Growing Courgettes..

[thegoodlife]

Hi

I had been given a small courgette plant in a pot which I have been growing on my kitchen window over the weekend. It was growing leaves at a rapid rate and so I decided yesterday to plant it out in the garden.. In terms of the ground outside, our soil is very stony, hard and clay like. So I dug a trench about half a foot deep and then filled the trench with multi purpose compost. I watered the compost and I then planted it in the middle of this compost and put some slug pellets around, I then watered it again last thing at night..
However, since I planted it out, it doesn't seem to have grown at all, have I done something wrong!
How quickly should it grow and produce folwers and courgettes?
Any help would be welcomed!..

[Finedon.Dandy]

Its been a bit of a shock to it being planted out - give it some time to settle in and it should be fine.

[thegoodlife]

OK great, thank you.
Is watering it at night the best idea? And how much water? Shoudl I use Tomato feed also?

[shirlthegirl43]

Don't worry about feeding it until it is producing. Only water if it is dry, courgettes go limp if they are thirsty - a good soaking every few days is better than a dribble every day as it encourages the roots to dig down and find water thus giving a stronger plant.

[zazen999]

Hi
It won't have grown overnight - you have changed its growing conditions without it getting used to being outside. Plus it is colder outside than inside.

Just water it during the evening [avoiding the leaves if you can], on a really hot day and every other evening when it isn't so hot. If it looks a bit wilty, you can water it a bit more. Use tomato feed once a week once it has fruit.

Edited to add: bingo! or is it snap.

[thegoodlife]

Thank you.. That helps a lot.. I shall perservere and keep you posted.. :-)

[armadillo]

I find they're partial to a nice manure mulch too!

[Flummery]

For future reference (I hate it when someone says that to me!) it's best to let a plant acclimatise to outdoor conditions. You do this by putting it outide in the day and bringing it back in at night for a week or 10 days. Then leave it out all the time for another few days (unless there's a frost forecast). By this time it's virtually coping out there on its own anyway. Then you plant it out. In the meanwhile, if it seems to have outgrown its accommodation a bigger pot is in order. (Whoops, got the i and the u mixed up first time round in the pot size there!)
As it is, it will need a few days to get used to it. Must be like being born - all that cosy warm darkness then they shove you out into the noisy, cold light!

[Alice]

Where are you in the country Goodlife ? It's quite early for courgettes to be planted out. I'm still putting mine out during the day and bringing them in at night. I have sometimes put them out early in the past, but I covered them with fleece at night. Maybe you could try that.

[rustylady]

However, since I planted it out, it doesn't seem to have grown at all, have I done something wrong!
How quickly should it grow and produce folwers and courgettes?
Any help would be welcomed!..

Give it a chance, it needs to settle into it's new home. It will probably take a few days for it to get comfy and start growing again.

[thegoodlife]

Thank you for all your advice, I'm trying to be patient!.. Well my plant is still adjusting to the Coventry climate.. Just warding off the slugs at the moment!..

[joey]

My courgettes are just getting their first flower buds, which I'm really pleased about. There are a few little holes on one of the plants and my rabbit ate a leaf, but they are looking healthy.

[Two_Sheds]

As Flummery said, you need to harden off everything that is going to be plunged from inside to outside ... you'd sulk too if you were plucked from your nice warm sitting room and dumped into a cold, windy garden.

[thegoodlife]

OK, I think I may have failed.. I understand all the advice about introducing to the outside world and I will do that next time. However, now, although a few little leaves are growing, the leaves that are already fully grown are droopy and limp.. I thought someone said that would be due to needing water but it's rained so much here that I don;t think lack of water has been a problem.. What can I do!?!..