Why don't zucchini grow in the open field and what to do, treatment with a photo?
Zucchini is considered an unpretentious crop that is quite easy to grow at home. However, despite this, sometimes problems arise when growing this vegetable. Therefore, some are interested in why zucchini may not grow. Often the growth rate of bushes is affected by temperature, as they instantly react to its change. For example, at high temperatures, squash bushes grow, but the fruits do not set.
8 reasons why zucchini do not grow or bear fruit poorly
Inexperienced growers don't know what to do when zucchini grow poorly. To understand this, you need to familiarize yourself with the main causes of dysplasia of squash bushes. There are eight main reasons why zucchini grows slowly.
1. Insects gone
Often the fruits do not appear due to the lack of insects that should pollinate the flowers. Without timely pollination, ovaries will not appear on the bushes and zucchini will not begin to bear fruit.
What to do if the zucchini in the garden does not grow fruits? In this case, you will have to deal with the pollination of flowers yourself. To do this, you will have to pick several male flowers with stamens from the bushes. It is with their help that pollination of female flowers will be carried out. However, before that, you should learn to distinguish female flowers from male ones. There are two guidelines to help you do this:
- Male flowers appear much earlier than female ones.
- Female flowers have a seal at the bottom, while male flowers are located on a thin stem.
It is better to pollinate one female flower with two male ones, so that pollination is sure to be successful. Upon successful completion of the process, fruits will appear on the bushes in 5-7 days. If there are none, you will have to repeat the procedure.
Some don't want to self-pollinate plants and attract insects to the flowers. To do this, they spray the bushes with syrup made from honey. During spraying, the leaves are pushed apart on the plants so that more honey liquid gets on the flowers.
2. Something is missing
Another reason why zucchini grows but does not fruit is the lack of fertilizer in the soil. To avoid a problem with a lack of top dressing, organic and mineral fertilizers should be regularly applied to the soil.
Feeding is carried out at least three times per season:
- The first is carried out before flowering, a week after the first shoots appear. Organic fertilizers and preparations such as Effecton or Agricol are added to the soil.
- The second is carried out at the time of flowering plants. In addition to organic top dressing, mineral fertilizers are also added to the ground.
- The last time fertilizer is added to the plot during the formation of fruits. The site is treated with drugs such as Buton and Agricol.
3. Bad seeds
A common reason why zucchini does not bear fruit well is poor quality seed. If the seeds for planting are of poor quality or defective, then you will not be able to get a good harvest. Therefore, before planting, you will have to learn how to select crop seeds to plant them.
When choosing seeds, pay attention to their packaging.
Quality seeds are sold in tight packages made of durable paper. It should not have damage or low-quality images.Also, good-quality packages contain information about the seed producer and leave contact information, with which any gardener can contact the manufacturer personally and ask why their zucchini does not grow. If there is none of this on the package, it is better to refrain from buying such seeds.
4. Acidic soil
High levels of acidity is another reason why zucchini grows slowly. Therefore, before planting this vegetable, the level of soil acidity in the area is determined. To do this, use the usual litmus paper, which is sold in special stores. For the sample, soil is taken from different places on the site in order to accurately determine the acidity of the soil. Then the soil is infused in water for about two hours, after which a litmus test is placed in it. If it changes color, then the soil is not suitable for marrows.
There are several effective methods for reducing soil acidity. To stabilize the acidity, slaked lime, flour, ground chalk, wood or peat ash are added to the ground. Only in this case, the planted zucchini will grow normally.
5. Wrong place
Often, due to an incorrectly chosen place for planting zucchini, it is not possible to get a quality crop. The yield of a vegetable deteriorates if it has been grown for several years in the same place or cucumbers, pumpkins, and tomatoes grew on the plot before it.
What to do if the zucchini loses productivity and they bear little fruit? So that the yield of the vegetable does not decrease, you need to choose the right place for growing. It is recommended to choose sites where crops suitable for zucchini have previously been grown. These include carrots, beets, garlic, beans and eggplant. If you do not observe crop rotation, the development of squash bushes will slow down significantly. This happens due to the fact that the seeds grow in an area with depleted soil, which lacks nutrients for normal plant growth.
6. Lowland high water table
Elevated water table is often the reason why zucchini do not grow during cultivation. Due to the high level of groundwater, the fruiting of vegetables decreases several times. Therefore, it is safe to say that a lot of water for zucchini is also very bad.
To somehow deal with high humidity, they make high beds. When creating high ridges from wooden bars, a box is made into which soil is poured for planting. Then organic fertilizers are added to the soil so that the squash bushes grow better. With a large amount of groundwater in the area, high beds are required, because otherwise the bushes will not grow.
7. Lack of heat and light
Sometimes zucchini do not grow, and only small ovaries form on the bushes. This happens if the plants do not have enough sunlight. The lack of lighting appears when vegetables are planted under trees that shade the seedlings.Zucchini are considered light-loving plants and therefore do not grow well in shady areas.
For planting, it is recommended to choose a place without trees or other plants that can shade squash bushes.
8. Bad neighbors
A common reason why zucchini fruits do not grow is unsuitable neighbors. Zucchini is planted near any plants and at the same time they will grow. However, their yield varies depending on where they are planted. For example, when planting zucchini near a pumpkin, the amount of the crop will decrease significantly. Therefore, before growing, you should familiarize yourself with compatible neighbors. Squash bushes grow well near tomatoes, beets, corn and onions.
Advice from an experienced gardener
Before planting squash, it is recommended that you read the advice of familiar gardeners who grow these plants:
- Proper fit. In order for vegetables to have a high yield, they should be properly planted in the ground. In open soils, zucchini are planted spaciously at a distance of at least 90 cm from each other.
- Water. To increase yields, experienced gardeners recommend regularly watering the bushes. At the same time, at least thirty liters of water are consumed per square meter of a plot with zucchini.
- Feeding. Regular fertilization accelerates the formation of fruits and increases yields. When feeding the bushes, organic fertilizers and nitroammophos are added to the soil to increase the number of fruits.
Conclusion
All gardeners who are fond of growing vegetables in the garden face problems with the growth of zucchini. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the causes of poor growth of squash seedlings in order to avoid this problem.
Recommended
Why do zucchini leaves turn yellow in the open field and what to do

Yellowing of zucchini leaves: causes. Why do seedlings of zucchini turn yellow? Improper watering and damage to the leaves by downy mildew as the cause of yellowing of zucchini. Why are the fruits bitter? Methods for the prevention of yellowness of foliage, the fight against diseases and pests, advice from an experienced gardener.
Why do cucumbers grow crochet in a greenhouse and open field: what is missing

There are several factors why crocheted cucumbers grow in a greenhouse. This is affected by improper watering, untimely harvesting, the level of nutrients in the soil.
Why cucumbers do not grow in a greenhouse and open field: what to do

There are many reasons why cucumbers can grow poorly in a greenhouse. Knowing the problem, you can try to revive the plant and save the crop. Tips and tricks will help.