Alright. It's happened again. I've found mind-blowing gardening tips and tricks over at Pinterest. A few years back for my birthday, my hubby made me a small raised rock garden in our little back yard. The next year, he added a second one along our fence line. We have loved experimenting and trying to grow things in our "small but mighty" garden. We love pretending we are farmers, or better yet, the Ingalls. One thing that grows for us really well... I'm talking maybe a bit too well, is zucchini.
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| Some of the bounty from our mini garden - we grow our zucchini BIG around here. |
The only trouble with a thriving zucchini plant in a small garden - is space! The giant leaves spread out and take up a very large area of our tiny garden, making it a little harder to grow other kinds of veggies. Here's a shot of our garden last August. You can see the zucchini plants in the middle right behind the girls in the pool (between the corn and strawberries). It really takes OVER.
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| The girls love tending our little garden. |
So the other night I was perusing Pinterest when I stopped dead in my tracks. Here was a revolutionary way to grow zucchini (and other summer squashes) in a smaller space. In a 2x2 space! What? I was so excited. Check it out.
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| Picture by Jeff from the blog "Our Engineered Garden" |
By simply using an inverted (aka upside-down) tomato cage, you can train your zucchini leaves to grow straight up! This leaves the bottom of the plant (where the zucchini's grow) open and makes it easy to see the fruit growing. I can't tell you how many times we've pulled back a giant Jurassic sized zucchini leaf and found a gargantuan baseball bat sized tuber!
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| This was our first giant surprise zucchini the first year of our garden. We were SHOCKED. |
This idea of growing vertical zucchini comes from Jeff over at the blog "Our Engineered Garden" (I had a link here, but the blog is no longer available). He has amazing gardening techniques I have not even finished reading all of his tips. The two pictures of the zucchinis in tomato cages posted are from his blog because we are trying this asap and don't have our own pictured results yet. But if it works, it will revolutionize our little garden space!
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| Picture by Jeff at "Our Engineered Garden" |
This is going to be a great experiment. Apparently, you have to "train" the leaves daily to get them to grow the way you want them. We put our zucchini start in the ground yesterday and the upside-down tomato cage is in place. Have any of you done this before? Are any of you going to jump on the experimental band wagon and try this with me? By the way I forgot to mention it also works with a few other varieties of summer squash. I will dutifully report back to you on our progress throughout the summer. Oh and if you need a recipe to use all of this bountiful zucchini in, try our delectable baked zucchini fries recipe. Happy Gardening!
UPDATE 2014!: We tried this little technique last year and it worked perfectly. The leaves grew up and it was so much easier to see the zucchini along the bottom, before they became giant bat-sized monstrosities. We have already set up our upside-down tomato cages for this years' plants. Hooray for an experiment that really worked great!
FAQs
If you have limited space, try container gardening with zucchini. While it's true that zucchini plants tend to grow rather large, there are several more compact varieties that would perform well in a large container. Choose a container that's at least 12 inches deep and 12 inches across.
How to grow zucchini in a small space? ›
Part of the summer squash family, zucchini - or courgettes as they are also known - can usually take up a lot of room as they grow, due to large foliage and sprawling stems. This can create issues for anyone with restricted space - so growing zucchini vertically can be an ideal solution.
How much space do zucchini need to grow? ›
Aim to space zucchinis no less than 45-60cm (18-24″) apart in rows 90-120cm (36-48″) apart. Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. These big, fast-growing plants need plenty of moisture and lots of food. Grow them in rich, well-drained soil in full sun.
What happens if you plant zucchini too close together? ›
Don't Grow Too Many
Zucchini plants produce a lot of squash aka zucchini. If you plant too many and don't have plans to preserve or give away the excess, you may wind up with a lot of zucchini rotting on the plant. To prevent that, keep in mind that 2 zucchini plants create 12-20 pounds of zucchini between them.
Do zucchini need to be planted in pairs? ›
That increases the odds of pollination. Other summer squashes and pumpkins will also pollinate zucchini. Keep in mind that zucchini are self-fertile, so you don't need multiple plants for pollination. But having more than one can improve fruit set.
Can I use a tomato cage for zucchini? ›
The tomato cage will provide the support needed for the zucchini plant as it grows. However, if you want to save space, you should consider another option. You can also use a trellis or a fence. The vine tendrils will support the plants when they are mature but not when they are mature.
How do you grow a lot of vegetables in a small space? ›
You can grow two or more vegetables in one area by planting slower-maturing and faster-maturing crops together. The quick-to-mature vegetables will be ready for harvest before the two crops begin to crowd each other. Once the fast crop is picked, the slower crop will have more room to grow to maturity.
Can I plant zucchini next to tomatoes? ›
Zucchini and tomatoes can be grown as close neighbors and will make satisfactory companion plants. Both vegetables thrive in the same environmental conditions, so a garden plot that is ideal for one plant is therefore ideal for the other. They both need a location with full sun and benefit from nutrient-rich soil.
How much does 1 zucchini plant yield? ›
Zucchini is an abundant crop—one zucchini plant produces about six to 10 pounds of produce—so be sparing when planting zucchini. If you are growing your zucchini on a trellis, space your trellises approximately two feet apart, and plant your zucchini in front of the trellis.
What should not be planted with zucchini? ›
Potatoes can also spread diseases such as late blight, which can also affect zucchinis. Cucumbers and pumpkins should not be planted next to zucchinis as they belong to the same family (Cucurbitaceae) and therefore attract similar pests and diseases.
A “hill” of three or four seeds sown close together is another way to plant squash in the garden. Allow five to six feet between hills. You can plant bush types, with very short vines, in closely spaced hills, or in closely spaced rows, with only two to three feet between rows or hills.
Should I cut the bottom leaves off my zucchini plant? ›
These are typically the oldest leaves lower down on the stem. In fact, up to a third of the plant's leaves can be removed at a time, and by doing this you're encouraging the plant to produce fresh, clean growth, while also improving air circulation.
What grows well next to zucchini? ›
Radishes, peas, peppermint, dill, parsley, oregano, and even flowers like marigolds or nasturtiums are a few other options for gardeners. Most importantly, zucchini and squash should grow with plants that also need regular watering but don't take up too much space.
How many inches apart to plant zucchini? ›
When the soil has warmed up in your planting beds, plant seeds one-half inch deep, 3 to 4 inches apart, in rows that are 2 to 3 feet apart. Thin plants so that they are spaced 6 to 8 inches apart once they are 4 to 5 inches tall.
Should I pick the flowers off my zucchini? ›
The female flowers grow from the end of the fruit. While it is regarded that the female flowers are the tastiest of the two, there is a higher population of male flowers, making it more beneficial to pick them while still leaving some on the plant to ensure the production of fruit.
Do zucchini grow well in containers? ›
A container with a diameter of at least 24 inches (61 cm.) and a minimum depth of 12 inches (31 cm.) is best for container grown zucchini. Any type of container works well as long as it has at least one good drainage hole in the bottom.
Can you grow zucchini in a 5 gallon grow bag? ›
Yes - as illustrated in the images above all of those Zucchinis are grown in 5 Gallon Grow Bags. Additionally, given how large Zucchinis grow having them in containers or pots or grow bags that you can easily move is very beneficial.
Do zucchini need to be planted in mounds? ›
A zucchini plant takes approximately 45 and 55 days to start flowering, after which you'll notice the fruit start to grow. Zucchini plants thrive in loose, fertile, and well-drained soil; note that planting zucchini in small hills or mounds is also important for success.
Can I grow zucchini in a square foot garden? ›
First take a 6-foot garden stake metal pole or branch and place it in the garden where you're going to plant (we recommend 1 per 4 square feet but you may use 2 square feet. 1, plant per 1 square foot is very tight). Second Sow seeds or transplant about 3 inches away from the stake on the south side of the stake.
