If the fruit feels mushy, it’s probably rotting and should be discarded. Fruit should also be dark green (yellow or white depending upon the variety) and firm. If you find that you and yours are drowning in more zucchini than can be reasonably used, leave a few fruit on the plant to slow down production. If you pick often, fruit production is hastened, which may or may not be a good thing. That said, if you leave the fruit on too long, the seeds and rind harden, making it unpalatable. Some cultivars have fruit that is still edible at up to a foot (31 cm.) long. Ideally, zucchini squash harvesting will commence when you have fruit that is 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm.) long. In fact, harvesting and storing zucchini at the proper time and conditions will undoubtedly provide ample fruit for not only your family but your friends and extended family as well! So when is zucchini ready to pick? How and When to Harvest Zucchini

Trust me, one healthy plant will produce more than enough fruit for most small families. The plants produce both male and female flowers, making it a perfect squash to grow for those with limited space, as the plant does not need another to set fruit. Generally, when picking zucchini plants, you are looking for smaller, tender fruits that are sweet and mild. The mammoth fruit tends to become stringy on the inside with a tough exterior. That’s why vigilant zucchini plant picking is so important. Hence, one minute you have tiny zucchini and seemingly in the next, gargantuan fruit. These large leaves provide shade to the fruit but also tend to play “hide n’ seek” with it. Zucchini grows on a bushy, non-vining plant with large, dark green leaves peppered with silvery grey streaks. It was then “discovered” by European explorers and introduced into their countries of origin. Zucchini is a summer squash, a member of the Cucurbita family amongst which melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, and gourds also reside.

Growing blackjack zucchini