Courgette

funfairprincess

Thanks for all the advice. I have ordered a packet of Black Forest from T&M this morning and I'll give it a go.

Kaz2904

I've seen a thing on channel 4's site which says tromboncino is another good climber.
I had a packet last year that filled 2 seed trays. (They usually seem to come in packs of 10-14). Every single one of them grew and I planted 16 plants in my 0.5 x 2.5m flower bed. They were everywhere! I had actually given some plants away as I didn't know what to do with them. I think I'l try to get some climbers out in my front garden this year and get the bush ones out the back.
We love courgettes and they grew so well and so easily for us!

shykins

i must be the unlucky one, i seed them, they grow, lovely plants with lots of lovely growth, leaves and flowers, do i get a courgette?? noo not a one, well actually thats not true i got 1 that grew to about 3inches long then rotted off

<sigh>

leiela

Oh quick courgette question,

I planted 6 seeds about 2 weeks ago, hoping to give them abit of a head start in my back room before planting them outside.

My plan was to plant the strongest 4 in tubs in the back garden and thinking they'd take ages to grow i didn't worry about it.

Well 2 weeks later i have 6 very big, very healthy seedlings they seem to be growing at an incredible rate and already they are getting too big for the pots i have them in on my window sill. Should i think about planting them outside now?

Also i don't know which variety i have bush or climbing is there a way to find out? ... they have quite long stalks and they already seem to be struggling to stand upright on thier own which leads me to think that maybe they are climbing, or do bush courgette (which is what i thought i bought to be honest) start this way too? should i stake them? or leave them as they are?

Lastly despite my intentions im finding it very hard to concider disposing of 2 of the little guys... they are all so big and healthy and doing waay better than i expected.

i've got a family of 4 who already eat 3-6 shop bought courgettes a week (but would eat more if they where homegrown(cheaper)) is 6 plants totally overkill??

im getting a new freezer next week so i could freeze some perhaps and donate courgettes to friends and family??

You wouldn't belive how excited i am to turn into a 2 freezer family :T haha

billieboy_2

leiela wrote: »

Oh quick courgette question,

I planted 6 seeds about 2 weeks ago, hoping to give them abit of a head start in my back room before planting them outside.

My plan was to plant the strongest 4 in tubs in the back garden and thinking they'd take ages to grow i didn't worry about it.

Well 2 weeks later i have 6 very big, very healthy seedlings they seem to be growing at an incredible rate and already they are getting too big for the pots i have them in on my window sill. Should i think about planting them outside now?

Also i don't know which variety i have bush or climbing is there a way to find out? ... they have quite long stalks and they already seem to be struggling to stand upright on thier own which leads me to think that maybe they are climbing, or do bush courgette (which is what i thought i bought to be honest) start this way too? should i stake them? or leave them as they are?

Lastly despite my intentions im finding it very hard to concider disposing of 2 of the little guys... they are all so big and healthy and doing waay better than i expected.

i've got a family of 4 who already eat 3-6 shop bought courgettes a week (but would eat more if they where homegrown(cheaper)) is 6 plants totally overkill??

im getting a new freezer next week so i could freeze some perhaps and donate courgettes to friends and family??

You wouldn't belive how excited i am to turn into a 2 freezer family :T haha

I've got about eight seedlings which are growing at an alarming rate. I plan to give a few away. I'm partly growing them to leave some to grow into marrows so I have my own supply to make marrow chutney:j . I don't think you should plant them out now because of frosts. Probably mid-end May would be a good time. But this is the first time I've grown them so someone more experienced may come along. I'm planning on potting them on into bigger pots at the weekend and eventually move them into my plastic mini greenhouse (running out of windowsill space what with all the tomatoes and cucumbers!).

Lotus-eater

I'm sowing mine late April, I did try sowing early last year and it was a bit of a disaster, they did survive, but would have been much better started off later.
6 plants is not too many if you want to eat around 6 courgettes a day.

Mid to late May is about right, still be ready with the fleece if we have a late frost.

maxdp

Do not know if anybody else has seen this but I have seen recently that you can grow courgettes up posts. What you do is make a teepee with 3 garden canes, plant the courgettes on the inside of the canes and rather than let them spread out you tie them up to the teepee so they end up a bit like Runner Beans.

Does that make sense and has anybody else heard about this.

billieboy_2

maxdp wrote: »

Do not know if anybody else has seen this but I have seen recently that you can grow courgettes up posts. What you do is make a toupee with 3 garden canes, plant the courgettes on the inside of the canes and rather than let them spread out you tie them up to the toupee so they end up a bit like Runner Beans.

Does that make sense and has anybody else heard about this.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: . Do you mean teepee? Sorry.

PS That actually sounds like a good idea if you're short of space.

maxdp

billieboy wrote: »

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: . Do you mean teepee? Sorry.

OMG:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: I do. tee Hee. Cannot believe I have written that.:eek:

maxdp

They are a new hairy variety:eek: