The Beast

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    This zucchini plant in my garden is at least 5 feet tall, with two major stalks coming out of it. It produces an average of 2 full sized (6-inch) zucchini every day.

    Andrea Meyers, jenny.mack, and 1 other people added this photo to their favorites.

    1. quirkybags 48 months ago | reply

      Fabulous!

    2. brooklyn 48 months ago | reply

      I've never seem anything like it! Do you add compost to your soil?

    3. Elise Bauer 48 months ago | reply

      Yes on the compost, as well as a lot of chicken manure back in January to prep the soil.

    4. p.schiendelman 48 months ago | reply

      Whoa! That's HUGE. Do you ever make zucchini relish?

      My zucchinis aren't that big, but I have a tomato plant that's about that size. There are more than 150 blossoms on it, and I counted 30 small tomatoes tonight.

    5. Elise Bauer 48 months ago | reply

      I've never even heard of zucchini relish, but sounds like a great idea!

    6. PlantWithPurpose 48 months ago | reply

      Do the marigolds truly work as a natural pest deterrent? That's always my biggest battle with gardening, and I don't like using chemicals.

    7. Andrea Meyers 48 months ago | reply

      I have zucchini envy. You have The Beast, we have The Runts. For some reason they just aren't growing or producing this year, even with our homemade compost.

    8. Elise Bauer 48 months ago | reply

      Good question on the marigolds. I've been told that they help as a pest deterrent so I do have them planted here and there in the garden beds. As it turns out, I have very little pest damage. The zuke plant was getting a little aphid infestation, but I caught a lady bug and put it on the plant, she's been there ever since, feasting. I just saw a baby praying mantis on the dill yesterday which is a great sign. Haven't seen a single tomato worm yet, but I expect I'll see some of those soon enough.

    9. Elise Bauer 48 months ago | reply

      Hi Andrea - this plant really loves the raised bed. The seed is from my next door neighbor Pat who gets seeds from Burpee. Her zucchini is planted in the ground, not in a raised bed and it doesn't do nearly as well. Though she still gets the baseball bats. I've been watering every 3rd day, deeply with a soaker hose. And the soil was amended not only with compost, but with chicken manure back in January/February.

    10. kfarwell 48 months ago | reply

      Oh my gosh! I am SO jealous! It's been a great year for tomatoes in Austin, but my zucchini never took. It's my first year w/ a raised bed, so I'll try again next year. I'm totally inspired!

    11. p.schiendelman 48 months ago | reply

      This relish recipe is a good one: www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1636,128183-244195,00.html
      :)

    12. alexandtheweb 46 months ago | reply

      Wow! That is the mother of all zuke plants!

    13. getgln 37 months ago | reply

      OMG, I love the plant and the veggie tacos recipe in your blog. As we say in Mexico ñamñamñam...

    14. K.Luk 36 months ago | reply

      Amazing plant Elise! I got lots of small black insects on my zucchinis that look like black aphids on the plant. What is a good way to get rid of them without using chemicals?

      Thanks!
      Kelly

    15. Elise Bauer 36 months ago | reply

      I would buy some lady bugs at the local garden store and release them at night, right over your plant. Most of the aphids will be eaten by the morning and many of the ladybugs will stick around.

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