courgettes

[janebb]

I am a bit disappointed with my crop of courgettes (didn't think I would ever hear myself say that!)

I had 4 or 5 courgettes early on, but now only seem to be getting male flowers.  Is there any way of encouraging female flowers to form?

[janebb]

[Two Choices]

You could try cutting the male flowers off as soon as you can confirm they are male.

[Barnowl]

I was thinking of going for courgettes next year (our second season) but now you've got me really worried ...

EvI have no idea how to sex a courgette flower (or any other type of flower for that matter) -  is it a pre-requisite for being a successful allotmenteer?

[Two Choices]

Barowl
Courgettes are really easy to grow and you don't have to know which flowers are male or female to grow them. Courgettes have large flowers and the female ones are the ones which bear the fruit. You can tell these as soon after the flower opens the stem behind the flower swells unlike the male flower which has a stem like any other flower. Hope his encourages you to have a go next year

[Barnowl]

Thanks - not as complicated as I feared!

[lin]

Courgettes are my favourite crop... and the easiest... although this year didn't get as many as usual... they are so useful.

My favourite thing is making soup out of them and freezing it... I have soup for lunch every day, it is delicious and nutricious... and I'm a poet!

I also like to cut it in strips, put lemon and black pepper on and bake... at the moment I have a tray in the oven with lots of veggies on it including green and yellow courgettes...all cut into big pieces and shaken in oil. They will be delicious when I go downstairs for tea!

An allotment plot is not the same without them, so plant them and just let them do their own thing... I have never worried if I get too many flowers of the "wrong" sex, I just put the flowers in a little butter or marg and cook them... yum!
Linda

[prink13]

Barnowl, there were some good instructions and pics ref this topic earlier in the season, but I cannot find them now - you could try looking on the wiki

Kathi