Transferring courgette from garden to allotment

[welshboypaul]

Hi

I have a green bush courgette growing in my garden and it is taking over the place. I would like to transfer it to my new allotment plot. What are the dangers of digging it up and transferring it? It would likely be out of the ground for no more than 3/4 hour.

Is there are a best way to ensure that it survives and continues to flourish after transfer?

Any advice welcomed.

Thanks

[Two_Sheds]

It could well die. The roots are shallow & fragile - I wouldn't do it. If you did want to give it a go, take as large an amount of soil with it around the roots, then puddle it in well when you get there

[welshboypaul]

Thanks Two Sheds - what do you mean by puddle it in? Assume you mean make sure that the soil it goes into is moist and well prepared?

[Florence Fennel]

I'm afraid TS is right, courgettes don't like being disturbed once they are happily growing away. I've tried this before and it hasn't worked. Puddling in is filling the planting hole with water before you put the plant in and watering it after it's in. Good luck if you do try it.

[Two_Sheds]

Thanks Two Sheds - what do you mean by puddle it in?

As FF says (and this is how I plant everything):

- dig a hole
- pop your plant in
- fill hole with water, let it drain away
- backfill hole with soil, firm the plant in


I never put the plant in and then water afterwards. It works because the water goes where you want it, down to the roots. It makes the roots follow the water down, deeper.
Water the surface of the soil is bad imo because it encourages evaporation, slugs, weeds, and is wasteful

[welshboypaul]

Thanks for the advise both. I have to give it a go - I have a second growing in a large pot, worst case scenario means I lose 50% of my plants. Alternative is losing 50% of my garden ;-).

One last question - is it too late in the year to buy a plant from a garden centre and plant out in the event that mine does die? Should I still get a decent crop?

[chris]

You could sow a couple courgette seeds now WBP. If you do want to get ahead, buying young plants is fine yes. If your ground is fertile they'll grow very fast. My father in law direct sowed some late June the year before last and they overtook my earlier sown courgettes.

He prepped the bed they went in with well rotted manure and compost in layers then mixed it all up. It was enourmous, it cropped extremely heavily too. They do like a lot of good compost to grow in/through..