Courgettes are a popular and easy vegetable to grow, producing abundant fruit in the summer months. They are best grown in a greenhouse, especially during the early months. To grow courgettes, follow these tips for soil preparation, planting, light and temperature, watering and feeding, pollination, pest and disease control, and harvesting.
Churgettes (Cucurbita pepo) are popular vegetables that thrive in warm environments during the summer months. To grow courgettes in a greenhouse, buy young courgettes at the garden center in late spring or sow seeds indoors in April or May. Start feeding your plants with liquid tomato feed or homemade compost twice a month as soon as flowering begins and keep the soil well watered.
To grow courgettes in a greenhouse, sow seeds between March and May, about 1cm deep in well-fertilized soil. Grow zucchini in a bright spot with at least five to six hours of daylight daily, and maintain a temperature range of 5-6°C. Sow seeds individually on their side, 13mm deep, in 7.5cm (3in) pots of moist seed compost. Place them in a heated propagator, greenhouse, or on a windowsill until late May when they will be ready to harvest.
When planting courgette seeds, poke them into the soil at two to three times their own depth and pat the surface to firm. This will help ensure a bountiful harvest of fresh and tasty courgette fruits.
📹 Growing Zucchini (Courgettes) from Sowing to Harvest
Get zucchini off to a good start and there’s no end to their generosity – you can even eat their flowers too! In this short video we’ll …
Can I grow zucchini in a greenhouse?
Zucchini can be successfully cultivated in commercial greenhouse systems, provided that the requisite varieties are selected with care, that the requisite light levels, temperatures, and plant densities are maintained, and that the requisite environmental conditions are met.
Why does my courgette plant have flowers but no courgettes?
Courgettes, marrows, pumpkins, and squashes, members of the cucurbit family, can face fruit set and development problems due to environmental factors and unsuitable growing conditions. These problems can be caused by invertebrate, disease, cultural, and environmental issues. Common names for these problems include Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima, and C. moschata. Common causes include flower and fruit problems, diseases, virus infections, invertebrates, and weedkiller damage.
How hot is too hot for zucchini plants?
It has been demonstrated that squash, gourds, and pumpkins, including zucchini, yellow squash, bitter gourd, and sugar pie pumpkins, are capable of thriving in conditions of extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit. These crops are ideal for summer production, as they are reliable and straightforward to cultivate, and can be readily grown in a domestic garden.
What is the easiest vegetable to grow in a greenhouse?
Greenhouses are a popular method for growing vegetables and herbs, with common crops including onions, spinach, strawberries, raspberries, herbs and spices, cucumbers, aubergines, and courgettes. These plants thrive in the consistent heat provided by greenhouses, making them ideal for nurturing plants that will eventually grow in the garden. Common vegetables grown in greenhouses include potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, chilies, sweetcorn, peas, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, onions, spinach, strawberries, raspberries, herbs and spices, cucumbers, aubergines, and courgettes.
Do courgettes like tomato feed?
Courgettes and squash are thirsty plants, so avoid overwatering and soaking them close to the stalk to prevent rot. Feed them with a high potash liquid feed, like tomato feed, every 10-14 days after fruits appear. Common tomato feed is suitable for any plant that needs potash. Seeds can be saved from courgettes and squash, but leave them to grow larger to ensure well-developed seeds. Rinse seeds in running water, dry them on kitchen paper, and label them before storing them in a cool, dry place over winter.
Can courgettes grow in a greenhouse?
To ensure the growth of courgette seeds, start indoors in late spring and transplant them into containers or the ground inside your greenhouse. Plant seeds 2 to 3 feet apart and at a depth of 1 inch. Maintain warm temperatures and humidity between 18 and 24°C, using thermometers and hygrometers to monitor conditions. Mist the leaves with water to boost humidity. Regularly water and fertilize your courgettes using drip irrigation systems and a balanced fertilizer.
Deep, regular watering is crucial as courgettes have shallow roots and may become stressed if not watered enough. Using a thermometer and hygrometer can help maintain the right conditions for your courgette plants.
Do courgettes need watering every day?
Courgettes require a significant amount of water to develop their juicy, crunchy fruits. Dry conditions can cause wilting and reduced fruit production. Regular watering is crucial, with midsummer being the most common time. Avoid using cold water as it doesn’t tolerate temperatures below 10°C. Water in the morning before the afternoon heat to absorb enough water for the day. Water directly onto the soil to reduce fungal infections.
A mulch layer can reduce water loss and weed growth in summer. It also prevents fruits from rotting when ripe. However, mulch binds nitrogen, so extra fertiliser is needed. Courgettes and other cucurbits require large amounts of nutrients for healthy growth, but not all fertilizers are equally effective.
Do courgettes grow well in pots?
Courgette plants, also known as zucchinis, can grow in pots or containers, but some varieties are more suitable for container growing. These fruiting plants, part of the Cucurbitaceae family, are prolific croppers and take up a lot of space. To grow courgettes in pots, it’s essential to know which varieties are best suited for container growing and how to care for them to maximize fruit production. Factors to consider include soil type, container size, grow bag options, and the location of the pot.
Do courgettes need to climb?
Climbing courgettes, such as ‘Black Forest’ and ‘Tromboncino’, are easy to train up a stake and can be grown alongside other crops like beans and sweetcorn. In a video, Monty Don plants a raised bed with slow-growing sweetcorn, then fills the gaps with low-growing courgettes, allowing for two crops in one bed. The size of the pot depends on the desired growth conditions and the desired texture of the courgettes.
Do courgettes like full sun or shade?
Courgettes require a sheltered position in full sun and fertile soil with plenty of moisture. They need space up to 90cm (3ft) apart and can be grown in containers. To plant courgettes, add well rotted farmyard manure two weeks before planting and leave a low mound at the top. When planting, sink a 15cm (6in) pot alongside the courgettes to ensure water goes down to the roots and prevents rotting. This also helps reduce powdery mildew problems by keeping the water off the foliage. Compact varieties are also available for growing in containers.
Do courgettes need a lot of water?
Courgettes require a significant amount of water to develop their juicy, crunchy fruits. Dry conditions can cause wilting and reduced fruit production. Regular watering is crucial, with midsummer being the most common time. Avoid using cold water as it doesn’t tolerate temperatures below 10°C. Water in the morning before the afternoon heat to absorb enough water for the day. Water directly onto the soil to reduce fungal infections.
A mulch layer can reduce water loss and weed growth in summer. It also prevents fruits from rotting when ripe. However, mulch binds nitrogen, so extra fertiliser is needed. Courgettes and other cucurbits require large amounts of nutrients for healthy growth, but not all fertilizers are equally effective.
📹 How To Grow Zucchini Vertically – Save Space & Increase Yields in 5 Simple Steps
Learn how to grow zucchini vertically to save space. Growing Zucchini vertically will increase yields and provide more uniform …
When an occasional zucchini gets away from me and grows too large, I slice it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds from the center, and then stuff and bake it. Brown ground beef with some onion, salt, pepper, add tomato sauce and rice if you like, or a cheese sauce, top with shredded cheddar, mozzarella or Parmesan cheese. Place in a baking dish, cover, bake @ 350 F about 45 minutes. Overgrown zucchini can also be shredded, packed 2 cups at a time into zip-lock bags, and frozen to be used in recipes (zucchini bread) through the winter.
I use a lot of my zukes to make zucchini pancakes. I use 4 cups of grated zucchini, an egg or two, a teaspoon of baking powder, a teaspoon of salt and however much flour it takes to make a batter. I usually add some vegetable oil to the batter as well to discourage sticking. Once I have the basic batter, I can take it in a number of different directions: Italian, Mexican, Asian, sweet, etc. by adding spices and whatever else. The batter itself is very mild tasting and easily takes on whatever character you want to give it.
Absolutely growing zucchini. I grate my excess and freeze in plastic freezer bags in 2 Cup quantities. I add the defrosted zucchini to soups, casseroles, lasagne, spaghetti sauce and so many more dishes all winter long. It adds vitamins, sweetness and thickens. And of course I bake them into zucchini walnut muffins. My boyfriend doesn’t eat zucchini if he can see it but happily consumes all the grated zucchini he does not know about.
My dad is 92 years old, & has planted a garden every year for over 50 years. He makes a little hill when planting our zucchini & yellow squash. We have straight & crookneck. Also eggplant, okra, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, green beans (Roma) strawberries (bearing now) green onions, kale, parsley, basil, mint, dill, & rosemary. 30’ rows. Thanks for your tips.
not gonna lie your website is by far the most useful for guides and stuff. you focus of what people are asking for in a simple way and show it all on camera making it clear. the sections of the articles are managed well and consistent and never repeats… every article has new information and you are my favourite gardening website! keep it up and thanks for all the tips and guides! 😁
I grow in Louisiana, have no problem with slugs/snails in my raised garden beds but use a method for controlling non-vine type plants. I once had a mildew problem, to solve this I began pinching off all stems leaving 3 to 6 inches away from the main plant of any leaves which touch the ground. I leave alone all leaves with upward pointing stems. Start this process when plants are mostly mature & flowering. Removing ground touching leaves slows down powdery mildew & allows bees better access to the plants plus allows increased airflow. Plants will actually have a longer life cycle & pinched off stems & leaves do well in the mulch pile. Thanks to the posters who recommended dehydration chips & allowing a few end of season to “mature” into gourd type fruits which I can store for a few months. I will experiment doing both this year. I have 18 plants in my garden & am very popular with friends, relatives, neighbors.
I second chocolate chip zucchini cake, one quart of shredded zucchini per recipe, same amount for zucchini bread and zucchini pizza crust. Shredded raw zucchini dries in 5 or 6 hours in a dehydrator and is great in homemade backpacking hot water only dinners, plus throw a couple handfuls in winter soups. We have squash bugs. The romanesco variety is less tasty to these destructive insects, and stays edible for people even when it gets large. Surrounding the vines with calendula also helps keep the hugs away. Just one plant per garden, one year we got 16 foot long vines. Watch out for zucchini surprise, we have found a few 24 pounders lurking that were not there the day before.
What my mom and I usually do is direct sow them into the garden soil when it is warm enough and after the last frost. In our garden they grow like weeds! LOL We ALWAYS end up with the monster Zucchinis! IT NEVER Fails!! One day we will go out and check them and they will be too small to pick. Next day still too small. So we wait 2 days and suddenly they have grown to MONSTER Size!! LOL As to what/how we use Zucchini: We usually shred up, measure out and then freeze some of the Zucchini in containers that are sized just right for most of the recipes that we use the Zucchini in. We use the Zucchini to make Zucchini bread or Zucchini cake.
Planted out our first 3 plants 2 weeks ago and will cover them tomorrow to protect from the frost. The next 2 plants are in post at the moment but will go in the ground after this cold snap. We usually get one a tear that grows enormous, and by that I mean 15-18″ long. Doesn’t affect the taste and keeps for ages in the fridge. As well as cooking from fresh, we make cake and various chutneys as well as dicing and freezing them on a tray before bagging them. That way we have plenty to keep us going through the autumn. Yellow ones are lovely raw – slice thinly and put them in a salad.
In addition to zucchini muffins, cakes, and breads, I add shredded zucchini to spaghetti sauce, zucchini, soup, etc. They are also yummy grilled. If you get some giant ones, scoop out the seeds and they still work fine for recipes calling for shredded zucchini, plus you can roast and eat the seeds like pumpkin seeds… Very nutty and delicious to add to your zucchini bread of you want.
We’re having the longest zucchini season. Finally wrapped the stem with foil to foil the squash vine borer. It really worked. Next year will wrap higher as the plant grows. Favorite way to use them is cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh leaving a 1/4″ border. Put cut side down on the grill for 10 minutes or so . Put in your favorite filling. We use mexican seasoned ground meat and top with cheese. Return to the grill filling side up until the cheese melts and the bottom is slightly browned. We’re having this tonight as a matter of fact and we’re adding some corn kernels cut off the cob. Yum.
If one escape and grows too big, my grandma in Italy used to slice them thinly, salt them and let them sweat a bit, pat dry them, flour and fry. Yum! Another yummy recipe for the flowers is to stuff them with mozzarella, breadcrumbs and chopped ham (or bacon), lay them in the baking tray, cover them with more breadcrumbs, olive oil,salt and pepper and bake till crispy. Can you tell they are one of my favourite veg?
I started zukes from seed for the first time this year! they have sprouted vigorously and I am looking forward to planting them in the next few days. We are using a squash cage – like a tomato cage but the tines are in the wide end, so it looks like an upside down tomato cage. We are really excited about seeing how this works as it does free up a lot of ‘real estate’ within the garden itself. Thanks for the article, very helpful!!
Just discovered your website and so glad I have, all my gardening questions are being answered!! I have grown yellow courgettes/zucchini for the first time ever in raised beds this year. They have been more than prolific and I am getting 1-2 fruits per day! Best cooking idea so far is to just thinly slice, drizzle with olive oil and sea salt, mix with hands and then scatter homegrown thyme (which I have) on them. Then in the oven on a high heat, turning/tossing occasionally – 10/15 mins later they are absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for all your fabulous tips, absolutely spot on!
I have a problem most years with squash bugs infesting my zucchini. One thing that I find helps with this, is to give the plants a good watering with the hose right directly onto the base of the plant…immediately all the squash bugs start running up the stalks to get away from the water and you can pick them off and feed them to the chickens or kill them. (The bugs live down around the base of the plant in the top of the soil.)
Thanks for sharing these great articles! I have just got into growing veg since the lockdown started and courgettes were the first thing I wanted to try! My seedlings are coming along nicely! I have a tiny little greenhouse to start everything off in and so far I have yellow courgettes, gem squash, tomatoes, red pepper, radish, lettuce, beetroot, celery, spring onion, and strawberries as well as a few herbs. Hopefully it all goes well, it’s my first time and I am learning so much from your website!
One year we had TONS of zucchini. We gave a lot away & made as many zucchini recipes as we could. One recipe we found online that was our favorite was Zucchini Crisp. It was a FABULOUS dessert! We especially liked it topped with cream or ice cream! I tasted a lot like Apple Crisp, but not quite. We didn’t tell our guests what it was…no one could guess that it was made from zucchini!
A favorite zucchini recipe is from my Sicilian grandmother. Slice small zucchini in rounds, add to a pot with diced yellow onions, diced tomatoes and crushed garlic. The tomatoes usually provide plenty of liquid to start, and the zucchini provide the rest. Simmer for about an hour to blend all flavors, adding Italian herbs if you like. Makes a great side dish, or a Vegetarian meal with just crusty bread and salad.
Thanks so much for the helpful way you teach garden, this is my first year ever growing anything. I’m doing well I have managed to successfully grow courgette🥒,onion,leek,white marsh potatoes🥔,beetroot,purple sprouting broccoli🥦,brussel sprouts,cabbage, cauliflower,carrots🥕 2 types, cherry radishes, snowball turnips, basil,coriander,mix lead,mustard and rocket salad leafs🥬(I did try big lettuce but it didn’t go well😑) 3 types of tomatoes (money makers, marmande and plum) that are doing great all 12 are flowering😊🍅,garlic and I made a fruit corner with 2 types of strawberries, raspberries and bramble canes all seem to been doing well and lastly my new house came with an apple🍏🍎🌳🌸 tree it didn’t produce fruits last year but with watering it with plant food every wk it bloomed magnificent and is new growing apples soo happy with my self and it’s all down to your help so thanks much 😊👌👍👩🌾with lock down its kept.the family entertained as well as learning.
Yes, I am also doing Zucchini, a yellow one, a green stripe one and a round one for the first time. I love using Zucchini to make Antipasti. Together with bellpepper, onion, garlic, olives, artichokes, mushroom, Peperoni or mild chilli and herbs, balsamico, Oliveoel, salt and pepper. But any veg that you like can go in. Great to eat with fresh bread or Pasta or for a Party. Its a make ahead food and keeps for days in the fridge. 🙂🙋🏼♀️
I always love your articles thank you. Zukes have always been my favorite veg. I dehydrate the surplus and use them all year for me and my dogs (I make soup) who eat an organic diet. This year I am experimenting with growing dwarf zucchinis in my spare room under lights. They are stunning. I was told even though they are dwarf I will get full size fruit. I have many babies growing. I am hoping to be able to harvest them all year like I do with many other greens and tomatoes (also dwarf) 🙂
I have get powerdy mildew every year on my plants and it takes them out every time. I only plant 2 because of this. And still it is a problem. How about the asprin treatment? Or does that only work on tomatoes? BTW- I love the garden planner. I sat today, and planned my enitre garden. What a treat to have it laid out, and seeds ready to go. The usual stress is gone… Thank you!! 😃😃
Thanks for another awesome article dude. A friend gave me a marrow last year and I had no idea what to do with it. After a bit of research I decided the best thing to do was to make marrow rum. It’s been in the cupboard maturing for almost 8 months and this article reminded me of it. Might go and taste it 🙂
I love ALL your articles. I have a question about the squash bug that destroys the squash plants so quickly. I don’t know the name of it. I don’t want to use harmful pesticides. Do you know of an organic way of taking care of these pests? I have been picking them off but they are so invasive, I don’t get them all. I have had terrible fruit production. The first summer they destroyed all squash and melon plants overnight. Last year, almost all. I miss have squash from the garden. I look forward to your response PS. I live in Virginia.
Last season I planted 2-3 zucchini and summer squash on small mounds. They started out great with lots of fruit and flowers but as the plants got bigger they toppled over. The larger leaves died off and fragile stems bent. The plants regrew and did the same thing several times but no more fruits, only leaves. The plants ended up trailing further away from the mound and shading out other vegetables. I think that the main problem was wind. I picked a new spot with large bushes nearby to shelter from the wind for this season. Any other suggestions? Thanks for another excellent article.
Your articles and newsletters are so informative. I love growing zucchini. Started my plants indoor this year and they are doing great. Will plant them after our last frost date. Unfortunately every year I get squash vine borers that destroy my plants. Some years they die after I get a decent harvest, and some years I get very few. Not sure what to do to prevent this. Thanks again for the very good articles.
Lovely article and good tips. I need information about Squash vine borers though. They ruin my summer squash plants every year.. Maybe there are none in England but there are lots of them here and they wreck my squash plants every year. They attack winter squash too but not as badly. Thanks for any suggestions you might have about how to rid the plants of the squash vine borere.
Our soil has a lot of clay, so my gardening is all done in raised beds and grow bags. The pot in the soil for watering is a wonderful tip. I wonder if you think zucchini would do well in a grow bag? I’ve had success with tomato plants in a grow bag using the same mix that I have used in my raised bed. Do you recommend doing that for zucchini or would it be best to use a potting soil? Thank you the website is wonderful!
I’ve tried growing zucchini many times, and only had success a few times. Usually flowers come on, and overnight all drop off. Why is that? If they get too big, we have a huge baking day and zucchini bread is made, and usually eaten before I can freeze it! It is a very versatile vegetable. Thanks for the article … pot idea is great.
When I get a zucchini that is too large, (my mom called them logs.) I core out the center, with a peeler alternately strip them. Place in microwave with 1-2 T of water and nuke for 3 minutes. Drain and cool. Make a meat mixture, like you would put in stuffed peppers, and stuff your zucchini! Pour stewed tomatoes or sauce over the top, sprinkle with Italian spices. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes depending on the size. Slice into rounds, sprinkle with Parmesan or mozzarella cheese and serve with garlic bread.
I enjoy your articles and learn a lot from them. I have a question about mulch. You know how when mulching a tree it’s best not to place mulch close to the trunk? perusal your article it looks like you can mulch vegetables touching the plant. I mulched my garden vegetables giving them all a 2″ gap. Could you tell me which is the correct way? Thank you!
Hello! I need advice. I got too excited and started my seeds today. I’m 8 weeks away from last frost. How screwed am I with my squash? Will they be massive at 8 weeks? I checked my forecast and think I can harden them and plant them outside at 6.5 weeks with a frost blanket. Will this work?🤞🌱💚 Hope to hear from you! Thanks.
Thank you so much for your article. We have 24 plants o_O due to 100% germination, but couldn’t cull any. They’re all happy now in containers lol. Going to use the wonderful recipe ideas from comments. I’m concerned about the borer, saw your link. I’d not done any row cover, my plants are about the size your transplants were. Hoping not too late to wrap stems, already hot here. Is foil the most successful approach I have at this point would you think?
Just discovered your site after searching for strawberry tips (which I found, thanks!) and now I’m onto the courgette advice. I’ve grown 9 plants from seeds (I didn’t realise they were so prolific!) but I don’t know what varieties they are. Is there a way to tell the if the ones I have are bush or trailing?
I grow round one, yellow, early and crookneck summer squash, two types of patty pan (white and green, absolutelylove them pickled!) and haidokko winter squash. I preserve them for winter making either pickled zuchinni in light cider vinegar. I also make a pickled salad slicing zucchini finely with some onions, carrots, herb parsley sometimes also pepers and pickle in cidre vinegar again. I play with seasoning, recently tried out ginger one and chilli! Both very tasty. You need to can then gently to preserve the crunchiness. This is how we used to preserve all the vegetables when I was a kid. I still do it, those pickels are brilliant side for a dinner 😀 #greenDIYLife #ArletaBW
I have had a hard time with zucchini. When I lived in Indiana (USA) I could grow them easily. Now I live in Texas and have had strange experiences. A year ago I had plants with only male blossoms. No fruit. This summer I was invaded by little white caterpillars. I spent 2 hours hand picking them off of my plants only to go out the next day to find them completely devoured by them. No leafs. So in August I replanted and they are doing fabulous. The plants a huge and have many fruits to eat. Go figure. 👍🏻
My main “tip” is to avail yourself of some Costata Romanesco seeds ASAP. As Will Bonsall said (look him up), Why grow any other zucchini unless you’re just thirsty? I grew this variety first by happenstance, but I will NEVER go back to a mainstream variety. It’s so good, I ate the first fruit off the vine while standing in my garden. How many people say that about their zucchinis?
So I planted gold rush zucchinis from a local nursery – flowers are developing but so far I have had 2 female flowers bloom, but no male ones!! Dad has pumpkin plants next door with plenty of male flowers though so i collected some pollens from them – would that work for them to develop the zucchinis further? I imagine the actual seeds would be non viable though
I had several monster zucchini plants growing that took up about 3×2 feet each respectively!. We recently had a 2 week heat wave in Montreal – that mixed with the powdery mildew was just too much for the plants. 🙁 Both of my monsters withered and have joined the compost. I added extra compost and mulch to help the pants cope but it seemed to make the wilting far worse – tips for next year?
What and how often do you feed them if you didn’t use manure in the soil before you planted them. My zucchini are doing great, but I don’t know if I should continue feeding them fish fertilizer or should I switch to a powder tomato/veg fertilizer? If it is the powder, how do I feed them without digging it in and disturbing their roots? Thanks for your input.
Do they not have vine borers in Europe? I was hoping you’d tackle that subject. The US is ate up with them and within a month of their fruiting good fruit the vine borers have their way with the plant. Yellow squash plants get it the worst. This year I’ve wrapped the bottom 10 inches of the stem with aluminum foil and that helped tremendously – But, it’s only July and they’re rapidly coming to their death :/ Any suggestions.
Hi I was wondering if you had any tips to keep bugs from eating my zucchini plants. They attack the leaves hard about this time of year and I’ve been having something coming in and looks as though it’s been chewing off blooms before they can open good. I live in the upstate of south Carolina. Any advice would be appreciated
I have 6 plants at the moment, but fear I haven’t given them enough space as the air flow is quite poor! Finding the flowers are dropping off or turning brown quite quickly. The first flower appeared over a week ago and I’m still to find a fruit big enough to harvest. I’m worried that the poor air flow and cramped conditions means all of the courgettes will be stunted – is it worth thinning out the plants at this late stage?
I know them as courgette, I believe that word is of French origin ( I could be wrong) therefore I shall now call them Zukes ( @Peter Bergel for that great word ) simply because I’m Briton. Everything I grow in my garden is either dwarf varieties, small bush or columnar. I’m gonna give bush zukes a little space if I find a variety suitable for my garden, probably in a large pot as none seem suited to SFG. Oh!, PS. had a go at your garden planner, the SFG planner does not understand dwarf varieties and does not allow me to place misunderstood item into a single square. yes I was gonna have a recurring annual subscription, the features take out all of the headache, such as crop rotation, planting time in my own area, pest alerts, email and text notifications … all great stuff. Please fix the resize to a single foot square for plants it does not understand.
Thank you, I have a slight problem with some of mine, that they’re fruiting but then the flower dies early and the courgette is quite small. I presume once the flower dies off the fruit won’t grow further? This has seemed to be the case but I’m wondering if I’m wrong about that. They have only just started fruiting, so I also wonder if that’s what happens with the first few… Any tips or thoughts from anyone are welcome thanks 😊
This is my first year growing courgettes and boy have I made a mistake! We have 30 courgette seedlings and very little space left in two small raised planters which are already loaded with cucumber, beetroot, tomatoes and sunflowers! We didn’t realise how quickly they grow so our family of three will be eating courgette for every meal if we can find space somewhere in the garden! Good thing we have lots of neighbours who will probably be willing to take a few! Has. How many do most people get in a season, has anyone made the same mistake?
Hi. I have a problem with my zucchini. The female flowers open, but some days after it the fruits start to get little yellowish and thinner. Do you have any idea what I am doing wrong? My balcony has some few hours of sun in the morning and in the evening. I give water each day or all two days depending if the humus is humid/wet or dry. One plant is in a pot filled 22cm high and 30cm in diameter. Filled as follows; 2cm sand, 2cm decomposing material, 14cm mix of humus and sand in a ratio 4:1 and the last 4cm are only humus.
Ours looked lovely when we put them in the ground but now they have yellow leaves? The ones I gave to my son in law are beautiful. We have been feeding and watering them well they are very yellow? I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem? Next year I will also try the watering idea from the article but I am not sure the ones I have planted this year will make it ☹
Hi there This is my first time growing veg so a couple of questions probably too basic 1) From what size would you say courgettes can be picked? 2)I’m confusing regarding courgette flowers: On the article it says to only use the male flowers with no bulk; is this the same as with no courgette on it? As on some recipes they say to use courgette flowers with a small courgette on it. Which flowers can I use then as I wouldn’t like to miss out on the veg itself?? Thanks!
Never, never, never? Never let you zucchini grow too large? Oh yes do it, esp. if you have had an abundant harvest already and don’t know how to store them as the freezer gets crowded with all kinds of vegetables and you’re out off jars (and time?) for canning. If you have baked, sautéed, stuffed, and grilled about as much as you can stand, here is the trick: Let them grow and ripen (yes, zucchinis are actually pumpkins and usually we pick and use them unripe). Fully ripened they can be stored for months in a pantry/storage room. OK, you will have to peel them and handle the fully grown seeds before using. But it’s such an easy way of preservation and cheap (no time and energie for canning, no plastic freezer bags needed). If you’re not sure about it, give it a try with one fruit you might have missed to pick on time anyway. @GrowVeg: No hard feelings, it’s a lovely article and as usual made with lots of know-how and ❤️ I’m looking forward to the next 🙂
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So helpful, thank you. And timely. This is exactly what I am going to do in my square foot garden. I did allot two square feet to the zucchini, but it would be nice to have room at the base to plant other things. I just did something similar with my tomato plant, except I used twine and clips instead of a stake, clipping the main tomato stem to the twine, and attaching the string to the top of my hoop cage that is over my raised bed. It’s a little late to go to ag college at the age of 73, so I’m going to YouTube University instead. I learn so much. I appreciate you.
Thank you for this informative article. I am often having issues with squash bugs and was looking to get my squashes off the ground. I will be wrapping aluminum foil around the base of the plant about 10 inches with about 2 inches of it burried in the dirt. This way I can keep them from sucking on the stalk. I am going to row cover the plant while young until it has grown enough that the bottom leaves are no longer touching the ground. This also will help me get 20 plants into my 20 foot space instead of only 10. With food costs to go up this next year I am wanting to grow a years worth of food. So thanks for this article as most square foot gardening information shows you 2 feet of space while you showed me it can be done on 1 foot.
Great tip about putting steaks in on the south side of the plant. This was my first year growing climbing courgettes with some success, however I noticed all the plants were growing in a southerly direction. Looking forward to 2024 season to improve the climbing capability, increase the yield, reduce infection and reduce the footprint. Great article. Thanks.
Thank you for the great article. I do wonder, though, if this method could lead to a borer making quicker work of ruining the entire plant. I’m only posing the possibility because I don’t have a lot of experience and welcome feedback. I would prefer this method as I am using mason ladder as a trellis arch for my tomatoes and thought routing the zucchini towards it with a stake would help give it more sun.
Very helpful article, I think I’m going to do exactly this with my 2 zucchini plants. They are sprouting inside now and I’ve been wondering where I’ll put them! Last year I saved the stalks from a few giant sunflowers and stashed them in the garage to dry out. If they look good and study I’ll grow the zukes up 2 of those.
Some of my zucchini have grown multiple branches and are starting to fruit. Is it too late to use stakes and tie the vine on? I would worry about damage to the roots. Do they need any lateral support? Also, how far up do you tie the vine onto the stake? I appreciate the article, as it had great content, but I found I wanted to know more details of the process. Thank you so much 🙂
Last time I grew zucchini in a square foot bed, I managed to contain it within 4 squares and got a few good squashes from the plant, but then it spilled over to the ground and became a gnarly aphid-infested mess! This looks so much more manageable and productive. What do you do if the plant tops the stake?
I have been growing mine this way for several years now. They can get tall enough to have the silhouette of a palm tree which is very interesting. This method gets the plant up off the ground, clear of the lawn mower and also makes it so much easier to check for squash bugs. Try it and you will probably wonder how you did without this method.
we are growing vegetables for the 1st time and we have 15 young zucchini plants growing in raised beds, but we didn’t put any stakes in yet (we’re just realizing today that we need to grow them vertically since the plants are too crowded in the raised beds). What do you recommend we do, since I don’t think we can insert a stake really close to each plant without damaging / ruining the roots/plant?
If the zucchini has already been planted and is just starting to spread out say 1 foot in diameter, is it still possible to tie it to a stake? I did put the stake in and tied the bottom to the stake, but was just wondering if it would really work? Nice article. I would love to see how it you tie the zucchini stem to the stake the first few times. I am new to gardening. Thank you.
I’ve just started 2 zucchinis growing upwards using this method. The bottom leaves are fully established so I was wondering why you would cut them off if, because they are fully grown?, aren’t they producing food to contribute to the growth of the whole plant? I do think getting the lower leaves off would very likely reduce the risk of powdery mildew. Removing the bottom leaves oesn’t appear to be a problem as yours look great
Thanks you, this is great advice, and as a result i am trying this out. One in the greenhouse and one outside, the latter is growing slower (i’m in the UK)… and some in pots… i grew them from seed, a first for me. I have a question though, at which point do you start cutting the leaves below the zucchini? I can only see a few tiny ones beginning to grow, but the leaves are absolutely huge, some are about 40cm.
I have been looking and searching about this one. I planted my zucchini in my raised bed. I did one square only. But they said to do 2 square in one zucchini. I saw yours u did 1 square too. Im gonna do your technique. I have questions hope you respon. I have cucumber and zucchini in one square? Do you think should i worry about it? Should i seperate them? Thank you
I’m glad I found this article! I’m currently growing Zucchini and Yellow Squash on my balcony in 36″ pots and 5 gallon buckets. One of my 36″ pots has 3 zucchini plants in it currently. If I grow my plants vertically, will that be enough space for all 3 of them since I know they each need to be a foot apart from each other, or should I repot them? I’m willing to do this, but I’m nervous that I’ll damage the plants’ root systems. If I do need to repot them, how would you recommend doing so without damaging and/or stunting their growth?
I feel like the leaves help hide the stem an will help hide the stem from those pesky vine bores. Easy access with the stem exposed. I trimmed the leaves my 1st year I’m going to let it bush out an see if they last a little longer. Plus I heard that that put off pheromones that attract the pest if they are cut. 🤷
Excellnt condensed 2 thpoint. leverage i can use in garden. Harvest frequently i never do. People want little bannana size zuchs. My theory is I get much mpre poundage by harvesting just b4 seeds harden. My theory is seeds are where most nutrition are. I think Zuch has a sweet spot &flavorwise my method superiour. The seed area taste thbest. I bleev harvesting teeny zuchs they spoil faster &massive resources are required 2match thpoundage i bleev i get harvesting 10lb fire extinguisher size.