Common amongst gardeners is the plight of what to do each summer with all their Courgettes! They will usually fruit for many months, from early summer, sometimes through to the first frost. Pick the courgettes when they’re young and tasty, 10–12.5cm long. Regular harvesting, when the fruits are small, will encourage more to form.

Sow courgette seed indoors in March and April for transplanting later on, or direct sow outdoors from late May to June.

Sow seed at a depth of 2cm in 7.5cm pots of free-draining compost. Place in a propagator or seal container inside a plastic bag until germination. Do not exclude light, as this helps germination. Once germinated, grow on in cooler conditions until all risk of frost has passed and plants are large enough to be transplanted. Gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions before planting outdoors in rich fertile, well drained soil in full sun at a distance of 90cm apart, or into large containers or grow bags.