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Courgette

Cucurbita pepo · Cucurbitaceae

Prolific, easy summer crop; one or two plants feed a family

Photo: Tarunpant, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sun: Full sun, sheltered
Soil: Rich, moisture-retentive, with lots of organic matter
Soil pH: Neutral, about pH 6.0-7.5
Water: Water generously, especially once fruiting
Hardiness: Tender (frost-tender)
Height and spread: About 90cm tall × 90cm or more spread (bush)

Guv's tipFeed the soil with lots of organic matter and water generously once fruiting starts. Oh, and never eat a bitter courgette. Trust me on this one.

Through the year

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Sow or plant

Harvest

Timings are for the UK as a whole. Northern and exposed gardens often run a couple of weeks later.

When to plant

Sow indoors Apr-May or outdoors late May-early Jun. Plant out late May-Jun after the last frost

Harvest or flowering

Harvest Jul-Oct

Pruning

None needed; remove old leaves if mildewed

Making more plants

Seed

Watch out for

Pest

Slugs and snails

Look for: Irregular holes in leaves, slime trails, seedlings eaten

What to do: Hand-pick at night, barriers, beer traps, encourage predators; ferric phosphate pellets sparingly

Disease

Powdery mildew

Various (Erysiphales)

Look for: White powdery coating on leaves

What to do: Water in dry spells, mulch, improve air flow, resistant cultivars

Disease

Downy mildew

Various oomycetes

Look for: Yellow patches above, grey/purple growth below leaves

What to do: Remove affected leaves, improve air flow, avoid wetting foliage

Disease

Grey mould

Botrytis cinerea

Look for: Fuzzy grey mould on flowers, fruit or stems, rotting

What to do: Remove affected parts, improve ventilation, avoid overcrowding

Disease

Cucumber mosaic virus

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)

Look for: Mottled, distorted leaves, stunting, poor fruit

What to do: Destroy infected plants, control aphids, resistant cultivars

Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.

Safety and spread

Pets and people: Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses (listed as zucchini by the ASPCA). Very bitter fruit can contain cucurbitacins and cause poisoning: do not eat bitter courgettes

Weed risk: None known

Checked against two or more reputable gardening sources. How we check our facts

Growing somewhere else? See this plant for the USA and Australia.

Keep it by the back door

The Plant Doctor and the Guv's book

Printable pest and disease charts with real photographs, and all 50 UK plants in one book.

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