AMAZING!!!!

I started them from seed under just plain ole 4' flourescent lights ummm.......March (the third week to be exact)! I put them outside......the last week of April! I was being DARING but figured they are in my raised bed (2'x8', 12" deep) so I could toss a sheet over them if frost was a factor!

In my raised beds I used: 12 bags normal top soil, 5 bags manure compost, and one bundle of peat moss! It was only like 50.00 for me to fill them! I use NO Miracle grow or anything!!! I put coffee grounds in the tomatoes which are sharing the same bed???!!!!

I am just outside the city 5 miles -Minneapolis, MN and our last frost we had was like....mid-April or early April! They say we are close to being able to plant like zone 5 now! So.....my tomatoes are like 4' tall already and look at the zukes! I even have cucumbers starting too!

I KNOW...I too was shocked! I have one other zuk plant in my regular flower beds and they too have tons of flowers but no fruit like this one!

The tomato plants in my reg. flower beds are only 1/2 the size of the ones in my raised beds too!!! I am telling you..... Menard's top soil, manure and peat is the trick!!! AND grass clippings for mulch around the plants of course! I have only watered my raised beds (all 2 of them) twice since putting them up in April! It is amazing!!!!!

Also..here is a funny.....the zuk seeds were just from the 10 for $1.00 sale at Walgreens (in March)! All the seeds germinated and I kept two plants and passed on the rest to fam.! They were not even expensive seeds! Funny!!!

So......Bah-humbug on expensive "soils" and fertilizers! I guess I found the trick! Are zuks suppose to be acid loving like tomatoes??? I add my 1/2 cup coffee grounds 3-4 times per week! They are loving it!
Bec

What do you mean about nearly zone 5? Is that some sort of global warming thing? I know this year's been very good weather so far for the crops, what with no sneaky last minute frost to deal with.