Topic: Courgette from seed

[worldor]

Can anyone help? I sowed four courgette seeds and was amazed at how quickly they germinated and how big they were. I transferred them to larger pots and they all keeled over and died.
I have now sown four more and got them to the same stage, about six inches high (leaning over) and with proper leaves forming. What now? I don't want to lose them again.

[jennym]

To be honest unless you can keep them indoors or somewhere with a bit of warmth, you might have to sow again. Here, will be sowing courgette around Mid May and planting out probably at end of May. They grow so quickly, it's hard to keep them going in pots, even big ones. If you do have a go, (from bitter experience  ;D) I know they don't like their stems being wet, they don't like the cold, and when small they don't like a draught either.

[cambourne7]

I am starting mine on sunday in a peat pot but i dont plan on bring up to site for another 3 weeks.

I will start my second variaty 2 weeks after sowing the first to try and delay gluts.

[allaboutliverpool]

Put your plants out in a frame if you have one, but immediately plant some more seeds.
Success will depend on the weather and if we have a cold, wet April, you will have some poor plants.
I have found over the last 40 years that early plantings tend to grow slowly and late ones romp along, so that an early sowing 4 weeks before a later one crops 2 weeks earlier (or not at all).
See my experience unfold on-

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_courgettes.html

[Jeannine]

Mine are started in individual jiffies in a warm greenhouse, transplanted to 3 inch pots when they have 1 true leaf, they are potted on again to eight inch pots when they are about 10 inches tall, then into the cold greenhouse if the weather is good they would go out from those during May, if the weather is poor they sometimes get moved to a bigger pot still but that is unusual, they like to keep moving.Seed to ground my squash are in pots 6-8 weeks and go out in the warm as small bushes. It is not easy to maintain this sometimes but to get some of the very large squash I grow in good numbers as I do the same with my winter squash.

XX Jeannine

[potterfanpete]

Mine have been in a pot next to the patio window, and I now have 3 tiny seedlings! I'll be moving them outside to do so they won't go leggy (into the greenhouse actually). I have watered mine with cheshunt compound, to help prevent damping off, so this should help. I would think they need to be kept well ventilated so that they don't get mildew as well...

[bennettsleg]

They aren'e great fnas of being moved, either, so this may have contributed to their popping off.

I have found that they can be potted on carefully, with no root damage allowed, and thrive.  To help them get good root systems going for when they're bigger they also get buried right up to thier leaves.

After last year's Traditional Newbie Error in The Face of Success we had courgettes coming out of our ears.  This year I wasn't going to start until May and only then do two at a time, one of which is expected to die - depending on the time of the season, some of them may be encouraged to!

[Jeannine]

I have never had a problem with moving them but they do grow quickly and easily out grow their pot , I doubt they would enjoy a move then  which is why I think it is very important to keep ahead of them. If you cannot do this then I would plant later.XX Jeannine

[manicscousers]

we plant ours in a fibre pot, that way, they don't get moved, just planted on a small mound..no neck rot  ;D

[miniroots]

Cheshunt compound keeps coming up - but I can't find any.

Where can you get it?

It's a bit of a trek to a decent garden centre...

[Mrs greenjeans]

As transplanted Yank, and a midwesterner at that, I'm growing lots of different squashes -- butternut, patty pan, spaghetti, pumpkins. 

I've started all these now and carefully pot them on, but the courgettes I tried last year (im only on yr2 of lottie) were a gift. I assumed I wouldn't start them until later because I had a vague idea they'd grow like weeds...

are they really any different from other squashes?xa