Zucchini Zucchini is a classic early ripening zucchini that grows in bushes and takes up a minimum of space in the garden. The variety was loved by many gardeners for its high productivity, tasty fruits and unpretentiousness in care. After planting, it is enough to water and feed the plant in a timely manner in order to start harvesting at the end of June.
Zucchini zucchini squash
Tsukesha zucchini has tender and tasty fruits
Zucchini zucchini Tsukesha is unpretentious in care
Grade description
This type of zucchini comes from Ukraine, and has been listed in the State Register of Breeding Achievements since 1986. The variety is recommended for cultivation in all regions with a temperate climate, and is well suited for both greenhouse and open conditions. Therefore, it is grown throughout Russia - from the Krasnodar Territory to the Far East. This is due to its characteristics, which are presented in the following table:
Parameter | Description |
Ripening period | Tsukesha zucchini belongs to early ripening varieties, so the first fruits can be harvested 45-50 days after germination. If you grow it in a greenhouse, you can get a very early harvest. |
Plant characteristics | This zucchini belongs to bush squash without lashes, therefore, grows compactly. Even in a small area, 3-4 bushes can be grown without prejudice to other crops, which means that there will be enough fruits for both summer and winter. To understand what a plant looks like, you need to take into account the following features:
It is important that the plant forms bisexual flowers, that is, male and female, so pollination will occur even with poor activity of bees and other pollinating insects. |
Fruit characteristics | Tsukesh fruits are characterized by the following features:
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Scope of use of fruits and their benefits | Zucchini is so tender and tasty that it can be consumed even raw. In young greenbacks with a size of 15-20 cm, the seeds are not yet formed, therefore, when cutting, they do not need to be cleaned of the core. Such fruits can be used in the preparation of all kinds of dishes and even canned. They can be used in dietary nutrition, since they are low in calories (23 kcal per 100 g). In addition, they are useful for the body of adults and children, as they are rich in useful acids (folic, malic, nicotinic) and trace elements (zinc, molybdenum, lithium, magnesium, calcium). |
Keeping quality | Despite the fact that the zucchini peel is tender, at the same time it is quite dense. Thanks to this, the fruits can be stored for up to 7 months and transported over long distances. However, it should be borne in mind that over time they coarse, become hollow and difficult to peel. |
Productivity | From 1 sq. m beds can be harvested from 8 to 12 kg of fruit. The more often you harvest, the more new ovaries a bush will form, which will have a positive effect on its yield. |
Disease and pest resistance | Tsukesha zucchini has good immunity and only rarely is affected by gray rot. Diseases characteristic of this vegetable crop appear only in the event of an epidemic. With proper care, pests on the bushes do not linger. |
Landing methods and dates
The early ripening Tsukesh variety can be grown in two ways:
- Reckless. Sowing work should be carried out after the threat of new frosts has passed. In regions with a temperate climate, as a rule, this period falls on the last days of May or early June. The main thing is that the soil warms up to a depth of 20 cm to 15 ° C or more. To get an early harvest, the seeds can be sown 1-2 weeks earlier than the due date, however, the seedlings in this case will need to be closed overnight with inverted buckets, pots or 5-liter plastic bottles.
- Rassadny. In this case, the seeds can be sown in separate containers from the last decade of April to the first half of May. Experienced gardeners do this several times with an interval of 4-5 days to maximize the period of fruiting.
If the zucchini is grown in a greenhouse or under a film cover, the sowing dates are shifted forward by 2 weeks.
When choosing a planting method, it should be borne in mind that Tsukesh's zucchini grown through seedlings are stored worse than those specimens obtained from plants formed from seeds planted directly in the ground.
Site selection and preparation
This vegetable can traditionally be grown along the fence on the south side or where there is a place free from other crops. The main thing is that it is sunny and without stagnant water (it is desirable that it be located on a hill). It is equally important to consider the crop rotation. You can not plant Tsukesha after other representatives of the pumpkin family and late cabbage. Its best predecessors are:
- legumes;
- onion;
- garlic;
- potatoes;
- early cabbage.
As for the neighborhood, at best, corn should be placed on the northern side of the zucchini, and beans along them and between the rows, since they accumulate nitrogen necessary for a bush plant in the upper soil layer.
After choosing the optimal site, you can start preparing light soil. It is advisable to do this in advance - in the fall of the previous season. The soil must be dug to a depth of 35-50 cm, applying the following fertilizers (per 1 sq. M):
- 5 kg of humus;
- 20 g of potassium sulfate;
- 30 g superphosphate.
In May or at the end of April, 1-1.5 weeks before planting the zucchini, the site must be well loosened and fertilizing with a nitrogen content added at the rate of 10-15 g per 1 sq. m
In regions with temperate climates, the "warm bed" technology is also used. To prepare it, you must perform the following steps:
- To a depth of 50-60 cm, close up fallen leaves, wood shavings, sawdust, small twigs and other plant residues. At the end, you need to get a single layer of 10 cm.
- Cover the resulting layer with soil or humus mixed with potash and phosphorus top dressing.
- Water the entire bed with a fertilizer solution containing nitrogen (20-25 g per 10 l), cover with plastic wrap and leave until spring.
On this bed, the soil warms up much faster, so the crop can be harvested 1.5-2 weeks earlier. However, this technology has a significant drawback - the bushes in the garden often “fatten” to the detriment of fruiting, and in a cloudy summer, the fruits are fresh and cottony.
Tsukesh can be grown in dug up and soddy areas, and right in the grass. While the seedlings are gaining strength, the weeds should not be allowed to drown them out. However, zucchini will quickly develop powerful bushes, grow large leaves and be able to independently fight competitors.
Presowing seed treatment
Regardless of the method of growing zucchini, 7-8 days before sowing, the seeds must be processed to disinfect and increase their germination. To do this, you need to perform a number of actions:
- Soak the seeds for 12-16 hours in a solution of crimson potassium permanganate, infusion of wood ash or root formation stimulator. Of the drugs, Epin, Emistim-M and Heteroauxin are effective, and from folk remedies - aloe juice, succinic acid, honey solution. Simultaneously with soaking, carry out rejection. Empty seeds will need to be thrown right away, because they definitely will not give seedlings.
- Wrap the seeds in a damp cloth (towel, gauze) and put them in a warm place (+ 22 °) for about 2-5 days so that they sprout. The fabric can be laid out on a saucer and put on a battery or other heating device. As it dries, it needs to be moistened with soft water - melt, rain, spring or settled.
Ordinary tap water contains chlorine, which is difficult for Zukesh's squash. In this regard, plantings also cannot be fed with fertilizers containing potassium chloride.
- Before planting, harden the seeds - keep them in the lower compartment of the refrigerator for 24 hours. Thanks to this manipulation, the plant will be more resistant to temperature extremes and prolonged cooling, which is especially important for the northern regions and Siberia.
Direct sowing of seeds into the ground
Hatching seeds can be sown in the ground. If it was not prepared in the fall, it needs to be dug up and scattered on 1 square. m, 1-2 buckets of humus or compost and 0.5 liters of ash. Instead of humus, you can use urea at the rate of 50 g per 1 sq. m. If there is a shortage of organic matter, it can be applied directly into the grooves and mixed with the topsoil.
The seed sowing scheme is as follows:
- embedment depth - 4-6 cm;
- the distance between the holes is 50 cm;
- row spacing - 60 cm.
It is worth throwing 2-3 seeds into each moistened hole, and then sprinkle it on top with a layer of humus mixed with fine sand. If all the seeds germinate in the future, only the strongest sprout should be left. The second copy can be transplanted to another place where there are no shoots at all.
After sowing, the garden bed must be watered and mulched. It is advisable to cover crops with cut plastic bottles or other covering material on arcs. It is important that it is white and breathable. After a couple of weeks, it can be removed for a day, and after a while - completely removed.
In order to extend the fruiting period, seeds should be sown several times with an interval of 5-6 days.
Planting zucchini Tsukesh through seedlings
This technology involves the cultivation of strong seedlings, which in the future will need to be transplanted into the ground. Consider this process in stages.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
The seeds prepared by the above method should be planted in separate plastic cups with a volume of 200 ml and a diameter of no more than 10 cm, following the following instructions:
- Buy the substrate in a garden store or prepare it yourself by mixing humus, fertile turf, rotted sawdust and peat chips in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 1, respectively. The resulting composition must be disinfected in any way possible - calcine in the oven, freeze, steam or pour with a pink-purple solution of potassium permanganate. In order to further disinfect the seeds, crushed chalk or sifted wood ash can be added to the mixture at the rate of 1 tbsp. l on 2 l of the mixture.
The substrate can be simply poured with Fitosporin solution.
- Fill the pots half with the substrate and embed 2 seeds in each to a depth of 2-3 cm, and sprinkle with soil on top.
- Put all the pots in a single spacious container (box, basket), cover with glass or foil and transfer to the growing area.
Seedling care
For planting, you need to provide competent care, which involves the following activities:
- Maintaining an optimal microclimate. Until mass shoots appear, keep seedlings in a dark, warm place at a temperature of + 18… 23ºC. The room needs to be ventilated daily to get rid of the accumulated condensation. When mass shoots appear, the greenhouse needs to be removed, and the pots rearranged in a bright place. So that the shoots do not stretch out, daylight hours should last 10-12 hours. With the appearance of the first leaf, the temperature should be lowered to + 20ºC. Optimum humidity - up to 70%.
- Watering. Every 5-7 days, the seedlings must be moistened from a spray bottle with water at room temperature (100 ml per plant) in order to prevent the top layer (2-3 cm) of the substrate from drying out.
- Top dressing. After 7 days from the moment the "greenhouse" was removed, the seedlings should be watered with a solution of any nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer (2-2.5 g / l). After another 1.5 weeks, use any complex fertilizer (15-20 ml per plant). Popular drugs are Buton, Rostock, Kemira-Lux.
- Rejection. In the phase of appearance of the first leaf, culling is required if both seeds have sprouted. It is worth leaving the copy that demonstrates the best development. The second is carefully cut off at the very ground.
- Hardening. For 1-1.5 weeks before transplanting into the ground, the seedlings need to be hardened - they should be taken out into the open air for several hours. Gradually, this time needs to be increased so that the seedlings eventually “spend the night” on the street. Thanks to this, they will be able to quickly adapt to new living conditions.
It will take about a month to grow seedlings. By this time, it should have acquired at least 2-3 true leaves.
Transplanting seedlings into the ground
Seedlings need to be transplanted to the garden on a cloudy day. However, the weather should be rather warm - about + 20… 23ºC during the day and + 16… + 19ºC at night. Wells need to be prepared in advance according to a 60x70 cm pattern.
Planting depth depends on the quality of the soil. In light and sandy soil, it is enough to deepen the seedlings by 10-12 cm, and in heavy ones - up to 8 cm. The wells must be watered with warm water (+ 30… + 35ºC) in order to plant the zucchini literally in the "mud". At the bottom of each furrow, you can put 1 tbsp. superphosphate or wood ash, a handful of humus and onion husks, which with its pungent odor will scare off many pests.
After planting, the soil must be carefully compacted and watered abundantly, making a low annular “shaft” of soil at a distance of 25-30 cm from the stem. Then it remains to put over the bed of the arc and pull on them a covering material of white color. It can be harvested around the 20th of June.
Caring for Tsukesh's squash
This type of zucchini is not particularly whimsical, but requires the timely implementation of a number of agrotechnical measures. We will consider each of them separately.
Watering and tillage
Zucchini needs a lot of water, which goes to feed the bulk green mass and the setting of juicy fruits. In this regard, it must be properly watered, observing the following rules:
- carry out watering under the root every 7-8 days at the rate of 1.5-2 liters per bush;
- in arid regions, increase the frequency of watering up to 2 times a week;
- during flowering and fruit formation, water the bushes 2 times every few days at the rate of 10-12 liters per 1 sq. m;
- pour water under the root and only on the driest days can you arrange a shower for the plant;
- use settled warm water for irrigation (not lower than + 20ºC).
Even when watering under the root, the water will fall under the fruits, so the soil needs to be mulched with straw or dry grass so that the zucchini dry faster and do not lie in the mud.
After watering, it is necessary to carry out a slight loosening of row-spacing and remove weeds so that they do not reduce the yield of zucchini. In addition, these procedures will prevent the formation of crust and contribute to aeration of the roots.With the appearance of 4-5 leaves, the plant should be slightly huddled in order to stimulate the development of lateral root processes.
Thinning leaves
The peculiarity of the Tsukesha variety is too large leaves, under which it is dark, damp and dry. Because of this, they often rot and pose a danger to the entire bush. So, they need to be regularly removed using a secateurs. You need to choose the leaves that lie on the ground and overlap the center of the bush, covering the flowers and creating a shadow for the fruit.
You can remove no more than 2-3 leaves at a time from the southern and eastern sides.
Top dressing
If the soil was well seasoned with humus, or zucchini grown on a compost heap or warm beds, then you can refuse to fertilize. Otherwise, from an excess of nitrogen, the plant will begin to "fatten" - it will acquire even larger leaves on thick petioles, and the fruits will not tie or will grow poorly and rot.
If this has already happened, then under the bushes you need to scatter wood ash and loosen the soil. This will help normalize nutrient balance and fruit production.
If the zucchini grows on poor soil, then the situation is different. Its roots will lack nutrients, so they will not be able to grow strong. To support them, the plant should be fed with natural fertilizers:
- Infusion of weeds. A bucket or barrel must be filled with fresh herbs, filled with water and left for 1-2 weeks, stirring regularly. Add 2 liters of infusion to the watering can.
- Infusion of bird droppings (mullein). Fill a quarter of the bucket with droppings and fill to the top with water. Leave on for 5-10 days. For a 10-liter watering can, 0.5 liters of such a solution is enough. Mullein infusion is done in the same way, but 1 liter of fertilizer should already be taken for 10 liters of water.
The rate of application of these top dressings is the same as with conventional watering. At the end of the zucchini, rinse with clean water from a watering can with a strainer. A few days after such top dressing, ash should be scattered over the damp earth and loosened. An alternative option is to pour a glass of ash into the watering can, shake it up and water the plant.
If the zucchini grows on normal soil, during the growth period they can simply be fed about 3 times:
Development period | Top dressing | Consumption |
before flowering | 1 tbsp. nitrofoski on 10 l of water | 1 liter per 1 bush |
during flowering | 1 tbsp. complex feeding for 10 liters of water | 1 liter per 1 bush |
during fruiting | infusion of mullein (bird droppings) or a solution of 1 tbsp. superphosphate, 1 part potassium sulfate and 1 part urea per 10 liters of water | 2-3 l per 1 bush |
As a foliar top dressing, zucchini can be sprayed with a urea solution every 10-13 days.
Protection against diseases and pests
Among the diseases for zucchini Tsukesh, the danger can be:
- powdery mildew;
- gray rot;
- white mosaic.
For prophylaxis, the seed must be kept in a disinfectant solution, for example, in water with the addition of potassium permanganate. If the plant is already sick, it is necessary to remove the affected specimens, and treat the remaining planting with a fungicide (Isofen, Topaz, Topsin-M). Additionally, the zucchini should be sprayed with a solution of copper oxychloride.
In addition to diseases, one must also remember about pests that can attack a plant, suck out its vital juices and leave behind only wilted bushes. Among them, Tsukesh's zucchini can be claimed by:
- Slug. They can be collected manually, but with a large number of insects it is better to use wet rags as traps or sprinkle the earth around the plant with ash.
- Spider mite. To scare him off, the bushes need to be sprayed in hot weather with an infusion of onion and garlic peels (200 g per 10 liters). If he has already settled on the plant, then you will have to use drugs - Keltan (Chlorethanol) or Isophene. In greenhouse conditions, ground sulfur will help more.
- Gourd aphids. These parasites multiply rapidly and inhibit the development of the bush, therefore, if they are detected, it is necessary to immediately use harsh measures. Of the drugs, Karbofos and Trichlormetaphos-3 (Tryfos) will help. The latter is best used in a greenhouse.
Affected pumpkin bushes can also be watered generously with homemade solution. For its preparation, 4 tbsp. mustard powder needs to be poured 1 liter of warm water, mix well and leave in a warm dark place for 2 days. Then the solution remains to be decanted, bring the volume of water to 10 liters and use as directed. - Sprout fly. Dangerous for young pumpkin seedlings. To get rid of flies, in dry weather, the plant must be sprayed with a solution of Iskra or Intavir.
In order to protect your crop from any pests, it is important to regularly destroy weeds, carefully remove plant debris and follow crop rotation rules.
Harvesting and storage
Tsukesha zucchini begins to harvest at the end of June and is tied regularly until the end of August. Fruits that have reached a length of about 35 cm are ready for harvesting. They must be harvested on time, otherwise they will overripe and begin to draw excess juices from the plant, slowing down the development of new ovaries.
You need to collect the fruits in dry weather, cutting them off with a sharp, clean knife with a part of the stalk (tail) 5-6 cm long. Next, the zucchini must be laid in a dry and dark place. They can be arranged in open boxes and placed behind a wardrobe, sofa or other free space.
In early August, you can think about laying zucchini for storage. To do this, you need to collect the young fruits for the last time, but leaving 1-3 ovaries each so that they mature in the garden and acquire a hard skin necessary for long-term storage. Under these fruits, it is worthwhile to put a waterproof material that will inhibit the development of rot. It can be pieces of plywood, roofing felt or glass. An alternative option is to mulch the soil in the garden bed.
By mid-August, when cold nights and frequent temperature fluctuations are already observed, the left ovaries should already turn into mature marrows. They need to be cut with a long stalk, discarded specimens with any damage, and the remaining ones should be stored. You can not wash them.
Before putting the zucchini into the cellar or basement, they need to be kept in the open air for 4-6 hours. They can be stored in a cardboard box, wooden box or directly on the shelves. The main thing is that the fruits do not touch each other and the walls of the container, shelf. To do this, you need to sprinkle the layers with small pieces of newsprint, sawdust, wood shavings, sand, etc. The optimum temperature for storing zucchini is + 5 ... + 10 ° C, and humidity - no more than 60%. The room itself should be dark and well ventilated.
The zucchini stored for storage should be consumed within 2-3 months, since in the future they will become too coarse, get voids inside the pulp and it will be difficult to peel.
An alternative storage option is freezing. In this form, the fruits will retain their taste and useful qualities for 8-10 months. Before freezing, the zucchini must be packaged in small portions. After defrosting, they must absolutely not be re-frozen.
Pros and cons
Tsukesha's zucchini has the following advantages:
- has one of the highest yields among other types of zucchini and white zucchini varieties;
- has an early ripening period, so it quickly fills in the missing ration of vegetables on the table;
- differs in tender pulp with small seeds, which does not coarse even after overgrowing the vegetable;
- is a bush plant, therefore it takes up a minimum of space in the garden;
- to bear fruit with universal zucchini, which can be stored for a long time and transported.
Among the shortcomings, it can be noted that this variety is particularly demanding on regular watering and the sun. The plant can grow poorly when transplanted, so it is better to sow seeds immediately in a permanent place.
Variety reviews
Vadim Petrovich, 45 years old. The characteristics of Tsukeshi say that it can reach up to 1 kg. However, I know from my own experience that unharvested fruits can even grow up to 5 kg or more. If they are not watered on time, then they become unpleasant bitterness. So, you need to properly care for the zucchini. In this case, they turn out to be very tasty, and most importantly, they are tied right up to frost.
Maria Stepanovka, 57 years old. I have been growing Tsukesh zucchini in the Moscow region for several years. I like the taste of young fruits very much. In the season I use them in my diet, and I canned the remaining vegetables over the winter. I recommend to everyone.
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Tsukesha belongs to the weakly branching varieties of squash. The variety pleases gardeners with an excellent harvest of dark green fruits with salad bonding. Unlike analogues with white fruits, it is also characterized by a long shelf life. All this makes it in demand among farmers and owners of suburban areas.