Harvest guide

Zucchini harvest guide: when to pick and how much to expect

Zucchini (courgettes) are famous for overproducing. Picking small and often is the trick, and logging each harvest shows just how much one plant really gives.

Days to harvest: 55–65 days from sowing(Montana State University Extension)
Harvest months: July–October(RHS)
Typical yield: 9.1 kg per 3 m row (20 lb per 10 ft)(Montana State University Extension)
Spacing: 90 cm (36 in) apart(RHS)
Family: Cucurbitaceae (gourd family)
Botanical name: Cucurbita pepo

Zucchini planting and harvest calendar

Sow April–June. Harvest July–October.(RHS)

Zucchini season timeline

Sow
Harvest

Months are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate, based on RHS (UK) guidance. Shift them earlier or later to match your own frost dates, or by about six months in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sow
Harvest

When to harvest zucchini

Harvest while small and tender, at roughly 10–15 cm (4–6 in) long.(University of Minnesota Extension)
The flowers are edible too. Pick male flowers, the ones without a tiny fruit behind them, so you don't lose fruit.(RHS)

How often to pick

Pick regularly while the fruit is still small. That keeps the plant cropping for longer.(RHS)

How many zucchini to expect

A 3 m (10 ft) row typically gives about 9.1 kg (20 lb). Figure for summer squash.(Montana State University Extension)

Yields vary with variety, weather, soil and care. Treat these as ballpark figures, not targets.

Plan for your family

For 4 people eating zucchini fresh, plan on about 8–12 hills (small groups of plants)(University of Missouri Extension).

See the full planting-per-person guide →

Storing your zucchini

Keep zucchini somewhere cool, around 13 °C (55 °F), in a perforated bag, and don't leave them in the fridge for more than about four days.(University of Minnesota Extension)
Expect them to keep for about a week.(University of Minnesota Extension)

Track it

Log every zucchini harvest

Harvest Journal is a private garden journal for your phone. Tap to log each picking of zucchini by weight or count, and see your season add up, with no account needed.

Prefer paper? Make a free harvest report PDF in your browser, with no account needed.

Zucchini harvest FAQ

How big should zucchini be when picked?

Small. The RHS recommends picking at about 10–12.5 cm (4–5 in), and University of Minnesota Extension gives 4 to 6 inches. Larger fruit is edible but less tender, and it slows the plant down.