Zucchini or courgette is a small summer squash. It bears both male and female flowers on the same plant. The female flowers are golden blossom on the end of each emergent zucchini. The male flowers grow directly on the stem of the zucchini plant in the leaf axils, on long stalks and are slightly smaller than the female flowers. Both flowers are edible and are often used to dress a meal or garnish the cooked fruit.
Don't be concerned if you only see male flowers. They always appear first, female flowers will soon appear. If there are not enough bees in your area to do the pollination than you have to do it yourself. Strip the petals of a male flower and place the central part into the central part of the female flower. Gently brush them together.
Zucchini can be yellow, green, light green or striped and generally has a similar shape to a ridged cucumber, though a few cultivars are available that produce round or bottle-shaped fruit.
For a good crop prepare the soil with lots of organic or well-rotted manure fertilizer before planting. The soil should be well dug and well-drained but also able to be kept moist and rich in nutrients. Water vines copiously during hot summer days. Plants may be started indoors and later planted outdoors at least 30 cm apart.
Sow seeds outside without protection around the date of the last frost. Place two seeds in each planting position covered with 1.5 cm of soil. If sowing indoors, sow 2 seeds in a pot under glass about three weeks before the last frost. Thin seedlings by leaving the strongest plant to grow on for planting out in early summer.
Harvest zucchini when they are about 10-12 cm long. Don’t let them grow longer as they will gradually turn into marrows and loose their taste and texture. Harvesting young zucchini will encourage more fruits to appear. You can either cut them off with a sharp knife or twist them off with your hands.
