Scared for my courguettes

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Vicym, May 27, 2021.

  1. Vicym

    Vicym Gardener

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    Thanks! I've got cauliflowers growing alongside them. I know there's not enough room but not much I can do this time. In hignsight I would have planted less when sowing. They appear to be just a load of leaves. Have you ever grown them? No idea if these are OK or if they will just end up leaves, and if the leaves are edible!!!!

    In better news, my radishes are sprouting.
     

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  2. Fat Controller

    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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    I have grown them, but not with much success yet - I seem to get tons of leaves and no flower, but half the fun is in the trying. The leaves are edible, although you probably want to choose how you use them carefully (quite cabbage like in many ways)
     
  3. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    Looks like a small one forming already, just need it to flower and get pollinated and its your first one.
     
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    • pete

      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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      Cauliflower need more spacing than that to form proper heads.
       
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      • Vicym

        Vicym Gardener

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        Do you think it's safe to take some out and plant elsewhere? They've been in the grow bag for 3 weeks now, worried about shocking them!
         
      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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        I seem to remember cauliflower does not like root disturbance.
        You could remove a few and pot them up in reasonable sized pots .
        Maybe the three in the middle and try not to disturb the others too much.
         
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        • Vicym

          Vicym Gardener

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          I'm reading a lot of stuff about pollenating the courguettes. No idea. The courguettes are under mesh so bees won't be able to do it, do I have to do it???

          So sorry about the number of questions I'm asking, it's so close to results with my plants I'm scared of ruining all of the hard work by getting something wrong last minute!
           
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          • pete

            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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            I'm not sure why you have courgettes under mesh, if you want to hand pollenate you take pollen from a male flower and put it onto the central sticky part of the female flower.

            Some people pick the male flower in order to do this, others use a soft small paint brush.

            If it doesn't work, dont be disappointed, they often abort the first females anyway.
             
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            • Vicym

              Vicym Gardener

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              I put them under mesh when I planted them out on May 10th as I was worried about pests getting to them. You think it's best to take mesh off?

              Do you get courguettes even if the plant doesn't pollinate?
               
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              • pete

                pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                I've never grown anything under mesh, but that is your choice on the caulis I see the point, keeps caterpillars off.

                Never found a problem with cougettes or marrows.

                No, if they dont get pollinated the fruits just rot.
                 
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                • JWK

                  JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                  I've never hand pollinated courgettes, when you remove the mesh insects will do the job for you. The only pests I get on courgettes are slugs.
                   
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                  • Vicym

                    Vicym Gardener

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                    Thanks guys.

                    Last question- there's loads and loads of leaves on my courguette plants, I don't think the would be flowers are getting any sun at all. Do I need to cut any leaves away to allow sun in?
                     
                  • JWK

                    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                    No need to expose the flowers to the sun, insects will find them and pollinate, then the fruit will form and do not need sunlight.
                     
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                    • shiney

                      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                      You need to take the mesh off.

                      Just a point about the flowers - most courgettes produce only male flowers first so don't be worried if you don't get any fruit showing for a week or two (it's still very early days). The male flowers come up on a long thin stem but not fruit appears at all. The females have a fatter stem but that remains very short and the fruit then starts to grow.

                      Male is the top one and female the bottom one. It's the male that is used for stuffed courgette flowers - a very pleasant dish.
                      [​IMG]
                       
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                      • Vicym

                        Vicym Gardener

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                        Flowers have shot up out of nowhere! According to my book one is male (thin stalk) and one is female (looks like it has a baby courguette behind it)

                        My partner loves stuffed courguette flowers, when would you save the time would be to harvest the flowers? I don't want to deprive the plant of something it needs prematurely.

                        Happy Saturday gardeners!
                         

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