi-kostovy, and even in the form of long lashes. They have a large straight stem and five-lobed leaves of various shades of green. Vegetable is rich in vitamin B, as well as minerals and trace elements, especially iron and potassium.

This is a ripening plant that can bear fruit almost continuously throughout the season. To grow it brought a rich harvest, you need to regularly pick up grown greens. Vegetable loves the light of a short day, significantly accelerating its growth under such conditions. Prefers loose chernozem or loamy soil, which is fertilized with humus and mineral additives. Sufficiently thermophilic, zucchini nevertheless withstand sharp freezing in the open ground up to +5 degrees. They are more drought-resistant than peppers or cucumbers, but they like moisture and must be watered regularly.

Zucchini can be grown in two ways, by planting directly in the ground or by growing pre-seedlings. In the first case, the landing is carried out in May, when the night temperature will steadily remain at a positive mark. In the second case, the seeds are planted in special boxes at home or in a greenhouse in April, and already grown seedlings are then transplanted into the ground.

Step by step the process of growing seedlings can be represented as follows:

• for germination, seeds are soaked for several days (3-4 days) in water, the minimum temperature of which is 25 degrees (the initial seed germination temperature is about 11 degrees; you can also add chemical fertilizers to water, this will double the germination rate)
• sprouted seeds are planted in wooden or plastic boxes with soil, after which they are covered with transparent plastic wrap on top of them;
• after the appearance of sprouts, the coating is removed;
• this seedling grows within 20-30 days (up to 2-3 true leaves), after which it can be transplanted into the ground.

After the last frosts in May and the soil surface warms to 12 degrees, the seedlings are transferred from the boxes to the open space. Vegetables should be planted at a distance of about 1 m from each other in a square pattern.

In order to plant the seeds of zucchini directly into the ground, it is also necessary to germinate them in advance. This should be done in the middle or end of May, when warm weather sets in and even a sharp drop in temperature is quickly replaced by an increase. Before germinating seeds can be hardened. To do this, you need to wrap the wet seeds in cheesecloth and stand for several hours at critically low (0 - 1 degrees) or critically high temperatures (50 -60 degrees).

After that, the seeds are germinated and planted in the prepared soil, which warmed up to + 10-12 degrees. Seeds germinate on the 4-6 day after planting, depending on the air temperature, soil moisture and the amount of sunlight.

Learn more about how to plant squash in open ground, you will learn from the following video.

Stems of zucchini, although quite thick, but loose in their structure, therefore, with a sharp decrease in air temperature less than 10 degrees, the movement of juice on them slows down, and at a temperature of 5 degrees it stops completely. The optimal temperature for sustainable growth of vegetables is + 18-20 degrees.

For several days they will be able to withstand its fall to + 13–16 degrees, and one day the zucchini will hold out at +11. If a sharp drop in temperature lasts longer than the specified period, the sprouts simply freeze in the garden and the plant dies.

If the May frosts in the region continue almost until the beginning of June, then you will have to do additional protection from the cold. The simplest heat accumulators and ordinary polyethylene film will help to keep warm. The function of such a battery will be performed by two or three transparent containers, filled with ordinary water, placed near the hole with a sprout. As such capacity it is possible to take glass jars or plastic 5-liter bottles.

The containers are placed around each well, after which the whole bed is covered on top with polyethylene, which is fixed at the edges with bricks or any other load. Since the bottles are significantly higher than the germinating seeds, there will be enough space for them to grow in the first couple of weeks.

And in order to further reduce the risk of losing seedlings, you can plant an additional batch of seeds near the main holes a couple of weeks later. If the main seedlings die, they can be replaced by frozen plants. And if everything is in order, additional sprouts can simply be weeded out or transplanted.