From a Worcester Allotment: Growing Courgettes

Courgettes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow and will rarely disappoint.
Give them decent soil and plenty of water, and each plant will produce up to 20 fruits (they're small, summer squashes - baby marrows in fact).
There are plenty of these prolific performers to choose from, and not all of them green and straight. You could try a yellow, white or striped variety, or even an attractive ball-shaped courgette.
The plants themselves come in two types.

The majority grow as relatively compact bushes.
A select few climbing or trailing varieties, such as Tromboncino and Black Forest, can be trained up supports or over archways.

You'll need to be vigilant once the young fruits start to develop, as they can grow to harvest size within a couple of days.
Pick them regularly and they'll crop for most of the season.
The flowers can also be stuffed as an attractive gourmet treat.

Courgettes prefer heavier soils; they do best in positions where there is shelter from cold winds and they must have a sunny site.
When preparing the ground, add plenty of manure and compost where the plants are to grow.
Begin by digging a trench 4 in. (101mm) deep put in the manure then dig another putting the soil from this into the first trench.
This will form a ridge; the courgettes can be planted into the ridges, 3 ft. (90cm) apart.

You can buy courgettes as young plants but they are so easy to grow from seed that it seems pointless to run to the extra expense.
If you have a greenhouse, cold frame or well-lit windowsill, seeds should be sown now.
Otherwise, sow them directly outdoors in May, when frost is less likely.
If starting the seedlings of indoors, then sow the seed mid March through to late May.

Put two seeds into each pot ½ in. (12mm) deep, at a temperature of 65 to 70 deg F. (18 to 21 deg C.) the weaker one can be removed if they both germinate.
Harden off the young plants by putting the first sowing into cold frames at the end of May.
Plant them out after about two or three weeks along the ridges when the chance of frost has passed.

Sowing direct into the ground, perhaps into ridges, where they are to grow involves sowing two seeds per station.

The sowing can be done in mid May until early June at about 3 ft. (90cm) apart.
When the seeds have germinated they can be thinned out removing the less vigorous seedling.

Water the pots well before planting out.
Avoid holding the plants by their stems as they are easily bruised causing them irreparable damage.
If the weather is cool cover each plant with a cloche for the first week to give them a little warmth and protection.
A useful technique is to use a half of a clear plastic 5 litre mineral water bottle.

Cut the bottle into half, the bottle makes two excellent cloches.
The top half, whilst giving protection also allows air and moisture through the neck of the bottle onto the plants.
To prevent flying insects entering through the neck, you may want to secure a small piece of fleece with an elastic band.

Plenty of water is essential, especially when the plants are in flower and then when the fruits have started to swell. Mulch to lock in moisture.
If you dig in plenty of manure before planting, additional feeding is unnecessary on heavy, fertile soil.
On sandy or light soil, regular drenches with a liquid feed will help boost production.
Cold conditions could restrict the activity of pollinating insects and so the fruits may fail to set.
Should pollination failure happen, it may be necessary to assist with pollination by removing a male flower and gently brushing it against the female flowers, which can be distinguished from those of the male, by the slight swelling behind the flower.

To keep plants productive you need to harvest courgettes about three times a week at the height of the season.
Harvest courgettes when they are about 10cm (4in) long.
Let them grow longer and they will gradually turn into poor marrows and loose their delicate taste and texture.
By harvesting young you will encourage more fruit to appear.
Either cut them off with a sharp knife or twist them off with your hands.

Wash the courgettes and dry them with kitchen paper.
Slice them to about 2.5cm (1 inch) thick - do not peel them.
Prior to freezing, the courgettes should be cooked.
Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the sliced courgettes on a low heat until tender (about 5 minutes).
Place the cooked courgettes on a tray and allow them to cool.
Pack them in a freezer bag, separating usable portions with cling film.
Place the labelled and dated bag in the freezer.
They will keep for 3 months in a standard freezer.

Thursday, 22 July 2010