Zucchini Aeronaut with early ripening is characterized by compact size of the bushes, delicious pulp and the ability to bear fruit for 2 months. It can be grown in open ground, a greenhouse or a greenhouse, and not only in the garden, but also on an industrial scale. What you need to know about this variety, and how to properly approach its cultivation to obtain a good crop, we will find out further.
Zucchini Aeronaut
Zucchini Aeronaut is well transported over long distances
Zucchini Aeronaut is not afraid of cold weather
Grade description
Zucchini zucchini Aeronavt (Aeronavt) appeared about 3 thousand years ago in America. The fruits were mistakenly considered poisonous, so only seeds were eaten. In the middle of the 16th century, zucchini came to Europe, where it was grown as an ornamental plant for decorating flower beds. Only flowers were consumed.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the Aeronaut reached Italy, where he began to be used as a product for the preparation of everyday dishes. It is still considered one of the most popular varieties of zucchini, so its characteristics deserve special attention:
Parameter | Description |
Ripening time | The aeronaut belongs to the early ripening varieties, so the crop can be harvested on 40-45 days after the appearance of the first seedlings. The fruiting period lasts from late July to early August. |
Pollination | This zucchini is a self-pollinating variety, therefore, continues to bear fruit actively even during prolonged rains and in the absence of pollinating bees. |
Plant characteristics | This zucchini belongs to artisanal varieties, therefore it grows in bushes, which, when planted correctly, turn out to be stunted and compact. In height, they can reach 1 m. Bushes have a fairly short main shoot and a small number of lashes. They are covered with beautiful yellow flowers of the predominant female genus and large, spiny leaves with a small edge, under which there are sharp growths. This must be considered when harvesting, so as not to be injured. |
Fruiting method | Fruiting is carried out inside the bush, abundant bunch. The peculiarity of the Aeronaut is the vertical growth of fruits that seem to reach the sun and fall to the ground only under the weight of their own weight, when they reach biological maturity. Thanks to this development, the fruits are not invaded by slugs, since these pests do not manage to climb them through the rough stems. |
Fruit Characteristics | The plant produces fruits with the following characteristics:
Fruits with similar characteristics are not afraid of cold weather and perfectly tolerate transportation over long distances. |
Composition and benefits of fruits | The zucchini pulp contains about 5.2-7.0% solids with a sugar content of 2.5-5.4%. This means that the vegetable is good for diabetics and people who support the diet. Due to the content in high proportions of fiber and carotene, as well as vitamins A, B and C, it has the following properties:
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Application area | Zucchini Aeronaut is often consumed fresh, adding to vegetable salads. They also fry pancakes or cook roast with tomatoes and serve as a side dish. Fruits are suitable for canning only when chopped. When marinating, they do not manifest themselves in the best way, since they acquire a grassy taste, pronounced coarse fibers and a viscous structure. As for biologically overripe fruits, they can be used only as pet food. |
Disease and pest resistance | The variety has a high immunity to powdery mildew. In cool summers with little rainfall, the fruits do not need additional treatment for diseases and pests. |
Productivity | Subject to the right technology with 1 square. m beds for the entire fruiting period, you can collect up to 7-7.8 kg of fruit. From one bush per season you can get 25-30 zucchini. |
Growing Features | Aeronaut is suitable for growing in open ground and a greenhouse. The standard scheme for planting it is from 40x50 to 50x70 cm. The recommended intervals between plantings should not be reduced, since this will lead to a decrease in fruiting, even despite the compactness of the bushes. The plant does not differ in frost resistance, therefore its seedlings are sensitive to frost. However, at the same time, they do not need high temperatures for active growth. |
Aeronaut's zucchini seeds meet all the requirements of international standards and GOST RF 12260-81, since they do not contain genetically modified organisms.
Agricultural technology
To obtain an abundant zucchini crop before growing an Aeronaut, you need to determine the following agricultural rules:
- Landing method. Zucchini can be cultivated in two ways. The first involves the germination of seeds and further transplantation of seedlings in open ground, and the second - direct sowing directly into the soil. It is advisable to grow a crop by planting seeds in the soil if the soil temperature is + 10 ... + 13 ° C. Propagation by seedlings is relevant in regions that are characterized by frosts in late May and early June, and the summer itself is cool.
- Landing time. Seeds can be laid in the ground from April to May, but to get a faster crop and grow in the greenhouse, sowing can be done in March. If the variety is cultivated through seedlings, then the seeds can be sown in early May, so that in early June, seedlings with 2-4 leaves are transplanted to a permanent place.
- Site and soil selection. The best for cultivating this crop are considered sunny and windless areas with fertile and loose soils characterized by neutral acidity. Zucchini grows well on loamy and moderately fertilized soils. A good crop can also be obtained on structural chernozems. At the same time, the Aeronaut is indifferent to floodplain and moderately saline soils, but on acidic soils it grows poorly.
- Crop rotation. The best predecessors for zucchini are:
- root vegetables (beets, celery, radish, carrots);
- cabbage;
- onion;
- potatoes;
- corn or annual herbs.
An aeronaut should not be planted after other varieties of zucchini for 2 years. Other representatives of the Pumpkin family and beans cannot be its predecessors.
It is not recommended to grow zucchini near a pumpkin, since cross-pollination can lead to a deterioration in the quality of seed material.
Preparatory measures and planting a vegetable marrow
The Aeronaut variety is unpretentious to the growing conditions, but in order to get a good harvest, it is important to properly prepare the seeds and soil for planting, as well as correctly place the bushes on your site.
Soil enrichment
The site needs to be processed in the fall and spring, as well as immediately before planting the zucchini. This is a prerequisite for a significant reduction in the population of weeds and pests. Here are some work to do:
- In the middle of autumn, dig or plow the land: light gerbils to a depth of 21-25 cm, loams - 24-26 cm, and chernozems and floodplain lands - 25-27 cm.
- Before cultivation, make fermented manure of domestic animals at the rate of 4-6 kg per 1 sq. M in the soil. m. It can be replaced with plant compost in the same quantities. Of mineral fertilizers, fertilizing with a content of nitrogen and potassium (up to 60-80 g per 1 sq. M) is preferable. In areas with too acidic soils, it is not necessary to apply such fertilizers, but it is necessary to carry out artificial liming using wood ash or ash.
- In the spring, re-loosen the soil, but to a depth of no more than 15 cm. If fertilizers were not applied to the soil during autumn cultivation, then in the second quarter the plot should be fed at the rate of 10-15 g of superphosphate, 5-7 g of potassium salt and 7 g of ammonium sulfate per 1 sq. m
- Harvest chaffs with a rake to a depth of 10 cm. This procedure should be carried out 2 times - after the soil has dried and before planting. Thanks to this, you can immediately perform several tasks - to destroy the root systems of weeds that survived the winter, to preserve moisture in the soil and warm it well.
Light soils can be cultivated once before sowing and to a depth of not more than 6 cm.
Seed preparation
Before planting, it is required to properly prepare the planting material in order to test it for germination and stimulate active growth. To do this, you can use the following methods:
- select large and full-bodied seeds, which are soaked in warm water for a day and dried;
- germinate 10-20 seeds on wet tissue, and when microscopic shoots appear in 3-5 days, transplant them into the ground;
- the seeds can withstand a day in a 0.05-0.1% solution of potassium permanganate or 0.05% solution of boric acid, so that during germination they develop immunity to fungal and bacterial infections.
Planting seeds
If zucchini is grown in seedlings, the seeds need to be sown in separate pots, since this culture does not tolerate picking. As a nutritional composition, you can use a mixture of humus and peat. Before planting, it should be poured with warm water (20 ° C). In each cup, you need to throw 1 seed, and after planting, cover the soil with a film or glass until the first shoots appear.
In the process of growing seedlings need to be regularly moistened and kept in a warm bright place. After 20 days, it can be transplanted to a permanent place at the rate of not more than 13 bushes per 10 square meters. It is advisable to arrange the variety on a square basis, keeping between 40-50 cm between holes, and between 50-70 cm between rows.
If the seeds are immediately sown in open ground, then the planting pattern remains the same, but they need to be deepened by 5-7 cm in light soil and 3-5 cm in dense. The optimum temperature of the earth is 20 ° C. If it is not sufficiently moistened, previously it can be poured with warm water at the rate of 200-300 ml per well. Seed consumption - 4-6 g per 10 square meters. m or 3 pieces per furrow. After planting, the hole must be covered with earth and slightly compacted.
Landing care
For zucchini, you need to organize competent care, which consists in carrying out a number of agricultural activities. Particular attention should be paid to them from the moment the first seedlings appear. As a rule, the plant gives them 7-10 days after planting.
Watering
Zucchini Aeronaut is a hygrophilous plant, so drying out the soil has a bad effect on its productivity. At the same time, excessive accumulation of moisture in the fruits should not be allowed, as this will negatively affect their quality characteristics and reduce shelf life.
During the growing season, the plant needs to be watered three times - before the flowering stage, in the phase of the initial formation of the fruits, in the process of fruiting. You need to use warm, settled water, which during irrigation measures must be poured under the root of the plant. It grows in bushes, so there will be no difficulties. Watering is best done in the evening or in the morning.
Soil treatment
Throughout the growing season, it is necessary to weed a site 3-4 times to destroy weeds. It will be much easier to deal with them after the full formation of bushes.
The first hilling is preferably carried out 10-15 days after planting in order to ensure active development of the root system. It is equally important to carry out a light loosening of the soil once every 10 days. This procedure is best done a few hours after watering or rain.
When weeding and cultivating, one must act extremely carefully so as not to harm the roots of the plant, located almost on the surface of the soil.
Feeding and warming
During the growing season, zucchini should be fed several times, using nitrogen-containing preparations and organic fertilizers. The optimal feeding scheme is presented in the table:
No. of top dressing | Application Period | Composition |
1 | In the phase of the appearance of 2 true leaves | Infusion of cow manure (4 kg per 10 liters of water, insist 10 days) to make under the root of the plant at the rate of 0.5-1 per bush. |
2 | Primary bush formation | The same infusion is used as with the first feeding, but the solution can be fresh. |
3 | Bud formation and flowering | It is necessary to mix 10-15 g of ammonium sulfate, 10-20 g of superphosphate and 5-10 g of potassium salt for processing 1 sq. m beds. The composition can be used in conjunction with watering or sprayed around the plant. |
4 | Fruiting | In 10 l of water, stir 15 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium sulfate. Use with watering or after rain. |
When growing zucchini, you can’t add fresh manure to the wells, as this will lead to an excessive build-up of green mass in the plant and the development of numerous root diseases.
Attention should be paid to the temperature regime. The optimum temperature for the development of the fruit is + 18 .... + 22 ° C. If it drops below + 10 ° C, the planting should be covered with plastic wrap or the upper parts of plastic bottles to prevent damage to seedlings and leaves.
Thinning
In phase 2 of the first true leaves, thinning must be performed, leaving the strongest shoots. Extra sprouts must be carefully cut off above ground level, but not pulled out so as not to harm the general root system of the plant. It is not worth feeling sorry for weak specimens, since a stronger plant will not allow them to develop during growth.
As for pinching, it is not required for the squash Aeronaut, since the fruits are formed on the central trunk. Large leaves do not need to be removed, because they cope well with weeds, create a shadow for the roots and prevent them from drying out. The only intervention that is permissible is to remove leaves that begin to rot during irrigation.
Protection against diseases and pests
In the case of a mild summer with moderate rainfall, the plant does not need preventive treatment with chemicals. However, in wet weather, the fruit can be attacked by various parasites that will damage their thin skin, disrupt integrity and provoke rot. Get rid of them will help granules of metaldehyde, which must be placed around the bushes.
In wet weather, the plant may be affected by fungi. In the fight against them, the drug Fitosporin will help. It is a biological fungicide that is completely safe for humans and livestock.
In order to prevent the development of fungal diseases, in cloudy weather, it is necessary to timely remove pollinated rotted ovaries.
Harvesting
Fruits are considered suitable for eating when they reach a mass of about 1-1.3 kg and a length of 13-16 cm. With further development, they will begin to lose their taste, so they will either have to be disposed of or fed to pets.Thus, zucchini needs to be cleaned even before they overripe and, under the weight of their weight, fall to the ground. Their collection should be done regularly with an interval of 2-3 days.
Pros and cons of the variety
The positive properties of the zucchini Aeronaut should be highlighted:
- early ripening;
- active fruiting even in cool summers;
- relative frost resistance;
- compact bushes;
- the possibility of cultivation in open ground and greenhouses;
- excellent taste and marketability;
- high transportability.
As for the shortcomings of this zucchini, it can be noted the demand for timely watering and the short shelf life of the fruits.
Reviews
Sergey Trofimovich, 52 years old. I grow zucchini Aeronaut with great pleasure. Firstly, the seeds germinate well. Secondly, the fruits are juicy and fit perfectly into the diet of his wife. Separately, I note that the variety belongs to bush plants, so it takes up very little space on the bed. Given that I have limited space, this is an important criterion.
Galina Petrovna, 47 years old. The variety is very pleased with the yield - from one bush I get stably no less than 27 zucchini. I urge them to be collected on time, because when they mature, they become unfit for human consumption. I grow zucchini in open ground in late April - early May under a plastic wrap. I shoot it with the appearance of the first leaves, usually in June. The rest of the care for the plant is classic.
Karina Grigoryevna, 56 years old. I have diabetes, so far from everything I can eat, but Aeronaut squashes are an exception. I grow them myself every season and for several months I spoil myself with excellent light dishes. The variety is unpretentious in cultivation and is rarely exposed to pests. In the cool seasons, I cultivate through seedlings, but I got an excellent harvest even with direct sowing of seeds in open ground. I recommend to everyone.
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The characteristics and experience of growing an Aeronaut is described in the video below:
Zucchini Aeronaut is a compact and fruitful variety without lashes, which, thanks to its small size, can be grown even on the balcony. With the correct planting scheme and proper care of the plant from one bush, you can collect about 30 fruits. They are cold-resistant and resistant to diseases, they tolerate transportation well.