Watering Marrows

• Marrows are over 80% water and need plenty of watering when in full growth and the first fruits have set, at least 2 gallons per square yard per week or a gallon per plant per day.
• Plant a cane or marker with the baby plant or seed so you know where the roots starts. Half bury an empty plant pot so you can pour water into it to get water directly to the roots.
• Avoid splashing water on the stems of the young marrow plants.
• You can apply a moist mulch of grass cuttings or compost after watering. This helps conserve soil moisture and keeps the weeds down.

Pollinating Marrows

• If it is very cold, wet or windy while the plants are flowering then insect pollination is less likely to be successful.
• Hand pollination is the best method in these circumstances and when growing under glass. Rremove the petals from a male flower; push the core into the centre of the female flower.
• The female flowers are distinguished by the swelling below the bloom. Male flowers have a prominent phallus shaped central core, bearing yellow pollen. Male flowers may appear first but are regularly produced.

Harvesting Marrows

• Ripe marrows have hardened skin and make a hollow sound when rapped with the knuckles.
• Marrows mature quickly taking only two and a half months.
• Young marrows may have been picked when very small, as courgettes but at the beginning of Autumn harvest all marrows leaving a long stalk on each. Do not wait until they have been frosted.
• Store in nets suspended from a ceiling in a cool airy dry environment. They will keep for up to 6 months depending on variety.

Varieties to Grow

• Long Green trailing and Long White trailing marrows have scrabbling and climbing qualities.
• The Butternut is a trailer with cylindrical, orange fruit.
• Badge Cross and Tiger Cross and other seeds from Thompson & Morgan are a prolific F1 bush marrows.
• Long Green Bush is a most popular variety.
• Gourds tend to be grown as ornamentals.

Growing Giant Marrows 50lbs plus

• Marrows do not like to be too warm in summer  so grow outdoors.
• Big plants need 6ft by 10ft each!
• Roots are tender and those on the surface should be protected by duckboards.
• Soil should be deep dug and have a ph as near 6.2 as possible.
• Trailing mmarrows tend to be bigger but try get seed from large parents (other show winners)
• Sow in mid spring witha backup sowing 2 weeks later.
• Plant out into final possition when they have 6 leaves. Protect with a cloche initially.
• As the main stem grows along the ground cover  with soil to encourage more roots.
• Laterals should be pinched out when available space has been taken and the main stem can be turned back towards the root when it reaches 10 feet.
• Grow 3 fruit per plant on the main stem, remove and eat any small fruit from the laterals.
• Feed with high nitrogen 20N 10P 10K fertilizer all along the buried stem once a week and a weak foliar feed twice a week.
• Giant leaves will grow up to 2 feet high and wide and may need spraying every couple of weeks with an insecticide.

Good luck with growing your  giants.
Resources Top Ten Ball Shaped Round Courgette varieties