Topic: Courgettes I am getting excited.

[Digeroo]

My first courgette is now half an inch long.   Not long before I can get the butter sizzling in the pan and have half a mouthful. ;D

[lottiedolly]

I am also jumping up and down in excitement as i have a couple of babies on myplants, :o  8)  ;D

[Borlotti]

And in a couple of months, you will have neighbours putting notes on the door saying 'please, NO MORE COURGETTES'. I can't wait either, to pick and eat and cook is the best time.

[Mrs Gumboot]

Just had to resow mine as they don't seem to have survived the planting. One stem got twisted around at the time, although I've no idea how, & the other's since been broken by clumsiness.  >:(

They'll just have to get a move on now. At least I won't have so many that the neighbours fall out with me  ::)

[Karen Atkinson]

Gosh..where are you all??  I am in the cold NE (UK) and daren't put mine out yet..our last average frost is recorded as 6th June around here  :(

[PeterVV]

Mine are still in pots, might risk one this weekend, have a squash in already, but am pampering it...

[antipodes]

This year I am being the bravest ever- only had one in a pot which is now doing quite well in a corner, well mulched with straw, the others, I have only sowed them in the last fortnight!   Last year direct sowed did so much better that I am chancing it again this year. But of course here it is pretty warm...

[Debs]

Where are you all indeed.

Same as you spudcounter - in the cold NE and I foolishly left mine in an unheated g'house & lost them so am re-sowing this weekend

Debs

[1066]

Yes where are you and what are you doing! Mine have just gone out onto the patio to harden off, so a while yet for me!

[Morris]

I have the first opened female flower today, and lots more coming on my 3 plants. Should have fruit soon ;D

This year I decided to sow courgettes very early and bring them on in the greenhouse. They were then planted out in a sunny sheltered position in large pots. I have two kinds of summer squash (which I prefer) still in modules in the greenhouse as usual to go into the ground later when the nights are warmer. I will probably chuck the courgettes in pots when they get tired, but by then hopefully will be overladen with squash.

For an experiment, I couldn't have picked a better year!!  ;D

PS I am in North Hampshire.

[schmelda]

My courgette and squash plants haven't survived being potted on.  I don't understand it - they'd normally be massive plants by now, and I'd be itching to get them out of the spare room!

I've already had to replant my butternnuts.  My carnivals finally decided they wouldn't make it this week, and the marrows died a couple of weeks ago.  The courgettes are still battling to survive - bigger leaves are shrivelling, but there is new growth.  Hopefully a new batch will survive better  :'(

[Digeroo]

I do not pot on Courgettes, they get chitted in kitchen roll on the radiator and then it is into 500 ml yoghurt pots once the leaf is more of less out of the seed if they are stuck to the paper they get that in the pot as well.  From there it is straight into the ground.

They are growing in a trench with a large pile of soil to the NW.  The year before last I had a huge deep rut formed by tractor wheels and they did extremely well at the bottom, so I have reproduced it.  Next year I intent to have a potato row on the NW side to keep them out of the wind. 

Very cold last night I am worried that may have set them back a bit.

[Lottiman]

I thought this year i had really done it and put them in to early even though there in the green house as they were getting huge but i kept potting on and eventually had to put them out on the plot about 3 weeks ago, covered them with fleece when frost threatened there are courgettes 4 inches long so maybe a couple of days it will be cooking time i cant wait  ;D ;D ;D

[pigeonseed]

That sounds very interesting solution to cold wind, digeroo.

I've been hardening off and planting my squashes and courgettes out for about three weeks now. The weather has been so hot and sunny, they're so far ahead of last year. But they need sheltering from the wind.

I was excited to see the first tiny flower buds forming the other day, so I'm amazed people have courgettes already!  :o