What causes fruit cracking in zucchini? Detailed explanation of solutions

Fruit cracking often occurs when growing zucchini, damaging fruit quality. It not only affects appearance but also causes reduced yield, and such zucchini simply cannot be sold. This problem often leaves vegetable growers at their wits' end. So how should zucchini fruit cracking be prevented and controlled? Follow along with the editor to learn more.

1. Symptoms

Fruit cracking often occurs in zucchini, baby zucchini and golden zucchini, and it happens on both young fruits and mature fruits. Common cracked fruits have three types of splitting: longitudinal, transverse and diagonal. The depth and width of the cracks vary; in mild cases only a small slit appears, while in severe cases the crack can go deep to the flesh and expose the seeds. The injured surface of the crack gradually becomes suberized. Many zucchini crack while still young fruits, and by maturity the cracking becomes severe.

2. Calcium deficiency

The main cause of zucchini fruit cracking is calcium deficiency in the zucchini. During the fruit expansion stage, the demand for calcium is extremely high. Once calcium cannot be supplied adequately, cracks appear on the fruit surface, and in severe cases the fruit even splits into a gash, resulting in poor harvest appearance that is difficult to sell.

Solution: The solution is actually fairly simple. When applying base fertilizer, add some calcium fertilizer to it, or apply some calcium fertilizer during the fruiting period. This can prevent zucchini from cracking due to calcium deficiency.

3. Water shortage

Water shortage is a common cause of zucchini cracking. Many vegetable growers do not water in time during the zucchini fruiting period, causing the soil to become too dry. Because the plant cannot absorb enough water, it struggles to supply the expanding fruit, which causes the skin of the young zucchini fruit to become aged. Once a day passes, the flesh of the zucchini expands rapidly after absorbing water, but the aged skin cannot expand in sync normally, so fruit cracking occurs.

Solution: Therefore, do not control water excessively during the fruiting period. Pay attention to watering appropriately to prevent the soil from becoming too dry. In addition, drain water promptly after rain to avoid the fruit expanding too quickly.

4. Damage to the fruit body

This situation is also fairly common, but it usually only causes individual zucchini to crack rather than occurring over a large area. It mainly happens during the young fruit growth stage, when farmers accidentally bump the young fruit while carrying out farming operations, causing physical damage to the surface. Moreover, young fruits are very tender, and even a light touch can cause damage.

Solution: Therefore, it is recommended that farmers be very careful when managing the fruiting period to avoid damage to the fruit body. For fruits that have already split open, it is recommended to remove them promptly to avoid unnecessary consumption of nutrients and also to prevent pests and diseases from taking advantage of the opening.

The above is an introduction to the causes of zucchini fruit cracking and solutions. We hope it helps you. To learn more related knowledge, please follow us.