Courgettes can be very prolific and two plants grown properly will feed not only your immediate family but half the village as well. They perform best in fertile ground that has received compost the previous winter, they can also be grown in a pocket of soil on compost and manure heaps and in large pots.

They are not frost hardy so seed is best started off in 3” pots in the greenhouse during late April and May and planted out during June and early July after the risk of frost has passed; allow about 120cm (4’) between plants.

Wind protection for the first week they are planted such as a cloche or a simple barrier of Rockalene plus slug precautions will allow the plants to get established very quickly.

Once flower starts showing try not to let the plants run dry and pick regularly, this will keep them cropping longer. Courgettes are hungry feeders and respond to any spare liquid feed you might be giving to other crops.

Try to pick all courgettes as soon as they are useable, if you can’t use them give them away it doesn’t take long for that dainty 5” fruit to turn into a colossal marrow.

Three varieties I have found very reliable are: –

• Defender – green – prolific over a long period, good resistance to mosaic virus.
• Orelia – yellow-crops for a long while, flesh remains firm when cooked.
• Atena – yellow-very prolific

Just a thought. Courgettes are very prolific and a glut can be difficult to use or offload. Some gardeners might be able to use more but I see no point in growing more than two plants, I plant one green fruiting and one yellow. If more space needs planting consider filling it with another cucurbit such as squash the crop from which once ripened can be stored and used in so many ways through the winter.

Early cultivation for squashes is as above, late summer, cut the growing laterals back to prevent late blossom which won’t have time to develop, support the fruits off damp soil on a piece of tile or brick and harvest before the first frost. If necessary, continue ripening in a greenhouse.

Reliable varieties of butternut squashes are Hunter, Harrier and Butterscotch.

Crown Prince is a good round one.

All keep well into winter if stored in a ventilated and frost-free shed.