Did you know zucchini can be staked and pruned, just like a tomato plant?

It's probably not the first way people think to grow zucchini. I'd guess that most of us just let the leaves sprawl across our garden bed because summer squash, unlike their winter squash cousins, don't grow long, trailing vines that can climb up a trellis—but they also don't stay that small, even the ones labeled as "bush" or "compact."

So you've got this plant that takes up at least 3 feet of space—if not more—and meanwhile, it grows so dense that it's easy to miss a zucchini before it gets gigantic.

(Always loved this meme. 😆👇)

Several years ago, I had more transplants than garden space so I needed to find a way to squeeze in all the plants without sacrificing production or inviting diseases. I decided to try staking and pruning my "compact" zucchini, and couldn't believe how much easier it made things!

I didn't have any damaged leaves, everything grew up and off the ground, the zucchini were easy to see, and better yet—I was able to grow other squash and melons on either side of my zucchini, and radishes underneath it. The zucchini only needed 1 square foot of space!

So if you want to grow summer squash without the plant taking over your whole bed, this is one method worth giving a try this summer.

Seasonal tips

How to Prune Tomato Plants for Maximum Production (and Why I Don't Remove Suckers) Read more

How to Prune Perennial Herbs So They Grow Faster and Fuller Read more

How to Plant a Three Sisters Garden: The Original Companion Plants Read more

Heat-Tolerant Vegetables and Herbs You Can Grow All Summer Long Read more

Got a Late Start in the Garden? It's Never Too Late! Read more

The Best Way to Transplant Supermarket "Living Herbs" Read more

Sales to keep an eye on ⚡️

It's a holiday weekend, and some of my favorite garden sites have sales going on right now:

• ​Peaceful Valley - 20% off sitewide through May 25. I'm stocking up on seeds to plant this summer for my fall garden. (You can get a packet for as low as $2.40 with lots of seeds.)
• ​Territorial Seed - 50% off select seeds! Another great place to stock up. Some packets are as low as $1.58.
• ​Eden Brothers - Up to 60% off sitewide. If you need flower seeds or bulbs, this is my favorite place to get them.
• ​Nature Hills - Up to 35% off ground covers, shrubs, and trees.
• ​FastGrowingTrees - Get 25% off everything with code EXTRA25 (+ up to 60% off sitewide). I've ordered several healthy fruit trees from this site.
• ​Vego Garden - Up to 35% off raised bed kits, rolling planters, trellises, greenhouses, potting benches, and retractable hoses.

P.S. Short on space? You can grow zucchini vertically by staking and pruning it. Here's how I do it.​