Can anyone tell me why my courgette plants are so large? This year my brother gave me some courgette plants (normally I grow my own and keep 2). After distributing to others, I was left with 5 and hating waste, planted them. I don't know what type they are, brother just said they were mixed! One plant has pale fruit with green markings, the others are dark green. I digress. The leaves are HUGE! Its like going into a jungle when entering the veggie plot. The stalks are also thick and long. This even caused the loss of the main leading stem in one, the weight of leaves causing it to snap.They were slow to produce and one plant seems to grow mainly male flowers (only had 2 fruits). Apart from that one, producing well now (we'll be looking like courgettes soon - its amazing how many courgette recipes there are. Is it just the type or could it be that we manured a little later than usual? Many thanks. PS Anyone one want any runner beans? (joke). :o
Welcome to A4A peejay. Some courgettes plants are bigger than others. Romansco are enormous. It also depends on how much compost/manure you put in the soil. But courgettes do produce huge plants. Occassionally they do frustrate by producing only male flowers, you can even buy male only seeds, for using the flowers in cooking.
We had our first meal of runners yesterday. yum.
Here in Ontario most Canadians grow runners for the flower, and let them grow and climb up patio trellis..... they prefer to eat yellow and green snap beans,,, that in my opinion are nowhere near as good as runners. qahtan
I have opposite problem I grow from seed but when I plant out they dont seem to grow on - just stay 2 to 3" high??
Thanks Digeroo, for both the welcome and the advice. I feel it might have something to do with the manure. Just picked another trug full. How are you with lemon apple cucumbers? Bought a plant this year, fruiting well but don't look anything like the picture on the label (small pale oblongs). Mine are pale yellow quite round and very prickly. I did read somewhere that you are supposed to pick them when about golf ball size which I did, once, but was quite disappointed so have left them on longer now. Have to say, they just taste like a normal cucumber to me. Am I doing anything wrong?
Hiya! Just a guess but my courgette Grisette de Provence sounds a bit like the one you describe, pale fruits with green markings, the leaves are very big and unusually they have a kind of shiny greyish green pattern on the leaves which resembles a map.
It gives very big fruit!
Hi peejay and welcome to A4A from me too :)
Hi Wilder - is the greyish green pattern on the plants from start off or has it developed over the last few weeks? If the latter it could be powdery mildew, not sure. Some of mine have succumbed to it this year, but seem to have perked up a bit recently. Maybe someone with more experience on here could say so or not with more conviction than me!
1066 :)
The cukes are right they are almost round not quite but almost, you can use then like courgettes too. What you have described is the perfect one right down to the hairs. if you let them grow a bigger, I know you really need to hear that right!!
Re your squash, just a thought, did you say they had a leader, by leader do you mean one is growing long..as in a runner,this might account for the size, maybe this one is not a courgette which would only be bush. Very very few are not. Especially as you said one had only two fruit which is not characteristic of courgettes.
Just a thought.
The greyish green amost silvery markings are quite normal, the foliage should be quite clean looking, it would get dusty looking if it was mildew.
Oh and welcome.
XX Jeannine
Thanks for all your comments. Wilder, I think one certainly could be type you mentioned, its first fruit certainly grew very quickly which made me think it might have been a marrow at first but all under control now. All courgette plants I have grown so far have had this mottling but it does appear to be natural and not mildew and the plants certainly do not appear ill. Though if this lousy weather keeps up..... Jeannine, I've had some plants where the main stem seems to branch off so I have 2 substantial stems (not runners, leastwise I don't think so). Anyway they are all (bar one) producing well - had 22 in the fridge the other day). Many thanks for reassuring my about the lemon apple cukes, will try another shortly. Can highly recommend the Courgette & Brie soup, divine even without the cream.
Really enjoy the website, sound info and good people.
Bye for now