My courgettes...

[chris]

are pathetic!

2/3 my father in law sowed directly outdoors in a planter - top soil, manure, and compost mix - and his courgettes are massive. I'm jealous.

Next year, I think I may wait and sow directly once the ground warms up.. mine are in pots still, so I'm guessing that the richness of the mix, and the size of the planter gave him the sucess.

Do you sow direct, or ~May in pots?

Could be as I had so much on mind, doing the garden, GH, house etc - I probably neglected them!

[Bramble_killer]

i sowed mine in pots 3" and then move them on to 5" then plant out. I dig a hole twice the size of the pot, tip some manure in, a bit of soil pop the courgette in, some compost in and then backfill. I think I combined a lot of the tips on here

So far, it's been doing great and starting to produce courgettes.

I grew some last year in pots and they weren't quite as good as being grown in the ground. They did produce enough though.

[chris]

I think it's because they've been in my spare room for ages - from birth until 7inch pot size!

Ah well, there's always next year

[binley100]

I sowed some in pots then when I planted them out decided to sow some more as insurance and they're all pathetic looking and only having male flowers.. I gave some spare seed to my Dad He has them in growbags and they are hoooooge with fruit and big leaves etc. Mine are in the lovely composted soil at my lottie why do I bother? Next year I'll shove 'em in growbags.
I'm wondering if its because his are a different sort to mine. He has all Green Bush and mine are Defender and black Beauty .

[ginger ninger]

I've grown "Eight Ball & One Ball" this year, the 8 ball is doing great but the 1 ball is rubbish there both in the same raised bed with lot's of goody's dug into the soil. My cucumber's are rubbish this year as well.

[neil1280]

mine were in containers, i moved them farther up the patio out of full sun and they are doing much better have developed flowers just yesterday,

how can i tell if its a male or female flowers and is one better tahn the other?

[ginger ninger]

The female flower has a small courgette behind the flower, the male is all stalk.

[Bren In Pots]

mine were in containers, i moved them farther up the patio out of full sun and they are doing much better have developed flowers just yesterday,

how can i tell if its a male or female flowers and is one better tahn the other?

Neil here's a link to a photo :-

http://completegarden.files.wordpres...tification.jpg

the male pollinates the female flower so you both of them to get courgettes.

up to yet I've got lots of males

[womble]

I sowed some in pots then when I planted them out decided to sow some more as insurance and they're all pathetic looking and only having male flowers.. I gave some spare seed to my Dad He has them in growbags and they are hoooooge with fruit and big leaves etc. Mine are in the lovely composted soil at my lottie why do I bother? Next year I'll shove 'em in growbags.
I'm wondering if its because his are a different sort to mine. He has all Green Bush and mine are Defender and black Beauty .

I'm growing All Green Bush for the first time and it's ahead of all the others, including Black Beauty.
Not the best taste though.

[chris]

I'm growing 4 or so, they're all leggy as I left them too long indoors

Black Beauty, All Green Bush, Solelli (or something) and some bulbous thing *shrug*. All are rubbish, probably won't get anything from them - much like my toms.

[jackie j]

Sorry to tell you I have yet to have any problems with courgettes, glut every year. Long green bush and a yellow. picked one big and two smaller green yesterday and one small yellow. I start them off in pots one seed per pot, plant out when all frost has gone, I add to the hole some compost ( dig hole add compost put plant in back fill hole ). Works every time you do need to water a lot or place an empty plastic bottle with bottom cut off next to plant fill with water, water gets down to roots.