The #1 Mistake Zucchini Growers Make

If you’ve ever watched your zucchini plants start strong and then suddenly collapse mid-season—leaves covered in white fuzz or fruit rotting before it grows—you’re not alone. The biggest mistake most home gardeners make with zucchini is simple: they plant too close together.

That’s it. Not spacing them properly.

Zucchini needs room. And not just for the leaves to sprawl—though they will—but for air to move and pollinators to do their job. When plants are packed too tightly, two major problems creep in:

1. Powdery Mildew

You’ll recognize it as that white, dusty coating on leaves. It starts small and spreads fast. The cause? Poor air circulation. When zucchini leaves don’t have space to dry out after morning dew or rain, mildew thrives. It doesn’t kill your plants right away, but it weakens them, slows growth, and cuts your harvest short.

Fix it: Give each plant at least 3 feet of breathing room. Yes, really—3 feet. That might mean fewer plants in your garden, but trust me, healthy plants produce more than crowded, stressed ones.

2. Poor Pollination

Zucchini plants have separate male and female flowers. Bees need to move pollen from one to the other. But if your garden is a leafy jungle, pollinators can’t get in easily—or they skip your zucchini altogether. That’s when you get misshapen or shriveled fruit.

Fix it: More space means bees can find the flowers. Also, don’t be afraid to hand-pollinate. Just take a male flower, peel back the petals, and dab the pollen onto the center of the female flower (the one with a little baby zucchini behind it).

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Bonus Tips:

• Water at the base of the plant in the morning. Wet leaves = fungus magnet.
• Mulch around the roots to hold moisture and reduce weeds.
• Cut off diseased leaves as soon as you spot them—don’t wait.

Zucchini is a generous plant when it’s happy. Get the spacing right, keep the air flowing, and help the bees out. You’ll be swimming in zucchini by midsummer—without the frustration.

Your plants will be healthier. Your harvests will be bigger. And best of all, you’ll avoid the #1 mistake most growers make.