Reaching New Heights: How to Grow Zucchini Vertically

Reaching New Heights: How to Grow Zucchini Vertically | The Seed Collection (2024)

Knowing your climate zone will help you decide the best time to sow the vegetables, herbs and flowers you want togrow, and which varieties should perform well in your garden. Growing plants that are suited to your climate zonewill usually give you the best results in your garden.

How to Use Climate Zones

First, find your climate zone using the map or descriptions below. Next, refer to our sowing chart, which provides approximate sowing timesfor our most popular seeds for each climate zone.

While knowing your climate zone is helpful when planning your garden, there are many other factors that may affecthow your plants grow, including unseasonal weather conditions, the specific microclimate of your garden and how youcare for your plants. You know your garden better than us, so if a different climate zone seems to ‘fit’ your gardenbetter, go ahead and use it as a guide.

Our climate zones cover huge areas of Australia, so we recommend gardeners also consider their local conditionswhen planning what and when to plant. For example, gardeners in alpine areas have shorter growing seasons thangardeners in cool coastal areas, even though both alpine and coastal areas are included in our ‘Cool Temperate’climate zone. We recommend gardeners in cool regions look at the ‘days to maturity’ information provided for eachvariety and choose those that will mature in a short (6-12 week) growing season.

Tropical

Includes: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Exmouth
High humidity summers with most rainfall in summer and dry, warm winters. Includes northern Australia fromExmouth (WA) across to south of Townsville (Qld).
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Arid

Includes: Alice Springs, Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo
Hot dry summers, winters can be warm or cool depending on the region. Includes a large area of centralAustralia from the WA coast to Charleville (Qld), Tamworth (NSW) and Albury-Wodonga (NSW/Vic).
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Subtropical

Includes: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast
Warm humid summers with high summer rainfall and mild winters. Includes coastal Queensland and northern NSWfrom north of Mackay to just south of Coffs Harbour.
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Temperate

Includes: Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Central Coast NSW, Wollongong, Bunbury
Moderate humidity and reliable rainfall, with four distinct seasons. Includes coastal areas from north ofPort Macquarie to south of Woollongong in NSW, coastal SA and the southeastern coast of WA.
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Cool Temperate

Includes: Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mt Gambier
Low humidity with most rainfall in winter; hot dry summers and cold winters. Some regions will experiencefrosts and snow. Includes coastal areas of south-eastern Australia and alpine areas of Victoria, NSW andTasmania.
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Climate Zones FAQ

What if I can’t find my climate zone?
If you can’t locate your zone from looking at the map or the descriptions on this page, we suggest that you think ofan area that has a climate that’s similar to yours and use the zone for that area as a guide.

What if I live on the border of two zones?
If you live near the border between two zones we suggest you read the descriptions for both zones and decide whichbest describes the climate where you live. Depending on the microclimate in your garden, you may be able to grow awider range of plants over a longer season than others in your zone. Lucky you!

What is a microclimate?
A microclimate is a small area where the temperature or humidity differs to the climate of the surrounding area. Forexample, if you live in a climate zone where frosts are common but your garden is protected by buildings or largetrees, your garden may be frost-free. Similarly, if you live in a warm temperate zone but your garden is at a highaltitude your microclimate may have more in common with the cool temperate zone, so use this as a guide whendeciding which zone is relevant to you.

Can I grow varieties not listed for my climate zone?
While our climate zones and sowing chart will help you decide what is suitable to plant in your garden, they providegeneral guidance only. We recommend you start by sowing seed that’s recommended for your climate zone; once you geta few successes under your belt you can experiment with varieties in neighbouring zones and see how you go –gardening is all about experimenting after all!

FAQs

How do you train a zucchini to grow vertically? ›

Zucchini plants can be trained to grow vertically up a range of vegetable garden trellis ideas, including solid stakes, a rustic homemade trellis, a pergola or arch, or a tomato cage. Having the support in place at the time of planting the zucchini is beneficial.

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How far apart do you plant zucchini vertically? ›

Zucchini plants closer together require more pruning and care. Plants further apart require less maintenance. Gardeners who grow it vertically frequently space it out around a foot apart. If you're not growing vertically, people often opt for the further spacing of two to three feet.

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How to prune zucchini to grow vertically? ›

Training the plants vertically involves removing the lowest set of leaves, which are generally the first ones to start yellowing towards the end of the plant's life. Without these leaves, you can expect the zucchini's harvest period to be extended by up to four weeks.

How many square feet is a vertical zucchini 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.

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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.

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Can zucchini and tomatoes be planted together? ›

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.

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Is it better to grow zucchini vertically? ›

More sunlight and more yield

Growing zucchini vertical allows for more sunlight to reach all parts of the plant. This makes for a happier and healthier plant, which will lead to more yield. The fruit will continue to grow up with the plant as you train it.

Can you train squash to grow vertically? ›

Training squashes to grow vertically is not difficult, but you do need to be consistent with it. As plants begin to send out their first tendrils, carefully guide these stems around your trellises to encourage your plants to grow up.

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Can I train a zucchini plant? ›

By training the zucchini plant to grow vertically, we make this task very easy as everything is up off of the ground and we can easily get around the zucchini to prune those branches that are below the fruit. 2) Helps prevent powdery mildew. Keeps the branches off of the ground and improves airflow around the plant.