[MarkC]

I have 5 courgette plants, of which 2 are patty pan for the first time. The other three are yellow ones (2) and a lebanese one (I think - light green and round) and have produced and continue to produce a bumper crop. The patty pan, although the plants have grown well and flowered well, are not really producing at all. Couple of pretty small fruits (I know they aren't meant to be big).

Am I too far north for these? We had great weather too until about 3 weeks ago, all changed now, cool cloudy and quite wet. I won't grow them again if they do this as it takes up too much valuable space. I grew them all from seed myself from a mixed pack. Any thoughts welcome.

[mumofstig]

That seems strange, here they produce as well as any other courgette/squash -unless it really is to do with your location 

[JayG]

Given that the other types did OK, there must be enough pollinating insects about.

Did you notice how many of the patty pan's flowers were female?

Sometimes, as with all squashes, they sometimes just get it wrong, although weather conditions can play a part in that to some degree.

[MarkC]

Thanks folks, yes, plenty of pollinating insects. Runner beans and other such like all did very well.

Same soil too, which is very fertile. There appeared to be more male than female flowers, particularly at first, but the female ones just didn't seem to come to much. Those fruits that did form were small and rotted quite quickly in complete contrast to the other varieties which you couldn't turn your back on as they grew so fast!

The plants were slower to come away in June than the others despite being about the same size when leaving the greenhouse. However, they caught up by July. Maybe I will get a few still....no huge loss as there are plenty on the rest. More the variety that was wanted....

[Christine]

I've found that patty pan courgettes can be rather unproductive. No idea why - have stuck to courgettes after a couple of tries.

[madcat]

It's been a funny year - Gold nugget squashes which are usually very reliable for me have decided not to play this year, but the marrows ...     despite the shortage of water.   Might be worth giving them the benefit of the doubt and trying again next year.

[sunshineband]

I've found that patty pan courgettes can be rather unproductive. No idea why - have stuck to courgettes after a couple of tries.

  a
And yet I have found them to be overwhelmingly productive, to the point we are not going to grow them again for some years.

I reckon it is the uncertain nature of growing that adds to the immense pleasure of GYO really 

[AnneB]

I have tried patty pans several times and not had a huge amount of success with them.  I have however had a great haul from Early Prolific Straightneck summer squash from Real Seeds this year.  It lived up to its name and produced tons more than the patty pans and crook necked summer squash I have grown previously.

[MarkC]

Update...since my original post, I've had lots of flowers and new small fruit forming, but it's so late in the season now that most of them aren't coming to anything. I know that they don't get that big anyway. Total harvestable crop has been about 5......

Think I will try another variety next year!