Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Some zucchini love
Years ago, while out tending to my garden, I came across a 2 foot monster! It was long, thick and green… it was an enormous zucchini squash. I had so many, I was begging people to take them.
So then I just quit planting that prolific producer. The issue being their sprawl!
But, this winter in particular, I kept yearning for my chinese 5-spice zucchini bread, alas, I could find NO zucchini in my local grocery store.
So maybe it’s time to grow up! The plant, that is! A simple one-piece trellis can be secured against a sun-facing wall or strong fence or, you can plant in a container. The video below has a lot of trellising options. About 1:39 into the video Gary Pilarchik of The Rusted Garden talks about using a tomato cage in a container to grow your zucchini in! There are other options too!
Plant your squashes the same distance apart that they would grow at if left at ground level. Once your squash has put on growth, gently weave the shoots onto and into the trellis. Soft plant ties and string can help steer wayward stems in the right direction. Most squashes will then produce tendrils that will grip their supports like a mountaineer.
Grown this way, they will need more water and fertilizer than normal, it takes more effort to, literally take UP, the nutrients. What about that heavy fruit? You’ll need to support it, the best way is to make a sling with old pantyhose. Tie it to the trellis.
