Growing Courgettes is easy if you follow a few simple tips.
- Keep Courgettes well watered and fed, they grow quickly and are the main constituent is water.
- Feed twice a week with a liquid feed such as Tomorite or Phostrogen
- Keep them slug free or the fruit will be eaten first. The spiny leaves will be left for a later snack but that won’t help you.
- There are male and female flowers on each plant. The female has a baby fruit behind it see picture above and when pollinated it will swell and grow.
- The male flower just has a slim stalk but can pollinate several females. (see below).
- If there are no insects you can gently put the male pollen into the open female flower which will then close after fertilization.
- Pick the Courgettes when young and small. They will have more flavour and it will encourage more fruit.
- White powdery mildew can be a problem on the leaves but I do not treat it with chemicals. Remove badly infected leaves.
- Courgettes will plump up into marrows if left on the vine.
- Flowers are delicate yet turgid when young and can be eaten, often stuffed.
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