How to grow them
Sow one seed on its edge in a small pot in late April, indoors. Plant out after the last frost into soil enriched with plenty of compost, and water well all summer.
Squash, corn and cucumbers
Courgettes
Two plants are plenty. Three and you will be leaving them on neighbours' doorsteps.
- Buy as
- Seed
- Space
- 90cm between plants, 90cm between rows
- Position
- Full sun
- Rotation
- Fits anywhere
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Frost
- Tender: killed by frost. Nothing outside until the last one has passed.
The year
Sow indoors
Sow outdoors
Plant out
Harvest
When to pick
Cut at 10 to 15cm long, three times a week. Miss a few days and you have marrows.
What goes wrong
Problems, and what to do
Powdery mildew
A white coating on the leaves in late summer. Water at the roots; it rarely stops the crop.
Fruits rotting at the tip
Poor pollination in cold, wet weather. It rights itself when the weather warms.
Slugs
They eat young plants. Put them out when they are sturdy.
Good neighbours: Nasturtiums, Sweetcorn, Marigolds.
Same family
More from squash, corn and cucumbers
Squash and pumpkinsThey take a lot of room, then sit on a shelf and feed you through the winter.
Outdoor cucumbersRidge cucumbers are shorter and rougher than the shop kind, with far more flavour.
SweetcornIts sugar starts turning to starch the moment it is picked. Put the pan on before you go to the plot.