Topic: Has anyone planted their courgettes outside?

[Eristic]

I think that a good gardener is someone that knows the risks, the consequences and the rewards. If the plants are surplus to vital requirements there can be great rewards from taking a chance with early planting. Newcomers should err on the side of caution to avoid dissapointment as should anyone trying to grow anything rare or expensive.

[kt.]

Not sown yet. Still in packets. Was hoping to get them sown this weekend.

[grawrc]

Mine are just showing through the compost. Probably 5 weeks before they go outside.

[redimp]

Mine were sown tonight - both summer and winter squashes. Not all, will probably sow a few more once these have poked their heads up.

[lin]

I am in Manchester and as it has been so mild, I have put four of my lot of courgettes out but covered them with plastic half containers so they have some protection. I have also put some pumpkins out too...

.... will wait another couple of weeks and put the next lot in, am testing to see if they will survive and how they grow.

Have done the same with leeks planted loads indoors and they are about 3" high now and ready to plant into separate pots and I also planted some out direct on the plot at the same time (month or so ago) and they are just showing their tips now. Linda

[gary]

Yes but when jeannine says they are under a cloche, what she really means is a baby Polly tunnel, and even that is being unfair. I'd camp under it if it was not see through!

Gary

[Suzanne]

I have a cold frame and windowsills, at the moment they are occupied by my tom plants, so squash do not get sown until I get my temp cold frames in place to take the tomato plants. And then I have to wait until early May to sow corgette and squash otherwise we don't get to see out of the windows as they grow so quickly!

[tim]

I DO hope that the early birds will report back on progress in June - it would be of great interest.

[legless]

just sown mine as they haven't got anywhere to go for about 6 weeks, but i'll be watching this thread with interest, how exciting all this gardening on the edge.

[Garjan]

My courgettes just popped up.
But I did put some melon plants of an unknown variety outside last weekend, but under glass.

The seeds I collected from a fruit I really liked last summer, so they were free.
And the seedlings became too big and a bit leggy. So I reckoned that as they might die at the window sill if I left them there, it would be beter to plant them outside and hope they survive and benefit from a long growing period.

The weather has been fine, upto 24C. No frost expected in the Netherlands for the coming week, at least.
I will report back.

[daisymay]

Blimey you are all eager this year aren't you, just been reading about the beans going outside too.....

having been caught out by a frost at end of May / early June for the past 2 years, I will be sowing mine May Day Bank holiday weekend and hardening off in green house to go out 5 - 6 weeks later....

Not fooled by all this glorious April weather!

[allaboutliverpool]

I am amazed by the range of temperatures throughout this country, once again it supports my view that a more detailed guide to planting times is need.
After mentioning that the lowest temp in May last year was 6.5C, I can reveal that the lowest temperature one night, here on the Mersey Riviera in June 2006 was 11.5C.

The last frost this year was the 21st of March. The lowest temperature all winter was -1C on 6th and 7th Feb, the only days in the whole winter when the temperature dropped below 0C.

[pigeonseed]

some people said they'll sow courgettes in May - I agree squash-family members are quite good late crops.

A couple of years ago I sowed them late just because of general disorganisation. But in late summer they handily went into the spaces vacated by early crops, and I still got quite a good crop off them, until the weather turned in late October.

[Somersetlad]

Well as a newcomer I seem to have out flanked you all and taken an - unintentional - hari kiri approach.

I planted out five courgette plants in early March! So far one has been taken out by slugs, whilst another is looking in a sorry state. The remaining three were stunned in late March but are now recovering, with one looking quite healthy.

I've just put another set of seedlings in the windowsill, so will see how they progress and plant them out in May. It will be interesting to see which sets do best, and whether the stunned three recover to put in any kind of performance or just get overtaken by the new set.

I'm in a very sunny spot in a sheltered garden in South London, so I think I'm less liable to cold snaps than others. But even so I now realise I was jumping the gun a bit..

I put out some runner beans last weekend - was that a daft thing to do?

[mc55]

mine just germinated this week.

Growing tri-colour balls (pale green, dark green & yellow), but the seeds were all in the same packet and I don't know how to tell which is which - any ideas ?  I sowed all the seeds (x 8) and so far they look identical.

[Barnowl]

I put out some runner beans last weekend - was that a daft thing to do?

I'm in London as well. We had some late frost last year and runners really hate frosts - if hit they won't recover.  but you can always start again.

I'd keep an eye on the forecast and fleece them up if things look frosty.

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/frostrisk.asp

[SueSteve]

I have 30 plants sat in pots off the ground on a wooden table, against the house facing south, they have been outside for 2 weeks now. I do cover them with fleece at night. Best I could do as no more room indoors! They seem to be fine, one has a funny yellow rust like stain on a single laf, is this a problem?
Sue

[Garjan]

That was reckless, Somersetlad.
But I did something similar last year with melon seedlings. I lost three out of four, but then put a glass bell cloche over the remaining one. Took it off when the leaves started to touch the glass.
I ended up surprising my neighbour -  who had informed me about the impossibility of growing melons outside - with three fully grown melons!

As I am not at all reckless in everyday life, the allotment certainly brings out some of the darker sides of me.

[allaboutliverpool]

 I have analysed the responses to my question and the answers are as follows

Not sown seeds yet:  10
Sown seeds recently:   5
Sown, showing:           6
Potted on:                    5
Planted out:                 4
The cautious are outnumbered by the adventurous, but who will have the last laugh?

I hope to follow this up as the weeks progress,

Keep posting, I am going to record this on my site, as I am determined to rewrite the planting guides.

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

[kitten]

Well, here's my courgette plant update.... (well, you said keep posting  :D )

All germinated in about 5 - 7 days, and they seem to be growing before our very eyes, every time i turn around they're bigger than when i last looked lol  :o  I've uncovered them, and will pot on once they're a bit bigger (can you tell i've no idea what the heck i'm doing...)  ;D