it,s the first time i,v grown them, a few days ago there was a wilting flower then today i saw it 3 inches long and a bit skinny i,v left it till tomorrow have i done the right thing? i,v heard they turn into marrows really quick but not that quick surely
marg
not yet, marg..they can grow quite quickly later on..we pick them whan they're about 6"long, they're much crisper and tastier then :)
I've picked a few cos I knew they hadn't been pollinated & they would rot so I got em quick & ate em. As manics says they are nicer if they have pollinated and grown a bit bigger - crisper & with more taste.
Exciting though - the first courgette of the season. :)
I have been picking them regularly already, even though they are only a couple of inches, I like to eat them raw when they are tiny, they are delicious in salads and no matter how many you pick, they just keep on coming!!
Lin
Haven't even got a flower yet!
neither have I Tim but never grown them before so maybe me ???
I have them in the green house is this the best place for them?
6 of mine are on the lottie and have had 2 flowers (will keep an eye on them getting to pickable size). I have another 4 in the border at home, LOADS of buds forming.
I think I may get a glut !! Yipee !!!! The office are primed and ready with carrier bags.
;D
No flowers here either yet, but loads of buds forming. Ours are going into the lottie tomorrow - finally some progress ::) ;D
Ate my first 2 last night, first time we have grown them, surprisingly tasty in a tomato, onion and garlic sauce.
No flowers here yet either - but then I was a bit late with the seeds this year. Hopefully the plants will catch up before it gets too dry and hot here for producing.
Quote from: kitten on June 02, 2007, 08:47:17
No flowers here either yet, but loads of buds forming. Ours are going into the lottie tomorrow - finally some progress ::) ;D
Just been out to check and we do have some embryo fruit & flowers on the Denise's (courgette de nice a fruit rond)!!! Yippee, i loves courgettes me ;D
We have flowers but none actually growing yet. :P
Think you might have slightly overdone it with the courgettes KP, they say that one plant is enough to feed a family for the season, looks like you'll be feeding the whole street with TEN!!! ;)
(http://img116.exs.cx/img116/1231/z7shysterical.gif)
erm, yes, I know ! I didn't expect them ALL to germinate and grow did I now. I actually gave some away as well ! My expected glut didn't happen last year and I think I over compensated a bit ! ::)
I've got people standing by at work, carrier bags at the ready !
;D
could not get up there today :'( but do not think it is pollinated as none of the other flowers were out tho i suppose a bee could have found another plant somewhere i have some different ones coming on that i received in a seed swap
(black hole i call a memory might come up with a name one day) so if you read this
thankyou again :-[
marg
My first born.
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l198/missusKP/9979edc9.jpg)
The OH thinks I've moved up to the lottie permanently. I only come home to shower !
;D
this is a good size to pick them.
Roast with with the flower still on and stuffed.
the pic is deceptive Cam, it's only about 2" long ! I was thinking of picking and munching. ;D
Is it my monitor, or do you have purple soil ? ;D
purple soil with blue spots :)
My fave colour is purple, I have it EVERYWHERE. The blue spots are a bonus !
Sets of the yellow flower nicely don't you think ?
:P
We would have had a courgette if it hadn't have been for the frost. I am quite sure that by the end of the year I wll have eaten that many that I won't ever want to see another one. I think it could be compared to having babbies. At the time you say never again but the memory fades and off you go again making more of the little perishers.lol
mmm getting a tad worried now. I have planted 18 courgette plants. Am I guessing I will be feeding the whole town!!!
I thought i would only get a couple off of each. TBH I am still in shock that I got anything from the seeds..really didn't think it could be that easy.
Oh well will wait and see if any actually grow.
(http://img116.exs.cx/img116/1231/z7shysterical.gif) 18 !
how many are there in your family ? do you like your friends .... more to the point, how much do they like you ?
(http://img116.exs.cx/img116/1231/z7shysterical.gif)
Only 5 of us and the kids hate courgettes ;D
My friends and the whole road will be getting them I guess!
Wonder if tesco's need a supplier :P
I'll learn ???
I said last year that I was down sizing. It's got to a ridiculous state this year both with flowers and veggies.
I'm trying to find room for an extra freezer in the house for all the beans and courgettes that I hope will happen.
It's an addiciton. ;D
Comes the time when you're spending more time trying to pass the things off around the village than looking after your plants!
When you reckon that one plant can produce 60 fruit, EIGHTEEN??
Too late to relearn the lesson this year, but there IS such a thing as CONTINUITY!!
I've got mine in two batches tim, so I have learned something !
;D
All my courgettes are coming on fine, should be a bumper crop (one hopes) I let many grow to giant size then take them to my local fine Chinese restaurant , who love them finely sliced stir-fried with garlic and shrimps :P and in return I get a free bottle of vino 8) with my meal..
Anything - so long as it's with Garlic & Shrimps. And a free bottle!!
This is my first time growing courgettes,which I have in pots and in the ground. Should I put something underneath the courgette whilst its growing for the ones that are growing in the ground??
I have picked my first one yesterday which was very exciting. Considering this is the first time that I have ever tried to grow vegetables. It's definitely addictive.
Shelley no need they will be just fine, many don't touch the ground actually unless you let them get very big.
XX Jeannine
You will get loads Sajaself, but not to worry, do like I do, and pick them small, that way you get a meal every day, but yes, you get huge amounts from every plant. I have 6 on the go and they will feed me to the end of the year.
I leave some to get bigger because one of my favourite soups to freeze for winter is courgette, the soup is absolutely gorgeous to get out of the freezer in winter time with a nice hot roll and butter... oh and some frozen blackberries rolled in sugar at freezing time for afters...mmm!
Lin
Other half is a chef so just told him we need a third freezer and he has got to find 100 ways to cook and freeze courgettes!!!
Ok just a question I am a real noob so was it silly to plant 30 runner bean plants as well.
Thing is I brought some seeds and they all grew to little plants. I hadn't the heart to chuck any of the little ones as I was so excited they grew. Maybe I need to curb my sowing addiction :D
I've got lots of boy flowers on my Courgettes so far but no girls :( Not worried though as this isn't my first time. And this year I've planted some Poached Egg Plants right alonside so hopefully I won't have to hand pollinate at 5am like last year, one of the problems of having a balcony by a lake is that the insects seem to prefer the semi natural environment to mine....Grrrrrrrrr >:(
I also found a Gardeners World mag from a couple of years ago with Hugh Fearnly W....Oh his name's too long, recipe for Glutney which it seems a few of you could use come the end, or in fact the start of the season. I'll copy it into the recipe section later.
Astro
I've had quite a few off my Orelia courgettes but there haven't been too many male flowers yet so, with the odd exception, the fruits have have been long and skinny. But they still taste good. Had a couple off my round courgette plant too - nice slightly nutty flavour.
Quote from: lin on June 04, 2007, 00:11:16
I leave some to get bigger because one of my favourite soups to freeze for winter is courgette, the soup is absolutely gorgeous to get out of the freezer in winter time with a nice hot roll and butter... oh and some frozen blackberries rolled in sugar at freezing time for afters...mmm!
Lin
What's the recipe for the soup, Lin. Not something I'd thought of doing with them.
18 courgettes? This year I limited to two, which, the last time I had 2, kept us in courgettes for weeks, we were sick to death of them!! They produce enormous amounts of fruit usually, especially if it is warm, so be warned! And I have found that even if they start off different sizes, they will give fruit all at the same time ;D I am like Tim, mine are still small but a lot of budding so I am sure they just need some sun to take off, they are the hardiest things I have ever seen.
How to use them?? The French love courgettes: ratatouille (simmer for a faire while in a big pan with olive oil, courgettes, onions, aubergine and tomatoes with bay leaves and mediterranean herbs, delicious), steamed and pureed (even with big ones, just take out the seeds, add pepper, salt and cream), thinly sliced and cooked in the frypan with garlic and slivers of fennel, BUT also grated in salad if they are young, grated and used in any sweet cake recipe that uses veg like carrot cake or fruit cake, for moisture.
Oh sorry, did I make your mouths water????
Hi I had my first at the weekend from my polytunnel and they are coming thick and fast now!
I have got quite a few (ridiculous I know) outside which aren't doing much yet.
;D
You can serve embryo fruits with the flower still attached.
i must have overslept this winter/spring, mine are still in pots but will be going out at the weekend. Never a glut! try making relish and pickle :)
This is a soup recipe I posted last year, it's really lovely and freezes well, just add the cream or creme fraiche at serving. A real winter warmer.
Marrow (big courgette) and sage soup, and Courgette and mint salad (//http://)
Had a bowl from the freezer only a couple of days ago, should just finish it in time! Last year had five plants and ended up leaving courgettes on the table in the waiting room at work 'please help yourself'! (Emphasis on the please)
Promised to reduce the plants this year, I have - to four. Ah well.
Nothing yet, still small. But three are planted in the compost heap so I am expecting great things.
Sand
I made loads of this soup last year and froze it, so I am re-posting the link as it is a very easy soup to make and useful when the glut comes, or for using a big courgette left on the plant. My family loved it and are looking forward to having it again.
Enjoy....
http://www.recipes4all.co.uk/index.php?topic=362.0
Hi,
I've just noticed some flowers on mine. They are on long thin stalks, are these the male flowers?