Growing Courgettes . . . It's So Easy, So Go On, Give It A Try

Yes, its official, I truly believe that growing courgettes rank amongst some of the easiest vegetables to grow at the allotment!

In fact, if asked to rank them for ease of growing I’d put them second after the humble tomato …

So, as I wait to harvest my first fresh courgettes this week, what’s to say about this vegetable to convince you that it’s worth growing if you’ve not done so before …

Courgette, Marrow, Squash, Zucchini … Cucurbita pepo

Just by looking at a courgette I’d guess you’d know it’s a member of the marrow family. In fact, originally people simply harvested the young marrows … However, the varieties that we now grow have been specifically bred as courgettes … but if you don’t get round to harvesting them, they will continue to grow until they reach marrow proportions.

Golden Dawn III – as the name suggests, a very bright yellow skin distinguishes this courgette variety.

Lebanese – a bit more unusual, this courgette has a very pale green skin and is shaped more like a ‘club’ than a typical courgette. De Nice a Rond Fruit – some variety here, with a round courgette which is ready to ear when it’s about the size of a tennis ball.

These, of course, are just the varieties we’ve chosen to grow … you’ll find loads more available from seed suppliers online.

Depending on where you live depends on what this vegetable is called … In the UK and New Zealand, it’s called a courgette – this comes from the French word ‘courgette’ used to describe this vegetable. In America and Australia, it’s called a zucchini – from the Italian word ‘zucchino’. Or simply use the Latin name ‘cucurbita pepo’.  

A Bit Of History …

The origins of the courgette are not clear. We know that it wasn’t widely eaten in Europe around the twentieth century … in fact in the UK it seems we only became aware of courgettes in the middle of the twentieth century. Native to America it’s thought that the first courgette plants were brought into Europe about the time of Christopher Columbus.

Growing Courgettes Is Simple …

We grew our courgettes earlier this year in our polytunnel. We started them off in pots and when they were large enough … and after we’d done pass the chance of frost … we planted them out in the allotment.

As I’ve mentioned, courgettes are really easy to grow. Their seeds are large so they’re easy to plant without overcrowding. You can start planting from around mid-March in the UK. Just make a hole in the compost with your finger or a dibber and plant about 1” deep. Cover over with compost, water and for extra protection cover the pots with fleece.

We started our plants undercover as it does give them the best start, but you don’t have to. You can plant the seeds directly into the ground where they’re going to grow. In the UK you can plant this way from about mid-May onwards … although if there’s still danger of frost, cover the planted area with a cloche or fleece to provide some weather protection.

You should space courgettes about 3’ apart … so if you’re planting the seeds directly into the ground put two seeds close together every 3’ and this lets you pick the strongest to leave in place when you’re growing. 

Pests to look out for which can affect your courgette plants are slugs and snails … but we’ve been fairly lucky this year and we’ve not been badly affected. In our allotment the worst pest for the courgettes has been our four legged friend who’s taken to lying on top of the plants! Luckily, we’ve only lost two plants this way … once the courgettes started to appear on the plants, she stopped … probably no longer as comfortable a bed!

Get Your Recipes Ready … Courgettes Grow Really Quickly!

I’ve actually found it reported that if the weather conditions are correct (it’s warm and sunny) a courgette can grow from a small flower, to a full sized courgette ready to pick in hours! Although, I’ve got to admit I’ve not seen that happening at the allotment this year … even with the glorious weather we’ve been having.

Depending on the weather, in the UK we can expect to be able to harvest courgettes from June until September. Try to pick the courgettes when they’re still quite small (the smaller the courgette the stronger the flavour) … most varieties you should aim to pick when they’re 4-8” in length.

Fancy Eating Flowers?

You can not only eat the courgette, you can also eat the flower. Select flowers which look firm, fresh and that are only slightly open. Although you can keep them in the fridge, you’re best to eat them on the day you pick them as they don’t keep well.

Unlike the courgette itself, you MUST cook the flowers before you eat them. You’ll need to remove the pistils from the flower, cut the stem close to the flower and wash and dry it before cooking.

If you’re tempted to give them a try there’s a wide variety of options for you … try frying them in batter, bake, sauté, use in soup or the larger flowers can be stuffed. 

Fruit Or Vegetable …

Although we all think of courgettes as being a vegetable … in fact they’re not, they’re a fruit. This is because the courgette we eat is the ripened ovary of the flower. Other fruits disguised as vegetables include the tomato (we knew that one …), the aubergine, peppers and being closely related to the courgette (so we should have guessed these) the cucumber, pumpkin, and squash.

What’s In It For You?

Courgettes provide you with a wide range of vitamins including A and C, together with folic acid and potassium. They’ve got a high water content and are low in calories – about 18 calories per 100g.