Courgette flowers

[vron]

I know this has probally been covered before, but I have had a search around and can't find what i am looking for.

We are growing a 'Black Beauty' courgette plant outside, it is already about 12"-15" across and doing very well except for 2 things.

1) There are many flowers/buds on the plant, both male and female (swellings behind females) and you can see the yellow of the flowers quite clearly.

The baby courgettes are about 1-1.5 inches long, but none of the flowers have opened, is this usual.

If and when they do open, do you remove any of the flowers and at what stage would you do this.

2) We have some mildew on the leaves, what should we do, the plant looks good otherwise. Should we try to protect it from any heavy downpours of rain or leave it to fend for itself.

This is our first attempt at courgette growing as only I like them.

It is in a re-cycle tub size 18"L x 15"w x 12"d

Please can you help and advise us.

Oh flipping eck its chucking it down with rain again.

[OverWyreGrower]

I'm fairly sure most of my courgette flowers didn't open fully... especially the ones attached to courgettes.

I only removed the flowers from the end of the courgettes if they were going really manky and hadn't already come off. The majority of the flowers which were attached to fruit just fell off.

P.S. It's my first year growing courgettes too!

[Flummery]

They seem to open and then shut fairly quickly. I'm at home in the day now and notice that they can open and close in the time I would have been at work!

If you are getting courgettes setting they are obviously open for long enough tfor the bees to do their stuff.

[rustylady]

Only pick the flowers off if they start rotting.

[HKCambridge]

I've come across some recipes using courgette flowers: does anyone know which flowers and when to pick them?

[number 1 suspect]

My mother inlaw is Sicilian and she does this every time she comes over

mix self raising or plian flour and water to make a thick paste (your chopice)
add rough chopped tomatoes
add salt and pepper
fresh basil
Courgette flowers (washed and chopped)
Egg as an optional extra
dollop small amounts into a pan with pre heated hot olive oil and fry till golden

As you can see its quite variable but if you play you will find what your prefer

As for which ones ..... any yellow ones :-) When? when the fruit have formed.

Martin

[Flummery]

I've heard of baking the small courgettes with the flower still attached and the open flower filled with stuffing. Seems very fiddly - catching your flower at that stage for e.g.! It also seems a waste when, if you give it a few more days you've got a courgette to get your teeth into!

[Hazel at the Hill]

... It also seems a waste when, if you give it a few more days you've got a courgette to get your teeth into!

I would think that one comes into it's own when you are thoroughly sick and tired of bl**dy courgettes!

[Flummery]

Hey, not me - I LOVE them! We had them last night and I also tried as an experiment some greens from the huge Japanese radishes we were eating for starters. They were extrememly nice. However, during the evening (at our choral society practice) I kept feeling that my lips were tingling a bit and thought the leaves were a tad spicy. It was ages later that I remembered that the courgettes were sliced and stir-fried in chilli oil! Der!!

[Paulottie]

If you make a tempura batter take a small courgette with the flowerer dip it and fry it- they are gorgeous.

If I remember right Hugh F-W. filled the flowers with a creamy,cheesy, oniony courgette goo before frying in batter.

[mrskp]

I would think that one comes into it's own when you are thoroughly sick and tired of bl**dy courgettes!

[momol]

We are growing a 'Black Beauty' courgette plant outside, it is already about 12"-15" across and doing very well except for 2 things...
The baby courgettes are about 1-1.5 inches long, but none of the flowers have opened, is this usual...

Hi Vron, I grow courgette too, it will be my seconde year of growing them. The flowers ( both male and female ) will open totally, like Flummery said, they usually open in the morning and at the afternoon close down again. I hapened to see my courgettes in bloom ( both male and female ), here is the photo...
I usually don't remove their flowers, they will drop by them self, if they don't and when it is too wet/ too moist ( due to very frequent rain) then you could take precoution by removing their flower to prevent rot ( but wait until the flower has wilt ).
As for mildew... it is difficult, you could try to remove the infected leaves, but usually it doesn't help... you really has to use chemical spray ( I never done that), when it happened, I would rather remove the whole plant and plant new seedling or plant something else ( but again, I am a bit too carefull, and not willing to take chances of preading mildew to my other plant ) But are you sure they are mildew ?

Cheers,
Momol

[Paulottie]

Powdery mildew was quite bad early this season. You cancut off the worst of it an spray but I wouldn't esp. if you are now getting courgettes. You would be better to start another plant and just let that one get on with it till your new plant is producing then chuck it out. It's always the same with them.

[augustina]

Thank You So Much For The Info On Courgettes,i Am Growing Them For The First Time And Am Devistated To See The Flowers Dropping Off With No Set,i Did Not Know That There Are Male And Female On The Same Plant,it Seems That The Male Flowers Have Formed First And Dropped,now With Close Inspection,i See There Are Male And Female
Still To Open By The Plenty,so My Plants In Pots On The Patio Still Might Give Me Food!!!!!,

[Alice]

It's usual for the male flowers to come first Augustina, quickly followed by the female flowers. Once the baby courgettes appear they grow quickly - so you'll have your courgettes very soon . Enjoy.