Pruning zucchini puts me in mind of the catchy seven beats that tap out “Shave and a haircut…” and then the response, “Two bits!”
The knocking pattern for gags originated in vaudeville, but younger folks may know it from Bugs Bunny cartoons or the movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”
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Cutting back an overgrown or sickly zucchini plant takes about as long as those seven notes, and costs even less than “two bits,” which is 25 cents.
Trimming a few leaves or stalks can provide benefits from increased air circulation to more fruits and healthier plants, but only when you prune zucchini at the best time and using the proper technique.
In this guide, I’ll share how to tell if you need to trim your zucchini, and how to complete the chore if it’s necessary. Here’s the lineup:
Reasons You May Need to PruneFor some homegrown fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes and kiwi, pruning is an absolute necessity if you want to enjoy the best yield and the healthiest plants.
With zucchini, though, pruning is typically optional.
The vining varieties can benefit most from a trim of a few leaves, but only if they’re taking up too much space or starting to shade neighboring plants that require full sun.
Most zucchini you’ll commonly see sold as bedding plants or in seed catalogs are bush varieties, not vining.
A few that do trail include ‘Raven,’ ‘Grey Griller,’ and ‘Zucchetta Rampicante-Tromboncino,’ which can all grow to about five feet long or tall.
These types may need trimming to contain their sprawl, but you’ll lose some of the fruits if you do cut them back, so there’s a tradeoff.
There are different
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