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Care of Courgettes and Zucchini
With all the sowing / planting of your courgettes
(zucchini) completed their care needs are very simple. Keep them
well-watered and fed. They grow so quickly that watering will be
essential when the weather is warm and dry.
Feeding is best done with a liquid feed about once every two
weeks. Regular weeding will prevent competition for food and water. Pollination
Pollination is not normally a problem for courgettes
and zucchini as the picture on the right illustrates. Just
click the picture to see an enlarged version with the bees.
However in windy weather it may be necessary to hand pollinate,
this will also be necessary if growing in a greenhouse or under
cloches. To hand pollinate, identify a female and a male flower (see
below).
See in the pictures above that female flowers have a thickening
immediately below the flower. In contrast the male plants have a
straight stem below the flower. Click any of the pictures to see them
more clearly. Don't be concerned if you only see male flowers. They always appear
first, female flowers will soon appear. Strip the petals of a nearby
male flower and place the central part into the central part of the
female flower. Gently brush them together. HARVEST Either cut them off with a sharp knife or twist them off with your
hands. COURGETTE RECIPES
COURGETTE SOUP
A layer of grass-cuttings or well-rotted compost on the soil around
(but definitely not touching) your plants will conserve moisture and
help prevent weeds.
Female flower 1
Female flower 2
Male flower 2
Harvest courgettes / zucchini when they are
about 10cm (4in) long. Let them grow longer and they will gradually turn
into marrows and loose their taste and texture. By harvesting young you
will encourage more fruit to appear.
Courgettes are so prolific that it's difficult to know how to use them some
times. Click any one of the recipes below for a tasty meal using courgettes.
COURGETTE FRITTATA
SWEET AND SOUR VEGETABLES
CHICKEN AND PASTA SOUP
Name: jim@GardenAction
E-mail: webmaster@gardenaction.co.uk
Date posted: December 17, 2011 - 06:13 am
Message: Slug pellets are made of an edible bait attractive to slugs and snails plus a stomach and contact poison like metaldehyde. They will not harm your plants but keep pets away.
Name: Angel
E-mail: ronnie_girl@windowslive.com
Date posted: December 16, 2011 - 02:46 pm
Message: This is me again... The deterrent I mentioned in the last message I sent, they are pellets.
Name: Angel
E-mail: Private
Date posted: December 16, 2011 - 02:41 pm
Message: Have been using a snail & slug deterrent called Baysol which is almost the same as Blitzem. Does anyone know whether it would be harmful to my vegetable crop? My vegetables are thriving and I am absolutely thrilled and would like it to stay that way is possible for as long as is possible...?
Name: alan
E-mail: alan-lee@tiscali.co.uk
Date posted: July 09, 2011 - 05:29 am
Message: my courgette plants leaves look healthy but the courgette itself is very soft and when touched falls off the plant, can you help.