Reasons for Pruning
Zucchini pruning chores can be as simple as tearing off part of an insect egg infestation or as drastic as cutting off several stems and leaves. A heavily pruned zucchini plant loses much of its original beauty, but gains other rewarding benefits. Important reasons for pruning zucchini plants are:
- Removal of insect eggs
- Removal of diseased leaves or stems
- Improving air flow to plants
- Giving other plants room to grow
How to Prune
Pruning diseased or insect-infested leaves and stems seem like a wise task to perform, but pruning healthy zucchini parts can cause a bit of new gardener anxiety. Experienced zucchini growers know that proper pruning will benefit the plant in many ways.
Pruning should not begin until after four to six zucchini fruits have grown on the plant. Each plant will have unique pruning needs. Evaluate the needs and prune by following these guidelines:
- Diseased, dead, or insect-chewed leaves should be removed.
- Using a sharp knife or shears, cut off entire stalks that appear dead or damaged. One inch or more of the cut stalk should remain at the base of the plant.
- The largest and outermost leaves should be cut off only when there is no squash growing directly beneath the leaves.
- Low-growing stalks and leaves should be removed. This will help improve air circulation around the plant.
- After removing diseased, insect-infested, and low-growing plant parts, evaluate the plant. Cut off any stalks and leaves that are invading another plant’s space.
- When pruning, cut off only stalks that have no fruit growing on them.
Precautions when Pruning
Removing any zucchini plant part, including the fruit, should only be done with a sharp implement such as a knife or shears. Using dull tools for pruning may injure the plant. Twisting the stalks or leaves off may do even greater damage. Disinfect pruning tools between use to prevent diseases from entering freshly cut plant parts.
Determining how many leaves and flowers to prune from a zucchini plant may be the most difficult part of pruning. If too many plant parts are removed, the vitality of the plant will be reduced. Removing too many leaves may hinder the photosynthesis process. Removing too many flowers will hinder fruit set.
