Growing Courgettes

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Sowing & Growing Courgettes

1. Two weeks before planting or sowing seed outdoors, make planting pockets 90cm (3ft) apart for courgettes, 1.2m (4ft) for marrows, 90 cm (3ft) for bush plants of summer squashes and 1.5m (5ft) for trailing plants of summer squashes.

2. For indoor-raised seedlings, plant outside on top of your planting pocket in early June, hardening off (acclimatising) before doing so. Do this by moving them into a coldframe for a week or if you don’t have a coldframe, move plants outdoors during the day, then bring in at night for a week, then the following week, leave them out in a sheltered spot all day and night.

You can also grow courgettes, marrows and summer squashes in growbags or containers (at least 45cm/18in wide). Plant one or two per growbag, or one per container.

3. Keep the soil constantly moist by watering around the plants, not over them. They need plenty of water, so sink a 15cm (6in) pot alongside the plants when planting out.

4. Feed every 10-14 days with a high potash liquid fertiliser once the first fruits start to swell.

Examples: Any of the quality Tomato Liquid Feeds

Category: Recipes

Pasta with Asparagus and Courgette

Asparagus and Courgette are made for each other in this dish!

Aubergine Parmigiana

This simple aubergine parmigiana recipe from Italy makes a cosy mid-week meal. Serve this cheese, tomato and aubergine bake as a vegetarian main dish, with some wholewheat garlic bread or a peppery rocket salad, or you can also make it as a hearty side for for a meat dish.!

Classic Rhubarb Crumble

Classic Rhubarb Crumble
Growing up this was my favourite dessert & seeing as only my dad and I liked it I always had a massive portion!

Category: The Growing Season

Jobs to do in June

Summer should be here!

Usually the risk of frost has passed by now, and with longer days there comes more sunshine and time to be in your allotment. If the weather is dry, then water your seed drills well before sowing any seeds – this way the young plants will develop a good root system.

Jobs to do in July

Harvest should be bountiful and the allotment is in full swing

Now is the height of summer, the days endlessly long, temperatures usually at their peek and you should be reaping the rewards of your hard work in the preceding months. Watering in this month is crucial to stem off premature bolting, tomato blossom end rot and splitting skins.

Jobs to do in January

Jobs to do on the Allotment in January
January is generally a very cold month with hard frosts freezing the ground and when the ground isn't frozen it is generally too wet to do much although there are no guarantees with British weather. Looking through my diaries, snow isn't that likely for a prolonged period but you never know.

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