Which Requires More Sunlight: Zucchini or Broccoli?

Classification

• Although zucchini and broccoli are both garden vegetables, they fall into two different categories. Native to the tropics, zucchini is classified as a warm-season vegetable. It can't tolerate even a light frost and must be planted in late spring or early summer. It thrives in warm, sunny weather. Broccoli is classified as a cool-season vegetable. It tolerates temperatures to 28 degrees Fahrenheit and can be planted in early spring, as well as the fall. During the heat of summer, growth slows and it often becomes woody or goes to seed prematurely.

Growing Conditions

• Like other warm-season vegetables, zucchini needs at least eight hours of sunlight to grow well. In cool, cloudy weather, growth slows and the plants may drop their blossoms, failing to produce fruit. Broccoli needs full sun to grow, as well, but because it is planted in spring and fall, it experiences more days of filtered sunlight or overcast weather.

Care

• Plant zucchini outdoors at least two weeks after the least expected spring frost when daytime temperatures are predictably above 70 degrees F. Plant it in the sunniest spot in your garden. If cold weather threatens, cover zucchini plants with floating row covers -- an agricultural fabric that protects plants from cold temperatures, but allows water and sunlight to permeate. Plant broccoli in the spring about three weeks before the last expected frost. You can make a second planting for fall in late summer.

Harvest

• Both broccoli and zucchini mature in less than 60 days. Broccoli plants produce a single compact head. Cut the head while it is firm and before the tiny flowers turn yellow and open. After you harvest the first head, the plant will continue to produce edible side shoots. Zucchini plants produce large yellow flowers that must be pollinated in order to produce fruit. The fruit matures quickly -- often within one week of flowering. Cut off fruits with a sharp knife. Zucchini will continue to produce fruit until the first frost as long as you promptly pick the fruit and provide adequate water. Because of their quick growing season, you could grow broccoli and zucchini in the same location, as succession crops. Plant broccoli in spring and plant the zucchini seeds a few weeks later. By the time the zucchini plants become large, the broccoli will have petered out.