How's your courgettes?

[ruffmeister]

Hi peeps,

Just put our courgettes in this weekend, and have never grown them before although we do enjoy eating them. How are yours doing? are they in yet? hardening off? already cropping?

Here is a picture of ours - Courgette plants

is there anything we should be looking out for?

also this week down the plot we, transplanted the rest of the leeks and celery, mulched and weeded, and harvested the first full salads and strawberries. Also the full blooms of the sweet peas are out

Regards
Lottieblogs

[ruffmeister]

[caroline7758]

Mine were planted out last week. They look fine, but I'm a bit worried that the stems are splitting, hope they don't suddenly collapse. Was going to freecycle my excess plants, but think I'll hang on a bit longer just in case!

[asbean]

Ours are going great guns, got flowers with some baby courgettes.  If we get some rain and then warm weather again they'lll be ready to eat in no time  :P :P :P

[manicscousers]

2 of the all green bush are ready and two of the rond tondo are starting so, tomorrow, courgette omelettes  ;D

[Mrs Ava]

Picked 3 already from a variety that doesn't require pollination...can't remember the name...it is on my blog if anyone is interested.  Noticed today that there are 2 yellow ones forming.  Fingers crossed they will be ready for picking at the end of next week when mum is here to stay.

[tricia]

I've already picked two Parthenon (it's the expensive self pollinating one EJ) and one Gold Rush. The yellow Pattypan (seeds from Jeannine) has baby fruit on it so I'm hoping they will get pollinated either from other courgettes or from squash flowers.

Tricia

[miniroots]

I've just planted mine out too - they look pretty happy; let's hope the slugs don't get them while I'm on holiday!

[Buzz]

I sowed some way too early and lost them to the cold and wet. Their replacements are doing well though - planted out about 3 or 4 weeks ago and looking healthy and strong. Gold Rush has a female bud - I can see the courgette behind - just hope they get polinated okay.

[fossil hunter]

Done an experiment with mine. Planted 4 plants with 2L pop bottle with bottom cut off and top removed inserted into ground about 6" away from plant and 4 plants without bottles. Watered plants without bottle normally and filled bottle with water on the others.
What a difference in size of plants with bottles, they are over twice the size as the other ones.
I would recommend trying this out

[tomatoada]

This sounds great.   More info. please.  How often, and how much did you fill the bottles?

[fossil hunter]

Hi MB
I filled the bottles up to the top and watered every 2-3 days

[manicscousers]

yes, you can put the feed in there as well  :)

[tomatoada]

Any chance of a picture.

[fossil hunter]

sorry can't post a picture as i lost my camera in london week before last. :( :( ::)

[deboydoyd]

Just been and picked 5, Using the bottles this year, looking good and loads more ready soon!

[SueSteve]

My courgettes are doing well, some have baby fruit on.

This morning I was weeding the border in the front garden and discovered something that looks like a courgete/squash! Only has the first 2 leaves, so not 100% sure, the only thing I can think of is that they didnt compost fully so when we used the homemade compost they got planted!!

I am trying to pursuade dh to allow me to grow the squash in the front as we have run out of space, so I was amused when I made the discovery this morning!

Alternatively, maybe there is a flower that resembles the 2 first curcurbit leaves! I just mixed up a load of flower seed packets threw them on and raked lightly!! can't even remember what the seeds were!

[Raisedbed]

We've been eating Orelia courgettes and round pale green ones out of a Tri-colour variety twice a week for the last 3 weeks.  They were started off in the greenhouse and hauled in and out of the greenhouse in adverse conditions so they did get a bit of cosseting but it was worth it.  Growing them in a big tub with prepared manure mix added to the compost and I've just top-dressed with some more fertiliser.   Mind you I don't know how the Italians can eat those huge flowers deep fried in batter.   I keep having to jet wash the blackfly off mine.  Not sure how the pollination works with courgettes because I have pretty decent, if slender, courgettes with hardly a male flower in sight.

[ruffmeister]

cant wait to taste ours, everything else organic tastes so good i am waiting for the courgetes now.