by There is no gardener who has not encountered the problem of bitter cucumbers at least once in his life. However, few people know that not only they can be bitter, but also zucchini.
Many people know that zucchini is not a separate vegetable, but a bush variety of pumpkin. However, few remember that both of these plants are close relatives of cucumber, since they belong to the same family, and therefore have some common problems. In particular, their fruits can be bitter.
Why do zucchini taste bitter?
The ability to accumulate this substance is characteristic not only of vegetables, but also of other pumpkin crops. The main culprit of the unpleasant taste of zucchini is cucurbitacin, a complex nitrogen compound that the plant begins to produce in response to unfavorable growing conditions. This defense mechanism is inherited, but it is triggered only if mistakes were made when growing the vegetable. Let’s consider this and some other reasons in more detail.
1. Wrong watering
When organizing watering of zucchini, it is necessary to remember that the plant begins to accumulate bitterness in two situations. Firstly, due to the lack of liquid in vegetables, nitrates accumulate. And secondly, with a sharp change in humidity, when warmth and drought are replaced by cold and rain, the vegetable turns on a protective mechanism and begins to produce those same cucurbitacins. Follow the weather forecasts and, if necessary, adjust the watering schedule.
Zucchini are watered at the roots with clean water that has been settled in the sun 2-3 times a week early in the morning or in the evening closer to sunset.
2. Lack of sunlight
Another common reason for the bitterness of zucchini is a lack of light. Plants especially often suffer from its deficiency in August, when daylight hours become shorter. Therefore, if possible, try to plant zucchini so that by the middle of this month you can harvest the main crop of these vegetables. Make sure that there are no plants nearby that could shade them.
3. Diseases and pests
The cause of the bitterness of zucchini can be fungal infections or pests that damage vegetables and thus contribute to the spread of diseases. Most often, this is anthracnose or fusarium. With anthracnose, round yellowish-brown spots appear on the leaves of the plant. Fusarium can be recognized by the yellowing and drying lower leaves. If the fight against the disease does not bring the desired result immediately, it is better to get rid of the affected plant without waiting for the disease to spread to the entire plantation or to other crops.
4. Failure to comply with the feeding schedule
The taste of zucchini is also affected by the excess of certain substances. Failure to comply with the vegetable fertilizing schedule can lead to the accumulation of a large amount of potassium, magnesium and other chemical compounds in the plants, which give the zucchini pulp a characteristic bitter taste. To prevent this from happening, monitor the condition of the plants and follow the recommendations of the manufacturers. When using any fertilizing, it is worth remembering that sometimes it is better to be “greedy” and get a not very abundant harvest than to be “generous” and spoil the taste of the fruit.
5. Unsuitable neighbors
Experimental studies have shown that the taste of these vegetables is negatively affected by the proximity to certain plants. Eggplants, tomatoes, radishes, potatoes and ornamental pumpkins are not the best neighbors for zucchini. Instead, it is better to plant peas, onions, spinach and bush beans in the immediate vicinity of this crop.
If you plant a decorative pumpkin nearby, its pollen can fall on the zucchini and trigger the production of hormones, which, although they will not affect the quality of the fruit, will give its pulp a bitter taste.
It is better to keep unwanted neighbors at a respectful distance of 15 m from zucchini. If the size of the plot does not allow you to maintain the recommended boundaries, parthenocarpic plants will come to the rescue and self-pollinating varieties of squash.
The good news is that bitter squash is the exception rather than the rule. Follow all the recommendations for growing this vegetable, and you will never encounter this problem.
