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The average time from planting zucchini seeds to harvesting the first fruits is about 8 weeks. When the plant starts to grow in size even more rapidly than before and yellowish flowers start to appear, you should begin checking for harvestable fruits every day or two. There are many different varieties of zucchini, so check your seed packet or do some online research to get the typical harvest time for the variety you’re growing. The zucchini plant’s stems have prickly “hairs” all over them that can easily irritate bare skin. They can sometimes even embed into your skin like tiny splinters! To combat this, it’s best to cover your hands and lower arms when harvesting zucchini. Either wear long sleeves that meet your gardening gloves, or long gardening gloves that extend up your forearm. Even gigantic zucchini fruits can be easy to miss beneath the plant’s leaves. They’re also often the same color as the leaves and stems, meaning they often can hide in plain sight. A hidden zucchini fruit can grow up to 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm) in length and 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) in diameter. Fruits this large are edible, but have gigantic seeds, a mealy texture, and a bland flavor. The fruits of most zucchini varieties turn dark green when they’re ready to pick, but they can be other colors as well. Whatever the color, though, watch for it to deepen before harvesting.  The fruit should also be firm to the touch. If it feels rubbery, the fruit isn’t quite ready. If it feels squishy, it’s already starting to rot. Once picked, the best zucchini fruits feel rather heavy for their size due to the water content. Each fruit will be connected to the plant by a short stem. Take hand pruners or a knife and snip or cut the stem about 1 in (2.5 cm) past the fruit itself. Some people prefer to grab the fruit by the thicker end (opposite the stem) and twist it 90 to 180 degrees to snap the stem. However, you can easily snap off part of the fruit itself this way, and can sometimes inadvertently damage the plant. The fruit grows behind a yellow flower, which will usually be starting to wilt around the time the fruit is ready to pick. If you snip off the flowers a bit earlier—just as they start to open—the fruit will still grow and you can use the tender flowers in a salad. You can also find recipes for wilted (but not brown) zucchini flowers, including ones that mix them in a light batter for pan-frying.
Start checking for fruits about 50-60 days after planting. Wear sturdy gardening gloves and long sleeves. Check thoroughly under the plant’s large leaves. Look for fruits with a deep color and firm feel. Cut the fruits free at the stem instead of twisting them off. Harvest the zucchini flowers as well, if desired.