[purplebean]

I have read that the tops should be pinched out when the plants are about 12". They are already starting to bush from the lower leaves, should I pinch?

[vegmandan]

There seems to be differing opinions to this.

If you pinch out and restrict the plant to 6 fruit then you'll generally get 6 big fruit.

If you leave it and let it produce 12-15+ fruit then you'll get smaller fruit.

It just depends on what you want lots of small or fewer big 'uns.

[Big Jen]

I'd go with more smaller fruit because the flowers are really pretty :!:

[gobs]

There seems to be differing opinions to this.

If you pinch out and restrict the plant to 6 fruit then you'll generally get 6 big fruit.

If you leave it and let it produce 12-15+ fruit then you'll get smaller fruit.

It just depends on what you want lots of small or fewer big 'uns.

Yeh, that's all academical in my experience, up north where we are we can hope for 2-4 courgettes a plant ripened - that is protected in some way - if lucky.

They just stop growing if it gets as low as 20C in my experience and they don't sort of recover again.

[vegmandan]

Wow you can get courgettes off an Aubergine plant.

Amazing  

Sorry only kidding

I managed about 8 medium ones in my greenhouse up here in deepest darkest yorkshire a few years ago but got sick of the thorns on the plants.

They're definately not for outside growing up here.

[gobs]

Wow you can get courgettes off an Aubergine plant.

    Yeah, it's so cold for them.

[purplebean]

Hmmm mine are outside in containers. I'll leave them to it and see what happens. I have two varieties and one seems to be thornless