Vegetables/Easy
Zucchini
Cucurbita pepo
Zucchini (courgettes) are famously generous — a healthy plant will produce more fruit than you can reasonably eat. Pick them young at 15–20 cm; leave them a week too long and you have a small marrow.
They are hungry and thirsty. Plant into soil enriched with well-rotted compost, water deeply at the base (never on the leaves), and feed weekly with a tomato feed once flowers appear. Male flowers appear first, then female — pollinators do the rest.
Year at a glance
Common problems
White dusty coating on leaves
Powdery mildew — very common late summer. Water at the base and remove badly affected leaves.
Full guide: Powdery Mildew →Small fruit shrivelling and yellowing
Poor pollination or lack of water. Hand-pollinate in the morning and mulch the soil.
Yellowing older leaves
Heavy feeder running out of nitrogen. Top-dress with compost and feed weekly.
Full guide: Yellow Leaves →Questions, answered
Why are my zucchini flowers falling off without fruit?+
The first flush is almost always male flowers, which drop naturally. Female flowers (with a tiny fruit behind them) follow within a week or two.
How many zucchini plants do I need?+
Two is plenty for a family of four — a single plant produces 20+ fruits over a summer.
How do I stop powdery mildew?+
Space plants for airflow, water at the base only, and spray a 1:9 milk-and-water solution weekly at the first sign.