John's advice after 25 years growing at Ashbrook allotments
Courgettes
Courgettes can be very prolific and two plants grown properly will feed not only your immediate family but half the village as well. They perform best in fertile ground that has received compost the previous winter, they can also be grown in a pocket of soil on compost and manure heaps and in large pots.
They are not frost hardy so seed is best started off in 3” pots in the greenhouse during late April and May and planted out during June after the risk of frost has passed; allow about 120cm (4’) between plants.
Wind protection for the first week they are planted such as a cloche or providing a simple barrier of Rockalene plus slug precautions will allow the plants to get established very quickly.
Once flower starts showing try not to let the plants run dry and pick regularly, this will keep them cropping longer. Courgettes are hungry feeders and respond to any spare liquid feed you might be giving to other crops.
Try to pick all courgettes as soon as they are useable, if you can’t use them give them away it doesn’t take long for that dainty 5” fruit to turn into a colossal marrow.
The two varieties I have always found very reliable are:-
They are not frost hardy so seed is best started off in 3” pots in the greenhouse during late April and May and planted out during June after the risk of frost has passed; allow about 120cm (4’) between plants.
Wind protection for the first week they are planted such as a cloche or providing a simple barrier of Rockalene plus slug precautions will allow the plants to get established very quickly.
Once flower starts showing try not to let the plants run dry and pick regularly, this will keep them cropping longer. Courgettes are hungry feeders and respond to any spare liquid feed you might be giving to other crops.
Try to pick all courgettes as soon as they are useable, if you can’t use them give them away it doesn’t take long for that dainty 5” fruit to turn into a colossal marrow.
The two varieties I have always found very reliable are:-
- Defender – green –prolific over a long period, good resistance to mildew.
- Orelia – yellow-crops for a long while, flesh remains firm when cooked.