Has anyone planted their courgettes outside?

[allaboutliverpool]

I have just transferred my courgettes to bigger pots ino my homemade greenhouse as I dare not plant them out yet.

Photo on:-

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_courgettes.html

I should be interested to know what others have done. I might do a trial and put two out as I have plenty.

[allaboutliverpool]

[cambourne7]

mine have not popped though yet :(

[cleo]

My first sowing is nearly ready to pot on-but I wouldn`t plant out for say three weeks yet and then only if you can give them cloche protection

[Jeannine]

I did on Sunday XX Jeannine

[allaboutliverpool]

Well Jeannine, you seem to be the expert,  so two will definitely go out tomorrow without protection although I will be ready with a bit of fleece if frost or gale is forecast.

By the way are you planning to take over the sports ground with all your squashes?

[ellkebe]

Note to self - get round to sowing courgettes  :)

[OliveOil]

Gosh you two are brave. I just potted on my squashes and courgettes last night to make room for more sowings in the trays.... No. 2 lot of squashes went in today but the potted on ones looked HUGE this morning.  I was getting worried about when to plant them out but I'll not worry too much if you guys have yours out - have plenty of fleece available to cover!

[Deb P]

Mine are still in their packets........ ;D

[Jeannine]

Olive Oil, please don't take this as the rule, I always out some out very early,my winer ones too,I have backups. I get away with it most times  but it catches me out sometimes,and they are under cloches. The winters are going out this weekend, but they will be on their own,too many for cloches, and I am planting more just in case. Sometimes I am able to get the long growing ones to a full harvest if I take the chance.

XX Jeannine

[prink13]

I put 5 courgette plants out yesterday - then heard about the change in weather! Oh well, we'll have to keep fingers crossed :)

[real food]

I would say that it is far too early to put out semi-tropical plants outside, with the high probability of frosts in the next few weeks, with the possible exception of the South West. Mine will be under cover for the next five or six weeks, before going outside. Most failures that I see on other plots, are because they are put out far, far too early.

[kitten]

Sowed mine on Sunday....no sign yet  ::)  ;D

[Jeannine]

You are dead right Real Food but I have been growing squash for 30 years and to get some of the ones I grow I have to take the gamble.I do not suggest to anyone else that they do so unless they see it as a gamble too. It will catch you out at some point and to me it is worth it. XX Jeannine

[Tee Gee]

Will be waiting a few weeks yet before I sow them, mid may most likely!

[Chris Graham]

only just sown them  ;)

[Jenfur]

Oops I was so excited to plant anything I now have a tiny (cold) greenhouse which is full of courgettes, tomatos and cucumbers that are getting far too big, too soon! Think I'll have to just try them in as warm a place as I can find and plant some more later on to try again :(

[Marymary]

I potted mine up today into 5" pots but will wait a few weeks yet before they go out.

[real food]

During May, depending on the Weather, I will transfer my semi-tropical plants to my cold frame to harden them off before planting out in early June.

[allaboutliverpool]

It looks to me like a hare and tortoise situation with sensible conservative people waiting their time and the impetuous like me heading for a fall.

It seems to me that this site is a fertile source of information for someone wanting to rewrite the planting guides.

Perhaps there is a method of doing this, over to you Dan?

[valmarg]

We have three really good courgette plants (Parthenon) for growing in tubs indoors.

It is only mid-April, and here in North Staffs, in recent years we have been having quite severe frosts into early June.

Courgette seed is quite expensive, so I don't think I would risk putting any plants outside here for at least another five/six weeks.

valmarg