I adore home-grown courgettes. They lack that slightly bitter taste and spongy texture you can get with supermarket specimens. My first fruits were a bit late this year, as I’d delayed planting because of cold weather. They were well worth the wait.
This year I’m growing a couple of different varieties. One is rather straggly, but does crop phenomenally well. Its massive golden flowers are set against a backdrop of pure green leaves. Unfortunately I don’t know the variety name, as the packet is long gone! All I know is that the plant is a Seeds of Italy variety.
The other, ‘Midnight’, is a more of a ‘classic’ courgette shape; far more compact and healthy looking, but it does have slivery grey straight-edged markings on the leaves. At this time of year, I can pretty well guarantee that every time I come across a gaggle of gardeners I’ll be asked if these silvery markings are symptoms of mildew, and whether the plants should be sprayed.
I rather like the streaky appearance, but it does seem to cause a lot of unnecessary worry – and unnecessary spraying. It can be alarming when a plant doesn’t appear as you expect it to (think of those curious, rather unpleasant looking grey-brown patchy folds on the flower end of many beefsteak tomatoes). Features like this might be unexpected, but they’re quite normal. If the plant is cropping well, and seems to be in general good health, I ignore them!
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I am growing courgettes in the greenhouse for the first time this year. I’m not sure if this is a good idea – maybe they would be better outside but I don’t have much room. I was wondering, do they need all their leaves or can I remove some – they are taking over the bench.
I couldn’t agree more! If anybody hasn’t grown courgettes before I find them the most satisfying and easy vegetable to grow. I have been gardening for 3 only years.
In the past I have bought plants from a garden centre and they have grown briliantly. This year I took the plunge and grew from seed and they all grew! My friends were delighted with their courgette plant present.
I wouldn’t cut the leaves. Do you have a pot you could put them in? This works really well. You’d need quite a large one because you are right space is vital for courgette plants. They will be fine outside if you can find them a pot.
Pippa, we’ve given up courgettes on the allotment, but still have a few in the garden. I’m not sure of the varieties, but those remaining are what you describe as a more ‘classic’ form. The smallholding seeds were inherited from a previous owner; I’ve no idea what they were, but they added a little extra to the pub quiz when the various amusingly shaped surplus vegetables were passed around to other team members. Bring back “That’s Life” Esther.
Thanks, Sarah. I’ll put them in large heavy outer pots and move them outside.
I have tried growing cucumbers for the last 2 years with no success the leaves gradually get paler, does not produce any fruit and finally failes completely. I feed regularly with a tomato feed. What am I doing wrong?
Pippa
This year I’ve grown courgettes in the allotment and at home. Many in 8″ pots. I can’t grow enough as family and friends adored them last year. I find pot plants grow better left in a shady area in the morning where they can gradually warm during the rest of the day. Make sure there is a plastic bottle in a pot that can constantly drip water all day during a hot day – then you can’t go wrong.They’re also growing successfully in my herbaceous border nicely filling unwanted gaps.
I have 4 corgette plants in my green house, the leaves are huge and they are producing a lot of lovely yellow flowers, but no corgettes yet, when should I be starting to see some veg?? First timer
Thanks
Our courgette plant leaves are going yellow and some are drying out and dying. Should I cut these off? Can I stop this happening? We have a large number of courgette plants too close together, I’m wondering if I should remove every other one? thank you!
we only seem to have male flowers, no sign of any female ones at all
i HAVE OFTEN GROWN MARROWS BUT THIS YEAR THEY GET ABOUT FIVE INCHES LONG AND THEN GO ALL SOGGY AND DROP OFF. wHAT DO I DO PLEASE?
Having the same problem as Pams. Growing courgettes for the first time lots and lots of big yellow flowers but no sign of anything yet !!!! male and female flowers ??? help please
I’ve just pulled up my container grown courgettes – I had 2 fruits from 5 plants – no other female lowers!!
Anyone know what went wrong?
….apart from spelling mistake – thats FLOWERS not LOWERS…..
I plan to turn a lawn over to vegetable growing but heard that lawns will be infested with wire worm.If this the case what can I do to prevent them?
Give Courgettes time, epecially if they got a late start or a check. I live in the north east and grow the golden/yellow ones and although they only started cropping a couple of weeks ago, they have “accelerated” this last week. Going soggy at the ends suggests too much overhead moisture. Having said all that, my problem is with butternut squash – runners in excess of 3m (10ft in old money) but only getting male flowers. What is the secret to success for getting winter squash to fruit?