Zucchini: best varieties for open ground. Description of varieties and features of cultivation

In this article, we will talk about a vegetable called zucchini. The best varieties for open ground, the characteristics of cultivation, origin, as well as a few simple recipes for healthy and satisfying dishes - all this you will find in our material.

What kind of vegetable is this?

Zucchini is an annual heat-loving plant, the closest relative of a pumpkin. Its fruits are usually oblong, although there are also round varieties. The vegetable's peel is white, pistachio, green or yellow. Thanks to a number of useful microelements and vitamins, as well as an unmatched taste, zucchini are popular all over the world.

Legend

According to the Indian epics, the tavern was presented to people by the gods. In one fishing village, while the husbands were on a long voyage, women and children suffered from hunger. Mother prayed to the almighty gods that they sent down to the earth a fruit as delicious as the flesh of a fish, and as unpretentious as a weed. Celestials thought and showed the world a tavern. As far as its taste resembles a fishy one - a big question, but about the simplicity of cultivation, they really were not mistaken.

Where does zucchini come from?

Few gardeners wondered about the origin of the famous zucchini. But knowing about the peculiarities of its growth in a natural environment, you can create this culture the best conditions on your site.

Homeland of the vegetable is considered South America, although it can be found in Central and North. Cultivation of it happened a very long time ago: the Indians grew zucchini even 3000 years ago, as evidenced by numerous archaeological finds. To Europeans, the vegetable came relatively recently - in the 17th century, and was cultivated first as an exotic plant in botanical gardens. In food there were only zucchini seeds, to taste reminiscent of pumpkin. In the middle of the 18th century, a miracle-vegetable came to Russia, where it was used in an immature form.

How to plant and grow zucchini

So that the zucchini seeds sprout faster, they should be soaked for 4-5 hours in cool water, and then wrapped in a damp cloth or cotton wool and put in a warm place for about a day (they should slightly swell, but not germinate). Then they are slightly dried and sowed in the open ground in late April - early May (focusing on weather conditions). Seeds will begin to germinate at temperatures above 10 ° C.

Zucchini - the plant is rather spreading, so one copy should have a section of at least 70 × 70 cm. Seeds are planted in moist soil to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. Many truck farmers cover the place of planting with polyethylene film to maintain the necessary humidity.

For cultivation of courgettes, chernozem is ideally suited. This melon plant grows well both on alluvial river lands, and on chestnut, on loamy loam. It is also important to consider which plant was cultivated in the garden before. The best precursors of the vegetable marrow are tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes and legumes.

In the period when ovaries begin to form, the plant must be fed with mineral and organic fertilizers. More often, fresh mullein (5 kg per 10 m ²), bird droppings (1.5 kg per 10 m ²), slurry (5 kg per 10 m ²) are used. The best mineral fertilizer is ammonium nitrate (120 g per 10 m²).

What are the criteria for choosing a variety?

Every time in the spring, many start to think about what seeds of this or that vegetable to buy this year. How not to lose among such diversity?

Before buying seeds, you need to choose the best variety. It is recommended to take into account the location of the household plot: if the dacha is located in the northern regions, frost resistance is particularly important.

Depending on the size of the proposed bed, it is important to pay attention to the shape of the bush, its compactness and its tendency to branched.

The quality of pollination directly depends on the harvest. There are plants pollinated by insects, but a self-pollinating zucchini is also bred. The best varieties for open ground mean still the presence of bees, butterflies and other collectors of nectar.

Domestic or imported varieties: which is better?

Each variety has its advantages and disadvantages. The choice should be guided first of all by how zucchini will be used. Some grow these vegetables in the hope of long-term storage, others, on the contrary, dream of getting an early harvest, which will be eaten raw, as well as for frying and canning.

Unlike foreign varieties, domestic varieties are more resistant to frosts and sharp temperature changes. Therefore, it is better to choose the seeds of local breeders for growing in the middle belt of Russia and in more northern regions. The fruits of these zucchini even though they do not have a presentable appearance, but they are perfectly preserved and wonderful to taste.

In more hot regions, on the contrary, foreign varieties, especially Italian ones, proved to be better. They have a more juicy pulp, are characterized by early maturity and excellent taste qualities.

Early varieties of courgettes

Every horticulturist and truck farmer wants to get a harvest as soon as possible. For large agro-industrial complexes, rapid aging is a quick profit-making and a good turnover. For the most impatient breeders brought out a lot of interesting skorospelok. What kind of plant zucchini? The best grades for open ground with a short maturity are shown below.

Odessa-52

This is an old, time-tested variety, bred by Ukrainian breeders back in the middle of the last century. From the first shoots to the ripe fruit - only about 40 days. Form zucchini oblong, peel - milk or greenish color with small specks. The flesh has a pinkish or yellowish tinge. The variety is very fruitful, resistant to diseases and frosts. The shape of the bush is small. Odessa-52 is recommended to be consumed fresh and canned, as it lies, like many early varieties, badly.

Aeronaut

Zucchini zucchini is one of the most popular. The variety is characterized by a short main shoot and a neat little bush. It is ideal for small kitchen gardens. Zucchini Aeronaut has smooth oblong fruits, evenly colored in a dark green color. The pulp is yellowish, juicy, the skin is thin. The maturation period is 46 days. Fruits are used for canning, frying, cooking salads.

Zucchini Aeronaut has only one drawback: it is susceptible to powdery mildew and various viruses.

White

Ultra-ripened variety: from shoots to the first crop - a little more than a month (35-40 days). Zucchini White is distinguished by light oval fruits of medium size (up to 1 kg). The flesh inside is creamy, very juicy and tasty.

The variety is resistant to various diseases, unpretentious in terms of care and universal in use. His marinated, fried, eaten raw. Low sugar content allows the use of white squash for baby food and diet of diabetics. Also, it is suitable for long-term storage and does not lose its taste qualities and useful properties for a long time. Thanks to all the above advantages, it is very popular among truck farmers.

Sosnovsky

This variety ripens only 33-34 days. It is intended for growing in the open ground in the southern regions of Russia, in Ukraine, in Moldova. Sosnovsky zucchini differs thin-skinned oblong fruits of white or beige color. Flesh is yellow, fibrous, with a high content of juice. It is used for canning and diet menu.

Anchor

This variety is precocious: the crop can be harvested after 40 days after the appearance of the first cotyledonous leaflets. Fruit squash Anchor is oval and rounded. The skin is painted in light green tones, soft to the touch.

Among the advantages it is possible to note the resistance to low temperatures, good preservation, high yield (up to 9 kg from one bush), excellent taste qualities of pulp. The most important disadvantage of the tavern is the Anchor: the variety does not adequately withstand various diseases.

Popular varieties of courgettes for long-term storage

- Squill . Due to long-term storage without loss of nutrients and taste, many choose these zucchini. Cultivation and care in the open ground will not bring hassle. Seeds are sown immediately to the bed (distance between the holes - 60 cm). In the future, only regular watering, loosening of the soil and feeding will be required.

Fruits in Skvorushka are distinguished by a dark green skin and a slightly ribbed cylindrical shape. Weight zucchini can reach 1.2 kg. For consumption in fresh, stewed and fried form, immediately after cutting, young small specimens are chosen. Vegetables intended for long-term storage must mature well.

- Gribovsky-37. This old variety is known to all self-respecting truck farmers. It was received by domestic breeders as far back as 1943, and since then it has gained unprecedented popularity. Among the merits can be noted the following: the pub Gribovsky has a high yield, perfectly tolerates drought and long cooling periods, unpretentious in care.

The fruits of this variety have a cylindrical, slightly "paunchy" shape with a pronounced ribbing near the stalk. Peel - greenish or milky, fairly dense. Pulp is white, medium elastic. Kabachok Gribovsky is good for home cooking, and for long-term storage.

- Iskander F1. Maybe it's worth planting a hybrid zucchini? The best varieties for open ground in this case - it's Kavili F1 and the famous zucchini Iskander F1, reviews about which are of a purely positive nature. These hybrids were created by Dutch botanists long ago. Their main advantages are resistance to various diseases, high yield, ability to ovary fruit at low temperatures.

At least for one season you should try to plant in your neighborhood the tavern Iskander F1. Reviews of him give hope for a high yield, which can be stored for a long time.

It is worth noting that the seeds obtained from the hybrid fruit can not be used for subsequent planting.

Yellow Courgettes

- Zolotinka . Zucchini yellow varieties Zolotinka differ early ripeness, compactness of the bush, good taste and pleasant appearance. Like other yellow or orange vegetables, they are rich in carotene and are used to make children's and dietary dishes.

- Yellow - fruited . This variety is a high yielding shrub. Fruits smooth or slightly ribbed, cylindrical, tapering at the tip. The plant is suitable for small areas, because it is compact in size.

- Golda . Another representative of yellow zucchini. This hybrid is well established among experienced truck farmers. Its sunny fruits have an oblong, slightly ribbed shape. Pulp is creamy, dense and very tender. These vegetables are distinguished by a great versatility of use: they are fried, stewed, preserved. In addition, Golda zucchini is perfectly preserved, if you wait for them to fully ripen.

Round zucchini

- The ball . Zucchini round variety The ball is ideal for stuffing and baking. On the shape of the fruit is easy to guess by name, it really looks mature as a ball. Peel zucchini - light green in small specks. The peculiarities of growing can be attributed a special dislike for drafts, in general, the plant is unpretentious and highly productive.

- Watermelon . This variety is the result of crossing with the same melon colleague, and in appearance it is really very similar to it. Features of this variety are large pink seeds, very long storage (up to the new crop) and long lashes. When planting Watermelon, the distance between the holes should be at least 2 m.

This is not all varieties of this unusual form. For open ground also suitable Kolobok, Tintoretto, Burzhuin F1, Festival F1.

Round zucchini, varieties, description and advantages of which are set out above, are becoming more and more in demand.

Unusual varieties

- Spaghetti . This early-ripening variety has a unique feature: when cooking, the pulp turns into thin flagellates, reminiscent of real Italian pasta. In addition to the appearance of the pulp, Spaghetti is somewhat reminiscent of this familiar dish from childhood. It is important to give the vegetable marrow to the finish: in this case it will manifest all the taste qualities.

Is it difficult to cultivate such zucchini? Cultivation and care in the open ground do not distinguish them from ordinary varieties.

- Pear - shaped . Another strange zucchini is pear-shaped. In addition to the shape, it has a bright orange flesh, very fragrant and delicious. Its fruits are not very large (about 20-25 cm in length). The advantage of this variety is a long fruiting period.

Pear-shaped zucchini is well kept and transported. Thanks to excellent taste and decorativity, this variety is becoming more popular every year.

Delicious recipes

To eat zucchini in its raw form, choose a young fruit the size of an average cucumber. The skin is thin, the flesh is juicy, and the seeds just begin to form. There are many recipes for healthy and simple dishes, the preparation of which will not be difficult.

Salad with squash and cucumber

Necessary products: cucumbers (300 g), zucchini (250 g), green onions (30 g), garlic (3 cloves), mayonnaise (5 tablespoons), herbs, salt.

Squash and cucumber peel, cut into thin slabs. Onions and greens finely chop, garlic through the press. Combine all the ingredients, mix well.

Many people who promote healthy eating replace mayonnaise with olive or sunflower oil. In such a salad, you can also add homemade cheese or mozzarella.

Squash caviar

What is needed: zucchini (3 kg), onion (0.5 kg), mayonnaise (250 g), tomato paste (250 g), sunflower oil (150 g), salt (2 tablespoons), sugar (1/2 cup ), Ground black pepper (1/2 teaspoon), bay leaves (1 piece).

Onion and peeled squash must be scrolled through a meat grinder, then add mayonnaise, tomato paste and butter. The resulting mixture was cooked on low heat for 1 hour. Then add salt, sugar, pepper and bay leaf. Brew another 1 hour. In a hot form, spread out on sterilized jars and roll up.

This dish is suitable for both daily rations and festive table.

Stuffed zucchini

We will need: pork forcemeat (350 g), 4 young round zucchini, 1 medium-sized carrot, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, greens, olive oil, pepper, salt.

First you need to cut off the tops of zucchini and carefully remove the pulp with a spoon. Onions, carrots, garlic finely chopped, add to the stuffing and mix well. Next, sprinkle the resulting mixture with olive oil, salt, pepper, add chopped greens.

Pots from zucchini should be filled with minced meat, put on a baking tray or in a baking dish and covered with foil. The dish is cooked in a preheated to 180 ° C oven for 45 minutes. Next, remove the foil and put it back for another 15 minutes. From above you can sprinkle with grated cheese for a crispy fragrant crust.