Advice Required for Courgettes & Water Melons

Painkiller

Hi,

I've been growing some courgette & water melon (Crimson Sweet) seedlings for the first time. I've read the instructions but I've never seen how they are supposed to be grown and am having trouble visualising what I should grow them in.

The Courgettes are producing their first true leaves and the roots are beginning to extend through the holes in the base of the 7cm pot.
Should the individual plants (7 in total) go in their own large pots or should I put a couple of them in a growbag? Furthermore, should these be grown in the greenhouse or outside?

The same question applies for the Water Melons. These have only just germinated. They will be put into 5" pots after their true leaves develop. After they have outgrown their 5" pots, should I plant them 2 per growbag or 1 per large pot? I have the space to plant them in the ground but the instructions state that they should be grown under glass for the most reliable crop. Also, does the 'training of the laterals (side shoots)' have to be done along the ground?

Orange_King

As regards Courgettes, these develop into quite large plants and will need a decent bit of space - not many in a grow bag or one per pot. Gradually increase the size of the pot when you see the roots at the bottom. Tried these for the first time last year and they did well - best to pick the fruit when they are about 6 inches or so as that encourages more I believe.

Good luck

RAS

Courgettes - it will tell you on the packet if they are bush or trailing. They need treating slightly differently; there are no laterals to trian on bush plants. You do not say where you are but you can grow courgettes outside after the last frost, although you might struggle in Shetland.

Watermelon - much more tender, most likely to be large trailing plants and need protection from the worst of the weather. I do not know your variety but may be grow some indoors one to a growbag and any left over under a cloche or fleece.

You can certainly train any trailing curcubit up a trellis or post as well as along the ground.

Painkiller

It's a Courgette 'Green Bush' & I'm in Cheshire.

With the Water Melon, is it one fruit per plant and where abouts on the plant does the fruit sprout?

It's going to be a struggle getting everything in the greenhouse this year, In addition to the Courgette, Water Melon & my growing CP collection, I've grown Tomato; Moneymaker, Yellow Pear & Black Truffle, Pepper; Yolo Wonder, Sweet Banana & Habanero Chocolate

Primrose

To be on the safe side it will be early June before you can plant either courgettes or melons outdoors, and the melons are more tender than courgettes and will give you more reliable results if grown in a greenhouse. You can probably get 2 melons into one growbag provided it's the bigger size growbag. Both varieties are greedy feeders. If growing in a pot, add a hanful of chicken manure pellets and mix in some water retention crystals to help keep the compost moist. I've only once succeeded in growing a melon outdoors in a hot summer and it was the size of a clementine, so wouldn't both again.

SuzieMum

It is my first year growing courgette's too and I will put them straight in the ground I think. If they don't work, my kind neighbour always passes over his little yellow ones so I don't mind if mine fail! It's all trial and error isn't it?

B123_2

It's my first time for courgettes too.. Well for any veg really. I wasn't so sure how big they would get growing inside before I plant them out. I mistakingly decided to plant the seeds in a fairly shallow propegator tray with my toms. They absolutely love it!..but now they are too big & it has only been a week. I am so so worried about taking them out of their favorite place, but think I may have to bite the bullet & re-pot them later today!Little bit protective of my new plants:rotfl:!

heynonnynonny

My 1st time for courgettes too and very excited, I love eating them. Had 5 seedlings, but today have sown 3 more just in case.

foreign_correspondent

courgette plants need plenty of space... as do melons, but melons need to be warmer. I grow melons in the greenhouse, courgettes outside. Courgettes always do well, melons rarely so in my experience!

savemoney

I am growing Courgettes too from the free seeds from gardeners' world

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingcourgettes1.shtml

I was thinking off putting them with other plants in a raised bed 1 metre squared, I suspect they need a lot of space. So grow bags might be an idea to use them

ALIBOBSY

You can grow courgettes or any squash as ground cover (even green bush I found was quite low growing) underneath other veggies. I am growing like last year the "3 sisters". Sweetcorn grows up with beans using them as support, and the squah grows underneath. They all help each other out and worked quite well last year-good for maximising yield from one area.
You can let them drap over paths if they get very big (pumpkins get huge lol), last year OH and the kids started calling our courgettes and squashes triffids as they spread all over, but they were fab and can even take the removal of any really long straggly branches that you don't want.

ali x