Can someone tell me the difference between "compact" and "busy type" zucchini?
How big does each type get?
I have one semi-bush and two compacts going right now in EB along with 2 cukes and I was wondering if that is too much stuff or it's OK (since all the zucchinis are of a smaller kind but then I don't know what compact or bush type means really, in regards to size.)
Thanks,
tmm
compact or bush type zucchini - EB
I've grown zucchini in an EB (4 plants per box) and they do just fine. Honestly, I've never seen much difference in bush size regardless of what the catalog or seed packet says. They are large plants probably 18" high by 3 ft. diameter each. You should be able to grow what you have planted but I'd think about giving the cucumbers something to climb on to get them out from under the large zucchini leaves.
Rich
Thank you Rich.
I am still debating on going with 3 zucchini's or 2, with 2 cukes. I guess you downed the number of zucchinis per EB (6 plants per box is suggested by the EB manuf.). I already have a trellis for cukes I used when I grew them in a regular container last year so I will be using that for the cukes again this year.
After your post, I am seriously thinking about moving one of the zucchini's to another pot....
Do zucchini do OK with less sun (4.5to 5 hrs)? I don't have any more good long sun spots left at this point for it if I split one of the zucchini's to another pot... I am in Zone 9.
tmm
I would think that 4-5 hrs. of sun would be acceptable for zucchini. You might get a slightly lower yield but still should be fine. You have to take some of the EB planting recommendations with a grain of salt. I plant 6 peppers not 8 and as I have said 4 zucchini, 6 broccoli yet 8 lettuce or basil works just fine. I have grown 4 cucumbers in an EB with good results so 2 of each should work just fine.
Rich
Thank you very much Rich.
Yeah, this weekend, I'm going to separate the one zucchini to another pot and put it in the less favorable area.
tmm
Hi Rich,
I wanted to thank you for your suggestion on numbers of zucchini to put in an EB along with 2 cukes. After your post, I put one of the 3 zucchini plants to another container (then to a new EB) so I have 2 cukes and 2 zucchini plants in one EB, and boy those zucchini plants are growing SO BIG; I had no idea how big the leaves get. If I had 3 zucchini plants, my cukes would have been overwhelmed by the zucchini leaves and been totally shadowed by the zucchini leaves.
Now, I have enough EB's (bought 3 more) so next year, zucchinis will have its own box!
tmm
Hi tmm99
It is amazing isn't it how big the plant gets. What's also amazing is if you go away for a few days and forget to pick one or just miss seeing it, within days some will reach 18-20 inches long. Being in an urban location 7 miles due west of downtown Manhattan (used to be able to say the World Trade Towers) where space is a premium I gave up growing them for a bunch of years but now with the EB's I've started again. My wife slices and sautees them in olive oil with some garlic and fresh basil and I could make a meal of that alone, with a good loaf of Italian Bread of course to sop up all the oil and garlic. Glad they are doing well for you and be prepared when they start fruiting as they come fast and furious.
Rich
Thank you Rich. Yes, I am totally amazed as to how fast the plant grows and how big it gets (leaf size wise, especially). I already have 5 small crooknecks on it (each about 4 inches in size now). The weather has been pretty lousy lately but it is sunny today and this sunny weather should continue for a while now so I am hoping I can harvest a few zucchinis in a little while.
tmm