Courgette

funfairprincess

Hi
Please could someone give me some advice regarding the planting/ care of courgettes. Do they take up a lot of space and could I do them in tubs rather than in the garden?

Many thanks

RAS

They needd a good 3 foot diameter space and would grow in a large tub. Unless you eat a lot, you need one or two plants.

funfairprincess

Thanks RAS. Don't know if I'll have enough space then. 3 foot is massive for someone of my size! :rolleyes: (4ft something:D )

smk77

I've grown courgettes in 9" pots for 3 years and they've been successful. They spread out a bit but not as much as they would if they were planted with plenty of space. They yield about 1 courgette every week or two for a few months. Again, with more space they'd yield more and probably for longer.

Don't discount growing them if you don't have 3ft of space. I'm going to grow them in the same pots this year but I've now got a bit more room to grow in the ground so will try that. Keep them watered and that's about all you need to do. They're very easy to grow.

tbw

You can get 2 in a grow bag - Aldi are doing decent bags for £1.16 !

RAS

My one plant in the ground was producing three courgettes a week in late summer and turned to mini marrows if left a full week. When these were cut off, it took time to get them flowering again, so keep picking for maximum yield.

spirit

I put 3 in a growbag last year and had them cropping regularly. Really easy to grow.

Doom_and_Gloom

It's the bush varieties that take up a lot of space. You can buy a trailing variety instead such as black forest F1 and train it to climb a trellis. I know people tend to stay away from F1 varieties, however if you would like to grow courgettes and have little space this would be a very good choice.

mouseymousey99

Do you feed them, and how often please? I have tomato feed I'm planning to use for 'everyone'. I have some yellow ones in the greenhouse thing. I saw them at a market on hols and people were also buying the flowers, they looked fabulous.

tbw

mouseymousey99 wrote: »

Do you feed them, and how often please? I have tomato feed I'm planning to use for 'everyone'. I have some yellow ones in the greenhouse thing. I saw them at a market on hols and people were also buying the flowers, they looked fabulous.

Tomato food is fine for everything that you want to produce flowers - I certainly use it on my courgettes. As other people have said, pick them small and often to keep them flowering. They like a lot of water and will quite likely eventually develop a powdery white frosting on the leaves. Don't worry aout it, its a type of disease which the plants develop (often when stressed due to underwatering) but it isn't serious. Just cut off the biggest, worst affected leaves. Mine do it every year but the fruit itself is not affected.

beaney50

funfairprincess wrote: »

Hi
Please could someone give me some advice regarding the planting/ care of courgettes. Do they take up a lot of space and could I do them in tubs rather than in the garden?

Many thanks

Agree with doom and gloom regarding Black Forest variety. I grew 4 up a wigwam last year and that was very successful although I think I`m only going to plant 3 this year. I have also got seeds for "Endurance"(again F10 which are supposed to bespecifically for patio pots.