How do I know my courgettes are ready for picking?

[Samuel1988]

Afternoon all,

One of my plants has a niced size courgette growing and I was wondering how big will it grow/when will it be ready to be picked?

Thanks for your time,

Samuel

[binley100]

Don't turn your back on it else it'll be the size of a labrador in next to no time ..

[PyreneesPlot]

Pick it when it as at the size that you want to eat.
Don't wait - labrador? Small cows have been found beneath courgette leaves!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Pick them when you are thinking 'oh, I'll must pick that courgette tomorrow'.

PS glad it's not only me whose fingers have a tendency to type a second 'r' in the word courgette!

[Samuel1988]

A fellow plot holder said around 15 cm as being when they are the most sweetest?

Have a nice selection of different sizes - quite chuffed as first time growing them. And don't they grow fast! I think I'll do best with some eyes in the back of my head

[Potstubsdustbins]

I never let them go above about 5 to 6 inches in length, you get loads of them so small and sweet is the way to go.

Potty

[veggiechicken]

I like to pick them when there's still a bit of flower on the end. Varies a bit with the variety but that's my rule of thumb

[Hazel at the Hill]

My rule of thumb is that if i see a courgette growing which I think 'oh, that'll be ready tomorrow', I cut it today. I am trying to avoid the 'woah! Where did THAT come from!!' school of massive courgette harvesting.

I read once (J Seymour?) that the taste of a courgette is a fixed thing - but the size of the courgette varies, therefore, the bigger the courgette, the more 'dilute' the taste.

In essence, as the others have said about 6" with the flower still attached is where you want to be.

[petep]

Interesting reading. This is my first year growing courgettes (first year growing anything, if I'm honest), and I've been amazed at how fast and big they grow if you leave them a day or two.

I've harvested a few one day and checked to see that the rest are coming along, then the next day they're massive again.

The biggest so far was longer than a Pringles tube and almost as thick. I've had a few shorter but even thicker.

I'll try a few much smaller ones and maybe chutney the biggest ones since they'll be getting extra flavouring anyway.


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[Nicos]

We have started only growing the yellow ones.
If /when we have a glut you can still pass them onto peeps!....and also they are easier to spot when they are getting bigger

I have found it useful to let a few get huge at the end of the season so as to be able to store them for a few months in a cool dark place.

Out of interest- has anyone ever left a round one to get bigger?...how big can they get to?

[scarey55]

I did, Nicos. I had one that got to the size of a football last year!

[roitelet]

We have started only growing the yellow ones.
If /when we have a glut you can still pass them onto peeps!....and also they are easier to spot when they are getting bigger

I have found it useful to let a few get huge at the end of the season so as to be able to store them for a few months in a cool dark place.

Out of interest- has anyone ever left a round one to get bigger?...how big can they get to?

Bigger than a football!!!!!

[veggiechicken]

Sounds like a new category for the VVS - the Largest Round Courgette - proof of size and weight required

[Scott Hogg]

The problem if you leave them is that they turn into Marrows. The lovely courgette taste disappears. I harvest at around 15cm.

[Bren In Pots]

Don't forget to check under the leaves because I find that's where the monster sized ones hide.