This year I grew a yellow courgette called Atena. It grew well and has produced lots of courgettes but the skins on them are thick and tough. Even a 6 inch courgette needs peeling before cooking. Previously only when they got very large did I have this sort of problem.
Any ideas as to the cause. Anyone grown this variety before.
Could be variety. I grow Gold Rush - or un-named but yellow skinned variety sold here in spring - and have never had hard skins unless I miss one and it gets beyond zeppelin stage.
Some pale varieties like Fruhliana (?) have thicker and even warty skins... but compensate with denser flesh.
Atena / Atena Polka has been my yellow courgette variety of choice for some years. I find it reliable to germinate and grow and it produces many fruit over a long season. I wouldn't say the skins were tougher than the other varieties I grow, certainly not as tough as a marrow, but I'd generally be aiming to pick them by 6" long for steaming as vegetables. Any longer than that would be roasted in chunks or used for soup or ratatouille.
I grow Atena, and the yellow ball type too. I find it best to harvest at around 6"/15cm the skins are easier then
My guess is it the global warming issue again which is knocking the growing seasons out of kilter IMHO
I would say the toughness is down to watering or lack there off!
I see it as a similar situation to blossom end rot, which is also down to watering or lack there off!
Furthermore, I am finding I have to water a bit more scientifically than I did in the past.
In the past, I generally could tell if plants needed watering by how their leaves hung/lay.
Now that I now do a lot more containerised gardening, I can't judge the situation as well!
I have bought myself a combination moisture/light/Ph meter to help me decide!
With many of the 'modern' composts I find that the compost surface looks to be dry, so I water, where in fact I find my compost can be quite wet, and if I am not careful the compost can become saturated to the point it 'drowns' the plant because the saturated moisture prevents air getting to the root system!
But as I said this is OMHO