[aelf]

Another courgette question - I am hoping to grow some this year in a potato planter/bag.  Will there be enough soil in there for it?

thanks, and sorry to hijck another thread...

I grow mine in plastic tubs, prob about the same volume as a potato planter and it works fine for me. They do need more watering tho.

[compostqueen]

I once grew mine in plastic refuse sacks filled with manure. The muck had been delivered to my plot and left against the fence on the path lined with black fabric sheet mulch. I had a bad back at the time and could not be bothered to shift the muck or do anything with it so I just planted my courgettes in them, one plant per bag. I rolled the tops of the bags down to neaten things up, and stabbed a few holes in,  and they grew just fine and fruited normally. 

[Jamie Butterworth]

I grew mine last year in a bulk bag which had a third left in it, couldnt find anywhere to put the topsoil so just threw the courgettes in and they did fine

And thanks to Grenhouse I should get an even better crop this year

[Christo]

I have a terrible weakness for courgettes! Last year I grew 9 plants which all performed brilliantly! There is a distinct taste difference between some varieties I think. and some like romanesco are much firmer I find.

Couldn't agree more. The yellow and stripey ones taste very sweet and are awsome stir fried or roasted. Hmm. Lovely. 

[Gravedigger]

pics of male and female flowers here, for those who may not now the difference 

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/courgette_zucchini_care.asp

Thanks for that.  We grew some spectacular courgette plants last year in growbags in the yard but no fruit...found out too late about the male and female flowers...have been advised to pollinate ALL flowers with a little paintbrush this year just in case as we will be growing them in a polytunnel

[pigeonpie]

Also, don't forget each year can make a difference to how well they grow and what problems you suffer from.  Last year I had 4 plants, they were a little on the slow side and would produce fruits a couple at a time.  We had enought to feed us but not the usual glut.  Although I watered them well I would say that this was probably due to the very dry early summer. 
The year before I had 3 plants and enough courgettes to sink a battleship with.  Each plant would have plenty of fruits growing at one time and I was even deliberately letting some grow to marrows just to slow the production down. 
A couple of years before that I had 5 plants and only had a handful of courgettes from them before they died off and had to be replaced with some late bought ones which again only produced a handful or two.

Isn't gardening marvelous at keeping us on our toes?!?

[maxyboo]

Grew courgettes for the 1st time last year. Had 6 plants for just the 2 of us. I had no idea how prolific they would be! A quick search on the internet and I made courgette soups and chutneys for us and family members. The soup froze well as long as no cheese was added. I did grow a couple in large pots and they did quite well.
Cheers for the info re male//female flowers. I did wonder why some never developed into fruits but didn't like to ask! Love this site

[madcat]

I usually grow a dark green and a yellow for salads and general cooking, but one of my neighbours had some round ones - size of a larger squash - on his plot and he gave me one.  I hollowed it out and baked it stuffed with tomatoes and goats cheese - it was excellent.  Went back to ask the variety - "dunno.  bought the seeds from a mate in italy"   Aggghhh!

[grenhouse]

I have grown in tubs and they did well, although not as well as open ground, (probably due to lazy watering!). When planting outside I plant the courgettes at the top of a mound and build a little moat around the outside. This way it collects rainwater, and you also have somewhere to water into. This has worked really well for me for the last 2 years.

I am limiting myself to around 1 of each variety I think this year, although more will probably appear!

[Y.E.A.H]

I grew one courgette plant last year in the soil and got over 30 courgettes of all different sizes off it. The biggest one, grew to 18in, and has lasted all winter in my kitchen without rotting or going squishy

[hamstergbert]

Ended up with about eight mixed courgette plants around the place in 2010 (due to being reluctant to ditch any extra plants of any sort if I can't give them away so habitually planting them in otherwise underemployed corners) and enjoyed consuming them in vastish quantities.

In additon to standard inclusion in normal meals and the inevitable courgette muffins/cakes plus ginger and marrow jam for a couple that slipped past me,  made a half dozen big clip-closure jars of mixed green and yellows pickled in cider vinegar and it was absolutely brilliant..... except can I find the recipe now, can I heck as like.  (Anybody remember that one?)

Anyway, as I said about eight plants and just about kept up to them, in earlier years had almost nothing from that sort of number of plants, other years swamped from just one or two plants, with no obvious reasons for the difference.

A possible explanation.   I reckon the courgette fairy is the old spaced out hippy among the veggie fairies, who instead of beavering away like most of his colleagues is either too chilled out and expanded pupils if you know what I mean to be bothered switching the fruiting on, or alternatively suddenly getting all hyper and pinpoint pupilled, ahem,  and not knowing when to stop!

[mumofstig]

was it this one?

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=22558.msg269305#msg269305

[hamstergbert]

No, afraid not.  Much more a case of slicing rather than chopping and featured whole grain mustard but no mustard seeds.  Ah well, I've a few months before it becomes an issue!

Thanks anyway, MoS.