Zucchini Growth Requirements

Acidic Soil

• Zucchini grows best in soil with a slightly lower than neutral pH. Use a soil test to determine the soil's pH in your garden. Ideal growing conditions are between 6 and 6.5. Neutral soil will still grow zucchinis, but the growing conditions will not be optimal. Organic mulch helps to raise the soil's acidity, as does fertilizer with sulfuric or nitrogen based components.

Planting

• Because zucchinis produce large plants with large vegetables, they need enough room to grow properly. Rows should be between 3 and 4 feet wide. The seeds should be planted just over an inch deep. The time of planting is also important to ensure the crop matures before frost. Plant zucchini approximately three months before the projected date of the first frost in your region. Make more than one planting with 10 days between seedings to create an ongoing crop during harvest season.

Water

• The zucchini plant's deep and wide root system allows it to find water even in drier conditions, but water the plant once a week to ensure big vegetable growth. Always water zucchini deeply with at least an inch of water as a shallow watering isn't beneficial. Adjust the regularity that you water if the plants are exposed to regular heavy rain.

Pollination

• In order to produce fruit, the zucchini plant needs a pollinator to move pollen between male and female flowers. Bees are the main pollinator of zucchini. If bees are uncommon in your garden, hand pollinate the flowers in order to get a healthy crop. Pick the male flowers early in the morning and carefully dust the flower's center against the female flowers. Male flowers have a pointed part in its middle covered in pollen, while a female zucchini flower has a small bulb behind it.