Packet Content (approx.): 15

Courgettes are an easy to grow summer crop which produce abundant fruits as well as brightly coloured and versatile yellow flowers. The fruit can be sliced and eaten raw in salads, baked, roasted, grilled, fried or added to pasta dishes. 

Courgette Green Bush is a great plant you can start picking in as little as 6 weeks. Courgette plants are prolific and will grow in abundance almost anywhere, good flavour and brightens up any dinner plate. Pick regular whilst small (10 -15cm long) to get the best courgettes.

Sowing:

• Sow courgette seed indoors from April to May for transplanting later on, or direct sow outdoors from late May to June.
• Prepare the soil in early spring by adding plenty of well rotted farmyard manure to improve its structure and fertility.

• Indoors, sow seed at a depth of 2cm (¾") in 7.5cm (3") pots of free-draining, seed sowing compost. Place in a propagator or seal container inside a plastic bag at a temperature of 20-25C (68-77F) until germination which takes 5-7 days. Do not exclude light, as this helps germination.

• Once germinated, grow courgettes on in cooler conditions until all risk of frost has passed and courgette plants are large enough to be transplanted.

• Gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over 7 - 10 days before planting courgettes outdoors in rich fertile, well drained soil in full sun at a distance of 90cm (36") apart. Cover with a protective netting or fleece to prevent attack from birds and insects. When growing courgettes, a thick mulch of organic matter spread around the plants will help to conserve moisture at the roots.

• Alternatively direct sow courgettes outdoors at a depth of 2cm (¾") and a distance of 90cm (36") apart. Sow 2 seeds per hole and thin out the weakest seedling per station after germination.

An easy to grow and low maintenance plant that will give confidence to the first time gardener as it produces bucket loads of veg.

Plant out in mid - late May when the chance of frost has passed. Incorporate plenty of organic matter to feed the plant and help retain water.

As they are hungry feeders, feed them every 14 days with a potash rich fertilizer. Keep well watered but do not wet the fruit.

Harvest:

July to October. Pick fruit regularly to prolong cropping. The flowers can be picked before this

Suitable for the garden, allotments and containers.

Be prepared to water well and supplement feed with high-potash feed during season. Regular feeding is recommended.