courgette and marrow

[greencrystal]

the wind had blown all my plants so they all got mixed up.......they have all been planted and are growing well.

problem is i cant tell the diffrence bettween the marrow and the courgetts.

i also have sqaush and pumpkin too. ha ha what a mix up. the squash and pumpin dosent matter as they are diffrent fruit.

just the marror and courgette i cant figure out...

any ideas ? xx

[rustylady]

Can you remember what varieties they were?

[maytreefrannie]

We grow courgettes - I thought a marrow was just a big courgette, one that the gardener didn't notice and grew on.

[rustylady]

We grow courgettes - I thought a marrow was just a big courgette, one that the gardener didn't notice and grew on.

There was a rather heated discussion on the Vine last year as I remember about this very subject. If courgettes are left to grow, they will certainly turn into something resembling a marrow. However there are different varieties available, some better for use small as courgettes, and some better for growing to marrow size.

[taff]

maybe a picture will help?

[bethduckie]

If it's stripy, it's PROBABLY a marrow. I say this because I ove courgetes but hate marrows, ugh... and would love to grow a lovely striped courgette purely for aesthetic purposes. But there you go never mind!

[Lotsaveg]

I always thought that an oversized courgette had a much tougher skin than a marrow. However, I usually grow large courgettes because they seem to cook better than marrows when stuffed.

[sewer rat]

Generally speaking, a courgette will throw out 99% of its growth and fruits from a central point whereas a marrow will grow more like a vine and have fruits at various points along the main stem and sideshoots. So wait til they are growing a bit and you should quickly find out which is which.

[King Carrot]

If it's stripy, it's PROBABLY a marrow. I say this because I ove courgetes but hate marrows, ugh... and would love to grow a lovely striped courgette purely for aesthetic purposes. But there you go never mind!

Try these - I grow them every year.

'Striato d'Napoli' Courgette
A good early courgette from Italy. Big bushy plants giving lots of long, pretty fruit with alternating light and dark green stripes.

Vegetable Seed : Courgettes & Summer Squash

[mothhawk]

Generally speaking, a courgette will throw out 99% of its growth and fruits from a central point whereas a marrow will grow more like a vine and have fruits at various points along the main stem and sideshoots. So wait til they are growing a bit and you should quickly find out which is which.

Always something new to learn...
That's why my marrows are marching off down the row of beans then. Bummer. I thought they'd sit in one place like courgettes, which I've grown before. Can I stop the runners at some point, or will they just go off in another direction if I do?

[Maccabee]

If it's stripy, it's PROBABLY a marrow. I say this because I ove courgetes but hate marrows, ugh... and would love to grow a lovely striped courgette purely for aesthetic purposes. But there you go never mind!

I was going to recommend a variety i'm growing, but these look much better. I'll have to give these a go next year. Wished i'd have know about the RSC back when i was ordering the majority of my seeds.

[bethduckie]

On my list for next year, thanks!