What are the precautions for growing zucchini seedlings?

Zucchini is an annual vining plant. Zucchini originated in North America, and after it was later introduced to China it immediately gained a large number of “fans”. Zucchini is delicious and contains abundant water, vitamins and other substances, and has effects such as quenching thirst and promoting urination, reducing swelling and moistening the lungs. Zucchini is now widely grown in China, but do you know what to pay attention to when raising zucchini seedlings? Let us take a look below!

1. Land preparation and fertilization

Preparing the land before sowing is definitely essential work. Zucchini is suited to growing in slightly acidic soil, and the soil pH can be controlled at around 6. Zucchini has a strong root growth capacity and absorbs nutrients relatively quickly, so when fertilizing we should pay attention to the application of nitrogen fertilizer to prevent excessive nitrogen fertilizer from causing zucchini to grow excessively, drop flowers and fruit, and produce various pests and diseases. When fertilizing, the ratio of fertilizers such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium should be reasonably matched, and the amount of fertilizer applied should be reasonably controlled according to the planting area and the number of fruits.

2. Seed soaking and sprouting

Seed disinfection should be fairly familiar to everyone. Before sowing, not only should the seeds be disinfected, but the work of sprouting should also be done well. First soak the seeds in clean water and remove the empty-shelled seeds floating on the surface of the water. Then for normal planting, soak them in warm water at about 60 degrees for 8-12 minutes to sprout them, in order to eliminate the pathogens lurking on the surface of the seeds. Then lower the water temperature to 30-40 degrees and soak for another 3-4h. Finally, remove the seeds, air-dry the moisture on the seeds, wrap the seeds in gauze, moisten them, and place them at a temperature of about 30 degrees to sprout.

3. Sowing and raising seedlings

After successful sprouting, the seedling-raising work should be carried out; everything before was preparatory work before raising seedlings. Before raising seedlings, we must first prepare the nutrient soil, as the quality of the nutrient soil directly determines the growth ability of the seedlings. For the nutrient soil, garden soil can be used directly, but note that the soil must not have previously grown cucurbit vegetables; then add farmyard manure and plant ash, etc., stir thoroughly and sift to make the nutrient soil. After that, sowing and seedling raising can begin. After sowing, cover with about two centimeters of soil to keep warm and retain moisture, then appropriately sprinkle methamidophos to prevent insect pests, and then cover with plastic film until the seedlings emerge.

4. Seedling management

After the seedlings emerge, zucchini enters the seedling stage. During the seedling stage, the temperature should be reasonably controlled; the daytime temperature must not exceed 25 degrees, and if it does, ventilation and cooling should be done immediately. The nighttime temperature can be controlled at around 12 degrees, and must not be lower than 6 degrees. Next is water management; water should not be too much or too little. After finding a water shortage, appropriate small drip irrigation can be used, and after watering, ventilation should also be done in time to lower the temperature and prevent pests and diseases. If pests and diseases occur, check what kind of pests and diseases they are, and then use the corresponding treatment measures to improve the seedling survival rate.

The above is the editor's brief introduction to the precautions for raising zucchini seedlings. The seedling stage of zucchini is very important. If it is not managed properly, it will increase the incidence of zucchini diseases, such as damping-off and fusarium wilt. In addition, the growth vigor of zucchini will also become weaker, leading to reduced yield and lowering one's own cultivation benefits. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you all for reading and supporting.