My first post. My first question. Courgette query, can you help?

[AMcK]

Hi all.

Hope you are all well. This is my first year growing vegetables/herbs/flowers. I am a complete newbie to all this however I have got the addictive bug that I similarly have when I play golf. I really am not sure where this passion for vegetable gardening came from but I am loving getting out picking the vegetables with my two young boys and seeing them eat it and enjoying it. My friends think I am having some kind of crisis following my divorce 

Anyway, little introduction over, time for my question. I have 2x 4x4ft SFG and have a courgette plant in 1. The leaves are looking well except one that is underneath that has wilted. Does this leaf need to be removed? The plant has just produced a male flower, it opened and now this has wilted which I believe is normal.

Appreciate any help you can give

Thanks

[Jeanied]

As long as it is growing strongly you won't have much to worry about. I would take off any wilted leaves as they won't do the plant any good and can introduce mould - similarly the fading flowers can sometimes introduce rot to the end of the fruit. Just keep an eye on it and give it lots of tlc in the form of feed and water.

[AMcK]

Thanks for that Jeanied. I have cut it off just below the leaf. It is a very healthy plant and it seems to be growing well. I have never used any feed, what would you recommend? I am using Mel Bartholomew's SFG method reference his soil mix recommendation and I am sure I read in his book that no feed was needed???

[Two_Sheds]

I've never fed my courgettes, I wouldn't want them to be any more prolific than they already are

[Bigmallly]

Hello & welcome to the vine, there are a few on here who like to grow SFG method. I personally wouldn't have put Courgettes in as they grow too big, unless you put it in one of the squares on a corner so it can sprawl outwards.

[AMcK]

Thanks Bigmally. Yeah I have put them in a corner slot but I am planting them upwards to save space. I went away for a weeks leave and all I did for a full week (prior to starting vegetable gardening) was read and watch videos on different methods of growing veg. I'll keep you posted if they are a success or not.

I think I will hold off feeding them Two_Sheds and see how they go this year.

[teakdesk]

Thanks Bigmally. Yeah I have put them in a corner slot but I am planting them upwards to save space.

Some varieties of courgettes are quite compact. I've grown three very (too) productive plants in a 1x4 feet bed without training before now.

I have trained rambling squash over bushes in my front garden in the past and will probably have to do some upwards training with some late planted squash that are too near to the leeks!