Topic: Bushy courgettes.

[cazy]

I have masses of leaves on my courgettes, so many that some of the fruits have  yellow bits.  Is it al right to remove some of the leaves so they can ripen properly and if so how many and from whereabouts on the plant.  Tomatoes are a bit overcrowded as well but I know that can be done. 

[artichoke]

If it's any help, I often remove overlarge leaves that are swamping other things and it doesn't seem to matter.

[cazy]

Thanks artichoke, I will remove some of the big ones, they've spread out all over the path anyway.

[Trevor_D]

I've never removed courgette leaves before.

It's quite common - especially in a rather cool & cloudy early summer like this - for the first fruits to suffer. As courgettes proliferate a bit like a hyper-active triffid when the conditions are right, I think I'd be more inclined to cut off the yellow fruit and bin them, then wait/pray for better weather.

They keep producing till the first hard frost. I've never encountered a shortage of courgettes!

[ceres]

I think it might depend on the variety too.  I bought two different varieties at our plant sale.  One, Tahini (a blackish fruit), is producing an average quantity of leaves and the fruits are coming through steadily.  The other (an unnamed striped variety) is bidding for world domination with loooooong stalked leaves and few fruit yet.

[Duke Ellington]

Cazy ~who painted the picture on your shed its great !!

Duke :)

[cazy]

Thanks Duke, my son Matt painted it.
I've taken a few leaves of the bottom and the plants don't seam to have suffered, they were over the path and had been trodden on anyway.  The fruits are now all growing green, probably was the weather. 
I've a few flowers on stalks, are these male and should I remove them?.  Didn't happen last year but I'm only my second year as an 'edible plant' grower so I am very grateful for your responses.

[saddad]

Ceres... if the stripy one has pronounced ridges along the courgette it sounds like Romanesco...  :-\

[cazy]

No stripes or ridges saddad, not on the courgettes but you should see my cucumbers., spiky ridges and very bitter.  I'm thinking of pickling them.

[ceres]

I'll have a proper look tomorrow saddad and report back!

[OllieC]

I've a few flowers on stalks, are these male and should I remove them?.

Yes they're male, no don't remove them!

[cazy]

Thank you OllieC.  I have removed a few but I will leave them from now on.  Have to ask, why should I not remove them and how come I didn't get any last year, different variety?

[OllieC]

You need them to pollinate the females. Are you sure you didn't have any last year?

[ceres]

Saddad, the pale stripes are ridged like you say, so Romanesco then.  Thanks, another mystery solved!