courgette varieties

[gamblesgreenhouse]

i am looking at the seed website for ideas of varietites of courgettes to grow next year.
I have grown all green bush and goldrush for the last 2 years with poor results and want to try something new next year.
I want to grow the plants in a raised bed next year and live in Rossendale Valley in Lancashire.
I am wondering if anyone can advise of suitable varieties for growing in cooler northern areas?

Vic

Also whilst away last weekend in Leicester we saw in Abbey Park LOADS of courgettes growing in an area near to the cafe,they seemed to be more bushy than ours.Are there both trailing and bush varieties of courgette??????

[ginger ninger]

Hi Vic, firstly welcome to the vine.
Secondly...yes there's both trailing and bush courgettes. As to which variety you'll be able to grow really all depends on how much space you have for them, I wouldn't recommend trying to grow a trailing courgette if you only have a small amount of room. I personally prefer a bush type such as "Soleil" or " Parador" there a yellow courgette and crop really well, also "Defender" this is a green bush courgette also very heavy cropping. Everyone has there own favourite courgette so you should get a varied response to your question. Hope this helps you .

[rustylady]

Defender did really well for me last year. This year I bought a pack of mixed courgettes from Unwins - Tristar, which contained the varieties Atena, Cavali & Zucchini. I presume Zucchini was the green one, which cropped moderately. The other varieties were yellow and white (actually pale green). The yellow cropped well, but the white was amazing. The only fault with it was that the courgettes turned into marrows with amazing speed.

[zazen999]

Some years some do better than others; there's no guarantee......what types do the people round your way grow?

[Two_Sheds]

Gold Rush did really well for me this year; Green Bush less well. Black Beauty used to be prolific for me, but I prefer yellow courgettes (easier picking)

[zazen999]

See for me; this year GreenBush was great for me and GoldRush was pants......

[rustylady]

I think the answer is to grow at least a couple of varieties - hedge your bets as it were

[womble]

I live in a cold and windy place, much colder than it should be considering where I live in the country and after trialling about 10 different varieties over the last few years, the constant (almost) good cropper, grower, eater and stayer have been Verde de Italia from Real Seeds.
I should be on a blinkin retainer, considering how often I say these are good.

But they really are a fantastic courgette, I've not tried another that tastes anywhere near as good.

Please be aware that different people have different taste buds, just because I think they are the 2nd coming in the courgette world, doesn't mean you will. You may lose your home if interest repayments aren't kept up etc.

[chris]

black beauty & all green bush were good for me, my yellow soilel or something all died.... but I did neglect them!

[Jeanied]

I'm giving up on the traditional courgette from now on and only growing Serpente di Sicilia (from Seeds of Italy) which produces masses of long thin squash that can be used in just the same way as courgettes but it does not create a marrow if you miss one. It just grows longer and longer. It has the added advantage of growing up and over a fence rather than sprawl everywhere and it has beautiful large white flowers.

[gamblesgreenhouse]

thanks for all the advice, i will have to look at the seed catalogue again and see if i can find some of the ones mentioned. I will be trying 2 varieties to compare taste and quantity.

[smallblueplanet]

I'm giving up on the traditional courgette from now on and only growing Serpente di Sicilia (from Seeds of Italy) ...

Of the same 'type' I prefer Tromba d'Albenga, have tried serpente and thought it needed even warmer conditions than trombicino and was less prolific.

I really rate striato d'italia (prolific & tasty) and a new one for this year Lungo Fiorentino (unusual ribbed fruit but tasty and makes a good 'marrow' too) plus Bianco di Trieste (a 'white' courgette of the 'middle eastern' strain) which is mega prolific & tasty too. Have had huge numbers of courgettes this year, there's still some growing too.

I see that all three varieties can be bought from here:

Original Touch - Italian Courgette seeds

Oh and Tromba di albenga too (on offer)

http://www.originaltouch.co.uk/acata...i_Albenga.html

[vegetable-gardener]

We grew the yellow round variety. And just an ordinary green one. They were both very prolific this year. Though last year my courgettes were rubbish. I think it just depends on the year more then the variety.

[StephenH]

I had fantastic results with 'All Green Bush' last year, my first year of growing my own, and this year have done reasonably well with 'Tondo di Piacenza', a spherical variety, from 'Real Seeds', though it wasn't as productive as AGB (mind you, I only had one plant of it, whereas I had two of AGB). I'm trying TdP again next year, from my own saved seeds, because one fruit grew to a full-size marrow.
I suspect that zazen999 is right, and there's a fair element of chance as to what does well in what year.
There are some courgettes which have marked square ridges and hollows running their length, so that they look like cog-wheels in cross-section, when sliced. I'm all for novelties, so does anyone know of such a variety which isn't an F1? The only one I've seen advertised is an F1, so wouldn't come true from seed, and I might want to save seed.

[smallblueplanet]

...
There are some courgettes which have marked square ridges and hollows running their length, so that they look like cog-wheels in cross-section, when sliced...

Lungo Fiorentino - they are a 'ribbed' courgette. Grew them for the first time this year, will definately be growing them again.

Original Touch Lungo Fiorentino