What should it look like????

[JLO'smum]

Hi all. I was given a seedling and told it was a courgette. It's grown really well and looks like one but where the fruit is growing behind the flower it looks like a green ping pong ball. Having never grown them I don't know if it should look like that or not, i've started to have doubts but hopefully it'll be fine I'm sure there's someone out there who can put me on the right track. Thanks in advance

[Pumpkin Becki]

That's exactly right JLO'smum. That's the female flower you can see, with the embryonic courgette behind it. Now you need a male flower to open so that the female flower will be pollinated and the 'ping pong ball' develop into a full size courgette. Pollination can be a bit hit and miss at the beginning of the cycle, so you may lose a few to begin with, but as the season progresses your plant should bear loads of courgettes for you.

[rustylady]

I like the description "green pingpong ball". It probably is a courgette, and you have to remember that you can get round courgettes as well as the more usual cylindrical shaped ones! Realseeds offer seeds for lots of different types.

[mrscorpio]

Having not grown them im not 100% sure but I believe the 'Courgette 8 Ball' variety produces 2" ball shaped courgettes.

I am growing the normal cigar shaped ones myself.

[HeyWayne]

but as the season progresses your plant should bear loads of courgettes for you.

That could be the understatement of the day.

[JLO'smum]

Thanks everyone. Don't really know what I expected one to look like but as long as you all say it's fine thats good enough for me. I think the 1st one wasn't pollinated as its gone squidgey but have at least two more forming so fingers crossed.

[JLO'smum]

My ping pong ball has grown into almost a tennis ball, i'm beginning to doubt it is a courgette. The colouring looks more like a marrow to me, do you think someone maybe got their seeds mixed up? I'm guessing the seeds are very similar.

[Brengirl]

I think mine is a courgette because the swelling behind the female flower definitely looks like one. I have pollinated them and they are now turning green.

[Jeanied]

It sounds like an 'eight ball' courgette JLM
bit like these?

[Bigmallly]

I'm rather embarrassed to show you mine........

[pjh75]

It sounds like an 'eight ball' courgette JLM
bit like these?

or a tondo di toscana?

[zazen999]

My ping pong ball has grown into almost a tennis ball, i'm beginning to doubt it is a courgette. The colouring looks more like a marrow to me, do you think someone maybe got their seeds mixed up? I'm guessing the seeds are very similar.

Courgettes are baby marrows

[JLO'smum]

Thanks again everyone. pjh75 at the minute I think it is a tondo di toscana, right shape and colouring. I never knew there was so much variety.