How to achieve upright courgette plants?

[Jayb]

It seems the White volunteer plant I'm growing is reaching for the sky all on its own! I'm not sure the pictures show it very well but the plant is going upwards rather than along the ground.

[Jayb]

[Digeroo]

I have some that have started that way, but in the end they fall over, so I am encouraging them with various stakes and canes.  So far managed to keep them off the carrots.  They seem to be doing well.  The lower leaves are getting tatty, I suppose on the ground they just get covered so you do not notice them, so I think I will remove them.

[Deb P]

The variety Pandora keeps itself neat and central, it's got yellow fruits and isn't spikey either!

Oh I am going senile.......after all that, the variety I meant to recommend is Parador not Pandora!! I've only just realized this after posting on another thread about sourcing some from Wallis seeds.....

On another point the trial growing courgettes vertically has been a success! It kept the leaves mildew free for longer and my plants are still cropping now, so I will do this from an earlier stage next year for sure.

[Jeannine]

I seem to remember growing an upright courgette when I was in the UK..it had a very strong stem.. I am not sure of the name but will try to find out..Ambassador keeps popping into me head but I could be way wrong on that one.

XX Jeannine

[Deb P]

I tried three different varieties and they all responded well to being trained up a stake. I thibk Black Hawk if sold as a climbing variety, but it didn't trail very much when I trialled it, so I wouldn't bother again. Not familiar with Ambassador, will have to look that one up!

[Jeannine]

Ambassador is the one I grew,, but it didn't climb with tendrils etc, my notes tell me it had a very stout stem and it did eventually topple over late in the summer but it was very prolific.. If you look it up it may come as Ambassador zucchini rather than courgette if I bought it over here.

XX Jeannine

[Deb P]

Found them, Dobies do them.....

http://www.dobies.co.uk/Garden/Vegetables/What+Veg+to+Plant+in/March+Veg+Planting/Courgette+Seeds+-+Ambassador+F1_439660.htm