Solutions For Common Problems Growing Zucchini

The zucchini plant is one of the most common vegetables grown in the home garden. One of the reasons is because it is relatively easy to grow. But just because it is easy to grow doesn’t mean that the zucchini is without its problems. Many people have problems growing zucchini. Let’s take a look at a few of these problems and how to fix them.

Zucchini Pests & Insects

One of the most common zucchini problems is with zucchini pests. The zucchini plant basically looks like a buffet table to a great many insects and bugs. Some common zucchini pests include:

• cutworms
• cucumber beetles
• squash bugs
• vine borers
• spider mites
• aphids
• whiteflies

Most zucchini pests can be controlled with regular applications of insecticidal soap or pesticides. Since these different pests can affect the zucchini plant at different times in the growing cycle, it’s best to start a pest control regimen as soon as the zucchini plant is in the ground to avoid these pest problems on growing zucchini.

Zucchini Diseases

A zucchini plant is also susceptible to a wide variety of diseases. These include zucchini powdery mildew, bacterial wilt, downy mildew, yellow mosaic virus, and botrytis blight.

Once the zucchini plant is infected with any of these disease problems, it’s nearly always fatal to the zucchini plant. So, the best way to fix disease problems on growing zucchini is to just make sure that the zucchini plant doesn’t get them in the first place.

This can be done mostly through appropriate care of the zucchini plant. Making sure that the plant gets plenty of sun, the right about of water every week, avoiding top watering and good air flow through proper spacing of plants will go a long way towards helping the plant fend off many of these diseases. Also, keeping common zucchini pests away from the plant will help curb the diseases that these insects often carry with them.

Zucchini Blossoms Falling Off Plant

While many people think that their zucchini has a problem because the blossoms are mysteriously falling off the plant, this is actually not the case. This is very normal for zucchini plants and is part of its development process.

The Ends of the Zucchini Rot or Get Soft

If the ends of your zucchini get soft before they are fully grown, this is caused by Squash Blossom End Rot and is a symptom of a calcium deficiency.