Courgettes

They are my four courgette plants grown from seed.

Now what do I do with them? Lol!!!

I'm thinking they'll need to be moved so they are further apart but do I need to do anything else? Do they need stakes putting in?

At present they reside in a grow bag in the greenhouse, there's no outdoor spot for them so the best they'll get is either a large pot in the greenhouse or remain in grow bags in the greenhouse.

Sid the snail (in the background) isn't real you'll be pleased to know, he was inherited with the house - must have been either a dog toy or a kids toy!

Murky buckets for any help given :-)

 

They look pretty good. And you're right - they'll need more space. A lot more. They'll need a big pot each or you can put two in a grow bag. They don't need staking but they will sprawl everywhere. The more space you can give them the better because, in my experience, they're rather prone to mildew and infections.

 

Thanks for your help :-)

I've just got another couple of grow bags so will go an transplant them into there.

I have some shelves in my greenhouse, would it be ok to place one of the grow bags on the shelf? The shelf is about a foot and a half wide if that helps.

 

You can try using the shelf but I wouldn't, personally. Courgettes are a dwarf marrow and really like to sprawl about on the ground. If you absolutely must, make sure the shelf is strong because a grow bag with a couple of courgette plants in it will be pretty heavy after watering. And the plants will trail all over the place so you might need to nip the growing tip out quite early to stop too much weight pulling on the stem.

And watch out for that mildew!

 

Thanks

I'll have a rearrange of the greenhouse and find some floor space for them :-)

I'll certainly be on the lookout for mildew as I've got a well established grape vine growing in the greenhouse too and I'm sure I've read about that getting mildew too!

 

hi i had mine in the greenhouse in a large toy box i nicked off the kids,i put 3 in there but had to remove them from the greenhouse as they grow enormous, far to big for a greenhouse.

 

Apologies for hi-jacking the thread, but I grew four courgettes from seed this year, all looking nice and healthy (similar to Willo's pics at the top). I plated out two in the veg patch last week and kept two in their own pots in the greenhouse. In the space of five days, the ones in the veg patch are virtually dead - the leaves have dropped off, the flower buds are looking sickly and the whole things is a total disaster!! I thought it was slugs, so kept checking through the night, but no signs of them, gave them some food to try and keep them alive but to no avail. I am sure it is too late for them now, but does anyone have any ideas why they died so quickly, in fact why they died at all?!

 

I had similar failures. Mine were definitely eaten, and typical slug/snail attack just where the plant leaves the ground. However, I put some slug pellets down and didn't kill any predators. Prime suspect is now a cock pheasant which has started to visit my garden. He's looking nice and fat so I hope that he does not have an accident and fall into my oven.

 

Hi Prastio - nothing as exotic as cock pheasants round here, but there are plenty of gigantic wood pigeons, most of whom are so fat, they don't so much fly as jump and sail... I hope it isn't them, otherwise... Pigeon pie anyone? With extra courgette?!

 

Hi Dave, I have had exactly the same problem for 2 years running ! Last year I put it down to the weather ( Rain ! ) but now the same things happening I'm stuck ! We have hardly any slugs here and it doesn't look like bird damage, the only thing I can think is the plants didn't like being transplanted ? If anyone can offer some advice I would be most grateful ! I'm desperate for courgettes so have tried 2 plants in my makeshift greenhouse - fingers crossed ! Thanks in advance !

 

After a couple of good years, I no longer grow courgettes because I found them too finicky. They seemed vulnerable to fluctuations of temperature, excessive wetness/dryness and diseases - and that was if the molluscs and birds left them alone.

 

I started mine in jiffy pots, in the porch, and planted them out as soon as it was warm enough (mid may? ). They need space, a handful of lime, some organing fertilyser (manure pellets) lots of water and grass clippings mulch (not right against the stem though, letit form a sort of "crater" all around). Don't make the leaves wet. Some slug pellets are useful, as is a watchful cat.

 

Well, apart from the cat and the lime I have done all of that - they were grown in individual pots, so even the roots weren't disturbed when I planted them out! I am totally stumped - guess I will stick to the greenhouse ones for now! :(

 

I grew 4 plants from seed in individual pots in the greenhouse last year. Two of which I planted in the spot my potatoes had recently vacated, the other two in a new bed with manure dug into it. The two in the potato bed keeled over within two weeks, turning yellow and shrivelling up (even with liquid feed) and the other two grew like crazy. Ended up with courgettes coming out of my ears!!

 

I can only imagine that it is the move from green house to outdoors that upsets them. As I said mine were on the edge of the porch, so pretty much outside all the time. I ended up with many more plants than I need. Some I even planted in the borders as foliage plants (new borders, some holes to fill for this summer... even courgettes will do, lol). Also I planted mine out when they were very small, no more than 10 cm tall.