courgettes.

hi got five courgettes 1 was getting to big for the pot it was in so i borrowed one of the kids large toys boxes which are about 50 in wide by 20 in deep will they be ok in there.
bought some grow bags but no chance of getting them in, i assume they should have gone in the growbag a lot earlier.
cheers.

 

I tried a tip off here last year, which was to grow things like tomatoes in growbags cut in half then stood upright on their ends. Hopefully you'll understand what I mean from that - it's a simple idea but not easy to explain! Anyway, could you get your courgettes in growbags like that?
I tried growing them outdoors in pots without much success, the plants were small and the slugs got all the fruit before it could get big enough to pick, so can't really comment on the size of pot needed ultimately, but I do know they're greedy feeders (think i'd mix manure with the compost) and need quite a lot of watering when in pots - now I have a veg patch I find them much easier in the ground - I guess you have reasons for growing them in the greenhouse? (I realise not everyone has a garden or if they do, not everyone wants to use it to grow veg in!)
Final thought - the BBC's gardening pages have something on growing veg in pots I think so maybe worth looking in there for sizes?

 

I think this is what Claire is referring to; http://tinyurl.com/5rq5jm

About the box!! is there drainage holes in the bottom?

 

Claire, that's how I have grown Peppers and Aubergines in the past. I have also done that with potato's only the 70cl sacks cut in two and stood on end as you say. So i see no reason why courgettes or marrows shouldn't do as well.

 

Hammer, ideal by the sounds of it but as Tee Gee says you will need to make sure it has drainage holes in the bottom.

 

yes plenty of drainage holes. just changing the subject i watered 2 cucumber plants this morning and one of them just keeled over all limp drooping over the sides of the container the other 1 is fine, anyone know why its done this.

 

My bet would be basal stem rot due to over watering. Cucs are very sensitive to too much H2O, and need to be kept moist but not wet.
You might get it to recover by earthing up the bottom of the stem to encourage it to put out new roots, but I'd not bet money on it. Worth a try though.

 

Hi Hammer,going back to your courgettes I have just measured the pots I grow mine in, and it is 11 inches or 28cm plenty of crooks in the bottom then filled with multi-compost,fed once a week with tomorite,never allowed to dry out at any other time,and I personally never have any problems.

 

coub - when should I start feeding tomatorite? I have four courgettes in pots - two with chicken manure mixed in and two with slow release plant food (thought I might try an organic v non organic experiment - but now not sure I can be bothered . they are still relatively small and haven't produced any flowers yet. All but one are in slightly bigger pots than yours I think so hopefully that will be okay. They are outside and not in the greenhouse. I really hope I get some fruit!

 

Hi ellie,
When the first flower just starts to show apply tomatarite once a week,my courgettes are all grown outside in full sunlight as they tend to take up to much room in the G.H

 

Thanks Coob, they are looking a bit sad today actually, a little pale and crispy around the edge of the older leaves, new leaves still growing. Is this normal?

 

Yes Ellie just keep them in as much sunshine as we are getting and they will open out.

 

Thanks Coub x

 

My courgettes and sweetcorn are taking a battering on the allotment this windy weekend.

 

i read in my greenhouse book beware of courgettes they take up a lot of room.
well it was right mine have come on leaps and bounds, ive got three in one of the kids very large toy boxes two are just showing fruit the other ones gone beserk about 6 - 7 fruit on it 2 about 2 in long there all yellow which i presume are gold rush or do they all start yellow.