Courgettes

Courgettes – and also marrows – have to be the first choice for beginners to vegetable growing. They grow quickly and produce masses of fruit without too much trouble. As a bonus, they are really attractive plants with big leaves and stunning yellow flowers that can also be eaten, especially lightly battered and deep-fried!

Varieties

‘Cavili F1’: This variety produces very pale green fruits and is parthenocarpic, meaning it will produce fruit even if the flowers are not pollinated. It is said to have a creamier flesh texture than the more usual dark-skinned courgettes.

‘Defender F1’: Produces excellent yields if you keep cutting the fruits.

‘Kojac F1’: If you don’t like harvesting courgettes because of their prickly stems then grow this one. It has an open habit and hardly any spines.

‘Orelia F1’: Long yellow fruits on vigorous plants. Good disease resistance.

‘Parthenon F1’: This is also parthenocarpic, but is the more usual dark green type.

Growing tips

Sowing and planting

Courgettes and marrows are tender vegetables so are usually sown in containers and kept in warm conditions until planting out at the end of May or the beginning of June.

Use either large-celled seed trays, or small 9cm/3½in pots, filled with a multi-purpose or a John Innes seed or No. 1 compost, and sow one seed per cell or pot. Place the pots on a warm windowsill or in a propagator.

Check them daily, as they are very quick to germinate. If too warm, the stems stretch very quickly, making them top heavy. Once they have germinated, move to cooler conditions, such as the greenhouse or a cold frame, to grow on. Watch out for slugs as courgettes are a particular favourite of theirs.

When all danger of frost has passed, by about the end of May/beginning of June, the courgettes and marrows can be planted outside.

Growing on

Courgettes and marrows like a fertile soil. Some gardeners grow them on old muck heaps, which is fine if the manure is old. New manure heaps will be too ‘hot’ in terms of temperature and richness and may scorch the leaves.

In your plot, dig a 30cm/1ft deep hole with a similar diameter and fill with garden compost or well-rotted manure. Then heap a half mix of soil and compost into the hole to form a mound. Plant the courgette or marrow into a hole at the top. Make sure you plant deep enough to support the stem. Sometimes they can be a bit floppy at this stage so, if necessary, tie the stem to a small stake. One problem after planting is wind battering the young plants, shredding the leaves and snapping the weak stems.

Container growing

You can grow a courgette or marrow plant in a large pot – either a large bucket size or even better a 60cm/2ft diameter container. Fill the pot with a mix of multi-purpose compost and some garden compost if you have it. Plant one courgette plant only in this size container and place in a warm sunny spot. Keep the plant well watered, especially once the fruits begin to form.

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In the kitchen

Marrows and courgettes are as redolent of summer as tomatoes and equally as good in salads or pasta dishes. Courgettes are best cut when small, ideally when only 10–13cm/4–5 in long. If you have several plants you will find that you can be picking fruits every day. If the courgettes are left to grow into marrows, the plants tend to stop flowering as much, resulting in a reduced crop.

Preparation and cooking: Old marrows can become hollow, seedy and bitter. The tastiest flesh is close to the skin, so dry centres can be removed. The flowers are edible and a real gourmet treat; a delicacy stuffed with soft cheese and deep-fried. The fresh, mild flavours are perfect with seasonal soft green herbs such as mint, basil and parsley.

Rinse courgettes thoroughly, top and tail then slice as required. Eat raw in salads or steam, roast or soften in a little butter and toss with pasta. Courgettes are great simply sliced and fried in butter. Courgettes and marrows also make great wine, jam or pickle and chutney. Stuffed marrow is another popular dish. The fruits are cut into sections, the centre scooped out and filled with part-cooked mince, onion and tomato, or other ingredients to taste, and then baked.

Storage ands freezing: Courgettes and marrows will store in a fridge for about a week, but this crop is such a prolific producer of fruits during the height of the season you can harvest and eat fresh fruits daily.

Courgettes can be frozen, but marrows are not as suitable. Small courgettes can be sliced and blanched for a couple of minutes before removing and draining off excess water. Pat dry with some kitchen towel before placing in bags and freezing. If you open freeze them on trays first, before putting into bags, they won’t stick together.

Cucumbers

The traditional long, smooth varieties need to be grown in a warm, almost hot, humid atmosphere such as greenhouse or polytunnel conditions. Some of the smaller-fruited more prickly types can be grown outside. Many of the greenhouse varieties available are now all-female plants, which means there are no male flowers to remove.

Varieties

The old-fashioned varieties produce male and female flowers on the same plant and if the female flowers are pollinated by pollen from the male flowers, the resulting fruit are often bitter. Some of the outdoor types still produce male and female flowers, but don’t need the male flowers removing.

‘Carmen F1’: An all-female variety that has an RHS Award of Garden Merit. It also has good disease resistance and fruits are produced in profusion.

‘Cupino’: Another all-female variety that produces very small cucumbers. It is best in a greenhouse but can be grown outside.

‘Long White’: A pure white form that can be grown outside. It has a thin skin and so peeling is not necessary. Do not remove male flowers.

‘Swing’: A new variety that is good for indoors and out. The fruits are slightly prickly and about 20cm/8in long.

Growing tips

Sowing and planting

Sow seeds about 1cm/½in deep in multi-purpose compost in small individual 9cm/31⁄2in pots or in cell trays. Water well and place in a propagator at 24°C/ 75°F. It is important for cucumbers to have good warm conditions to germinate.

Once the seedlings are through, reduce the temperature slightly and place in a well-lit spot to grow on. If sowing in February grow on indoors at no lower than 15°C/60°F. If you want to grow on in a greenhouse at this time of year, some heat will be required. Sow in April if your greenhouse is not heated.

The plants may need potting on into 13cm/5in pots once they outgrow their small pots. Keep in warm conditions at this stage to encourage new growth.

Growing on

By about May the plants will be ready for transplanting in the greenhouse, either into the borders or preferably into a special raised bed filled with layers of manure and sterilised soil or compost. Or in growbags – the compost is perfect for cucumbers. The problem with growing directly in the greenhouse border is the possible build up of disease.

Outdoor varieties can be planted out in June into soil earthed up in mounds with plenty of farmyard manure or garden compost incorporated. The outdoor ones are usually best left to trail along the ground but the greenhouse cucumbers should be tied upright to wires or canes. Use soft string to tie up the stems on a regular basis to keep them well supported.

Feed the plants weekly with a high nitrogen feed, such as dried blood or a general-purpose feed. Once the growing tip of the plant has reached the greenhouse roof, remove it. The side shoots growing off the main stem will bear the female flowers. These can also be ‘stopped’ by removing the growing tip about two leaves beyond a female flower. This will encourage all the plant’s energy to go into swelling the fruit.

Keep the greenhouse well ventilated on hot sunny days and dampen down the floor regularly as cucumbers love a humid atmosphere.

Container growing

Cucumbers can be grown individually in 25cm/10in diameter pots, filled with John Innes No. 3 compost, or two to a growbag. The cucumbers will still need the support of a framework of canes. It may be useful to place the growbags or pots against a fence or wall and secure the plants with string. Sow the appropriate variety to avoid the collapse of stems when the plants are large. Water often to maintain growth.

Fact file

Calendar

In the kitchen

Cucumber is loved for its crispness and fresh flavour and is a favourite for summer salads. It is best harvested when the cucumbers are small, especially the outdoor variety, which can become a bit leathery if left on the plant too long.

Preparation and cooking: Skin can be tough and bitter, so it’s best removed before use. Peel the tough, stringy, green fibres off with a serrated peeler. To reduce the water content, slice the cucumber lengthways and scoop out the watery seeds with a teaspoon. Seeds make dressings run and sandwiches soggy.

Cucumber is refreshing sliced thinly in salads and delicious with summer herbs, especially mint and dill. Diced and mixed with a little soured cream or yogurt, with dill and garlic, it makes a tasty dip. Chill peeled cubes of cucumber in the fridge or freezer. They are mostly water, so frost over quickly and can be dropped into drinks instead of ice. Cucumber can also be enjoyed hot: peel and dice, then fry in hot butter until just soft. Season to taste and enjoy with fish or in salads and soups.

Storage and freezing: In a fridge cucumbers will store for a week or more. They are not suited to freezing as they become mushy when thawed.