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At the end of april I sowed some courgette seed direct into a raised bed. I used the same bed last year (and the same type of seed) and had fabulous results but this year, although they germinated, they are growing very slowly - they only have two or three true leaves - and are a bit yellow loking. COuld this be due to the very wet and cold weather up here in Glasgow? Or might it be something else I have overlooked?

For the last three weeks I have had them under a cloche but there hasn't been any sign of improvement. Apart from the odd sunny day the daytime temps have been poor at only 12 - 14'c and at night is is usually about 8'c.

Is it too late to cut my losses and grow some replacements?

No consolation i know but i sowed yellow and green corgettes in cells and planted them out when they were well established, mine too seen reluctant to do much ! The marrows i sowed at the same time are already producing fruit! Strange old world !  ???

Hello wetandcold!

I am no expert on courgettes myself, growing them here in Yorkshire, but there is no doubt that they do respond to warmer temperatures and here I wouldn't put them out till the start of June - without protection, that is, our last frost date being towards the end of May, but then I also start them off inside.   As you have given them some protection, they are probably just taking their time at the start of their growing season, and in fact some people do recommend starting them off direct in their final position when the weather has improved, saying that these later plants catch up fairly quickly with earlier sowings. 

It isn't too late to start off some more plants, but I would personally sow them indoors.

Best regards,
Sue

well i've just sown an extra lot, and i'll probably sow some more

Thanks guys! I have just been out to sow some more in the greenhouse!

I probably sowed the first lot outside a little early but we actually rarely get frosts here in April and, when I sowed them, the weather seemed quite nice :) My rush to get them in the ground was because we then went to France for four weeks and I wanted to get as much going before I went - in hindsight it might not have been a great idea!

Well I planted out a veg spaghetti and a black beauty courgette a couple of weeks back and they look pretty fed up and yellow, due IMO to the cold. :( When I get off my butt today I'm planting out some other squash which I've had in and out of the poly for weeks. I'm hoping the rising temperatures will give them a better chance of success. But this year is beginning to look like a lettuce rather than a tomato year.... ::) Anyway out they go because it has rained properly for the first time this year and I shall be sowing stuff all over the place this afternoon... ;D

The difference in the weather across the UK in the last couple of months has been astounding. Up here we have had, according to a recent news report, 190% of the seasonal average of rain. I can well believe it too - I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that we have had only two or three days without rain in the last two months!

I checked on mine this weekend and whilst each plant had a few flowers they all appeared to be male, how strange - hopefully the ladies wont be far behind.

A frost will certainly kill a courgette but I have always tried to keep them above 7C below that the leaves go yellow or even white and they sulk.   Once it warms up they will probably begin to recover slowly.  They particularly do not like wind.  They respond better to bottle cloches 5L size and then fleecing up at night.  Mine are now about a metre across but last night was their first night without being tucked up in bed at night.  

They have a tall row of peas on the windward side to keep them warm as well.  And when I mean tall I mean 6 ft high.  These were sown in February and had a fleece screen to keep the wind off them as well.  So by the time the courgettes went out the peas were already quite tall.  And the colder the night the more bed clothes they need.   At one stage they were let out during the day but the fleece was left to keep the wind off them.

We have had number of unseasonably cold night.  But I started cropping last week.  Just had two for breakfast.  Yum.

I suggest removing excess male flowers.    No point in them putting their energies into those.  It is a sign the plant is feeling stressed.  Suggest a good feed as well.  They likea bucket full of bio matter per plant and another bucket full as mulch.

I have a giant pumpkin that is in a hoop house and it is about 6foot now and looking healthy.  

I also have 15 squash and courgette plants scattered around the plot, many of which there are two of each variety and most have been planted out with wind protection in the form of glass squares around them.

I havent observed a pattern as some plants of a variety are extremely healthy and green and yet others are yellow leaved and look extremely week.  Just have to wait and hope and maybe have some back-ups in place.

On a positive note, a fellow plot holder had a pathetic looking courgette plant last year that I offered to stand on and put out of its misery.  It then grew into the largest and most productive plant I have laid eyes on so there is still hope I guess

Some of mine look weedy and some are looking like they're having a great time. Even between the same varieties there's variation. They might get going yet, if the sun comes out a bit more for them. It's early days. They could be building roots below the soil, and you just can't appreciate their effort yet.

Re male flowers - I thought that was normal, that they put out make flowers before the female ones start.

Not only is sowing now possible it is for me essential.  By the time they are ready the early plants can be getting rather big for their boots, or looking rather mangey.

May be an obvious question and I apologise if you did, did you feed the soil enough, they're very hungry plants?

Quote from: TheEssexYorkshireman on June 13, 2011, 12:30:35
I checked on mine this weekend and whilst each plant had a few flowers they all appeared to be male, how strange - hopefully the ladies wont be far behind.

Yes usually they start with male flowers for the first week or so, then they tend to start a few females. Mine has its first flowers, all male for now. They will soon catch up then they never stop!

Sadly one of my plants, atuffy sweet acorn squash collapsed and died today.  Luckily I have another of that variety in another spot that is flourishing.  It wasnt even cold in its grave when I replaced with a donated butternut

is it possible to move a pumpkin plant thats been transplanted in thewrong place with out doing it any harm

Yes you can move it unless it is very big, just take a shovel full of earth with you asnd water the hole well it is going in.

Any cucurbit plant that is cold, wet or starved of food or water will look poorly.

For those of you in cool places pop a bit of fleece over them.

They need a lot of food. I use an all purpose organic fertiliser and work half a cup into each planting hole, that takes care of food.

Also if they go out straight from a house or greenhouse into the garden without being hardenened off they will shiver for a bit.

The good news is they usually pick up and thrive unless you have put them out too small.

Male flowers come first, sometimes in droves, this is normal, they wither in a couple of days.or you can pick them and use them, they are great stuffed with things anf fried..why waste them, they are good food. You can Tempura batter them with a bit of stalk on and deep fry them too.

XX Jeannine

I was amazed to see yesterday that a couple of my plants have baby courgettes on!

By gum, them Yorkshire courgettes is blooming tough XX Jeannine

Though our cougette plants are a little whimpy still we have today picked our 1st courgette of the year :) 
Marrows and Butternut Squash are taking a while to get going, but the pumpkins are taking over fast!!! :o