Courgette

Overview

Cucurbita pepo                                                                     Rotation group -    Others

Courgettes belong to the same family as cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins and marrows; in fact they are baby marrows. Courgettes and zucchini are exactly the same plant but they acquired the different name from Italy from where it has found its way to America. Although courgettes are small marrows the seed companies have been hard at work breeding plants that will only produce the smaller fruits that we want and not show bench monster marrows.

Varieties to choose (sold by Kings Seeds): -

How to grow

Sow

Courgettes are grown from seed. Sow the seeds in gentle heat in3ins/9cm pots filled with fresh seed compost during April – May. The seed is easy to handle and must be planted on its edge to prevent it rotting off in the damp compost. Push the seed pointed end downwards into the compost and tap the pot on the bench to settle the loose compost around the seed. Cover the pot with a sheet of glass or plastic and shade using a sheet of newspaper until the seed germinates in about 10 days. The seed can be sown in the open ground during May but it is not worth the risk.

Growing on

When the seedlings begin to produce their first true leaves they can be potted on into 6in/15cm pots filled with fresh potting compost. When the roots begin to show at the bottom of the pot they are ready to transplant into the open ground. Courgettes like a well dug, water holding soil containing plenty of organic matter. Create a shallow raised conical mound by digging a” moat” and throwing the soil up to create the mound. Plant the courgette at the centre of the mound and water it in well never letting it go short of water. Plant out at 1yd/1mt spacings. As the courgette plant grows it will produce a mass of white roots on the surface of the soil. Cover these with potting compost, garden compost or well-rotted manure. Keep covering the roots as they appear and gradually over the course of the summer the moat will disappear and the mound will spread outwards.

Aftercare

The plants must be kept well watered at every stage of their growth. If the roots are allowed to dry out it will lead to an attack by mildew and the plants will be ruined. Feed the plants once a week with liquid seaweed to encourage plenty of strong healthy growth. All courgettes are bush plants they will not need pinching out. Hoe regularly between the plants to keep the weeds under control. Don’t worry about pollination of the flowers the bees will take care of that.

How to Harvest

Cut the courgettes during from July onwards when they are about 6ins/15cms long to encourage further flower and fruit production. Courgettes are not frost hardy and they must be harvested before the first frost at the end of summer.

 

Issues

White fly and aphids are the two main problems. Spray the plants regularly with an insecticidal soap to control them. Red spider mite can become a pest if the plants are allowed to dry out at the roots water overhead as well to provide some humidity.

Slugs and snails are a problem to young plants.

Neck rot can be a problem if the main growing stalk is damaged it will become soft and mushy and the plant will eventually collapse and die.

Cucumber mosaic virus is transmitted by aphids once a plant is infected it will have to be dug up and destroyed.