Courgettes - HELP!!!

andygb

Only joking - I hope.
I planted about 20 courgette seeds a few weeks ago, in a windowsill container, and they are looking great. Every single one has identical growth and they are nearly 4" tall with good stems and very even shaped pair of leaves.
My question is how do I plant them out, because I am guessing that I should be doing that now.
I have read that they need to be planted about 20" apart, but that would take up loads of space which I do not have.
Shall I plant them in a long container and use stakes to keep them upright, and at what stage do they grow more leaves?
Thanks.

good_advice

Happy gardening. I think you may have to find new homes for some of your 20 courgete plants.
The courgette plants do grow large with big leaves and large edable yellow flowers.

We have 6 plants growing in our conservaory.
Planting outside after the last frost. In gerdening terms this is after the 1st of June.
We will plant ours in the ground. You can plant them in large single pots.

Ps. Don't forget the slug pellots.

browneyedbazzi

20 courgette plants???? are you trying to feed an army on courgettes alone? I bought one plant and have been given two more...I'm thinking about re-homing one of the gifted plants because I don't think we'll get through three plants' worth of courgettes!

twiglet98

Three courgette plants produce far too many for my family and that's with me eating them every day, and making jar upon jar of chutney, using them in cakes, grating into bolognaise etc, I still end up giving lots away at work!

wellused

Don't plant until June when the last frosts have gone they grow like billyoh and there is no need to risk them getting frosted. Last year was the first time that I had grown them and I planted two plants, one plant was pinched, well it went missing anyhow so someone or something took it clean out of the ground, and yet the one remaining plant had so many courgettes on it I didn't know what to do with them all.

rum1

20 plants wow we have a family of 3 at home and 2 plats does us more than enough

TonyMMM

Probably too many plants, sown too early - but they sound good and healthy. They do need space to grow and crop, so keep the best few and give away/sell the rest.

Plant out when any risk of frost has passed.

I find 3 plants is more than enough for an average family.

[Deleted User]

I had 4 good plants and far too many courgettes, so two plants this year. I ended up dehydrating courgettes day after day. I am keeping mine under shelter for a bit longer, until the winds have gone but I did re-pot last week, so they will take off when I plant out

andygb

Blimey, cheers folks, it looks as though I may be inundated with courgettes, and even if we do love them, I am a bit worried by some of your tales.
I will keep the best half dozen (then see if I can eliminate them further), and give the rest away to unsuspecting people - or do a boot fair.

MissMoneypenny

I always grow mine in containers (builders big black buckets, with holes drilled about 1" from the bottom of the bucket) and the early planted ones already have the start of some flowers.

Being in containers, they can be moved around, but mine have been out for the last few weeks. A couple of the smaller ones were moved into my plastic greenhouse last night for a few hours as the wind was really cold, but went out again this morning.

I always find that courgettes like to get in their bucket early and they then really get away. If I plant more now, the seed will go straight in the bucket of soil. The seeds going into smaller pots, will be for the plants going to the local hospice charity shops.

Maybe your local charity shop would like any spare plants? Or the spare courgettes, if you decide to grow them on?

ALIBOBSY

Mine have been potted on twice and will be going in the ground this next week as we rarely get a late frost after early May. I am growing 3 varieties, yellow, green and globe. I find you get plenty off a few plants, but you can use them up and they freeze chopped up ready to throw in soups/stews and sauces so any excess is welcome, but 20 plants is a bit much. I will have two of each type for 6 of us and plenty in the freezer for later.

Ali x